Our Pacific mental health peer support services is about supporting our Pacific peoples who are experiencing low to moderate mental illness (service users) to get well, be well and integrate back into their community. These services involve pairing service users with peer support workers who have experienced mental illness and recovery to help them on their wellness journey. This one-on-one service with someone who has “lived experience” of mental illness is helpful for those who need an extra moral and confidence boost to overcome their mental illness.

How to access this service

• Access to this service is by referral from Waitemata DHB’s mental health clinical teams (Isa Lei, West 1 and West 2, Inpatient clinics and General Practitioners). We can also accept requests from a person or family member (self and community-referrals), however these numbers are limited.

Eligibility criteria

To be referred to this service, a person must:

• Be aged 16 years and over

• Live in the Waitemata DHB area, and

• Be a current (or recent) user of Waitemata DHB’s mental health clinical services.

• For more information, please contact our West mental health team on FREE PHONE 0800 825 282 or by email: mentalhealth_west@vakatautua.co.nz