Seventeen people from Waipā and King Country, including representatives from police, schools and a youth trust have completed a Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Aotearoa workshop.
Workshop completed, from left – back row Andrew Christie, Georgina Christie, Anthony Kahura, Rachel Peehikuru, Louise Emery and Tiri Maresca-Allison from Ko Wai Au Trust.
Middle row: Kathryn Payne from NZ Police; Karyn Kay from Te Awamutu Intermediate; Natasha Dunne from Pokuru School/St Mary’s Catholic School Ōtorohanga; Emma Croucher and Tia Kingi from Ko Wai Au Trust.
Front row: Mikaera Hemara from Ko Wai Au Trust; Barbara Nelson from The Waterboy/Tupu Programme; Collette Corley from NZ Police; Jackson Willison from The Waterboy/Tupu Programme. Photo: Supplied.
Constable Kathryn Payne, NZ Police School Community Officer
The two-day training, held in Te Awamutu August 1 and 8, was run by Mates Matters NZ.
The Youth MHFA Aotearoa programme equips adults with knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise and respond when a young person is experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis.
“Mental health is huge within our communities and there are a lot of pressures on our youth,” said Constable Kathryn Payne, a school community officer. In her role, she supports around 80 schools including those in Waipā and King Country.
Youth MHFA Aotearoa workshop facilitators Sarah Christensen and Sarah Keelty. Photo: Supplied.
According to the 2022/23 New Zealand Health Survey, over half of all New Zealanders aged 15 to 24 experience anxiety or depression. The number of young people experiencing moderate to high distress have nearly doubled since 2016/17 and Māori, Pacific, disabled and rainbow youth are more vulnerable.
The workshop focused on how adults can understand and support the mental health of intermediate and high school aged children, with a five-step mental health action plan to follow if needed.
It covered topics such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, panic attacks, traumatic events and psychosis.
Workshop in progress
Group discussions
A group from Ko Wai Au Trust, a not-for-profit organisation supporting rangatahi, also attended the workshop.
Karyn Kay, Learning Support Coordinator, Te Awamutu Intermediate
“It was awesome, I loved it,” said Ko Wai Au Trust co-founder and general manager Georgina Christie. “We all took away some good learnings, good validation that we are on the right track, and some good reminders.”
Co-founder Andrew Christie said talking about mental health was important to reducing stigma in the community.
Te Awamutu Intermediate learning support coordinator Karyn Kay said the workshop reflected what many schools were seeing with increased levels of anxiety, along with social, behavioural and learning challenges among students.
Workshop co-facilitator Sarah Christensen, who is also the programme manager for Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa, said it was fantastic to see so many people come together to support youth.
Karyn Kay, Andrew Christie, Georgina Christie, Kat Payne
As Mental Health First Aiders, they join more than 7500 adults across the country who have been trained in one of the MHFA Aotearoa programmes.
Christensen and co-facilitator Sarah Keelty from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Waikato have decades of experience working in the mental health and addictions sector, something valued by workshop participants.
Georgina Christie said one of the highlights of the workshop was collaborating and building stronger relationship with others working with young people in the region.
“At the end of the day, we not only want to be able to support the rangatahi and whānau we work with, but we all want to make a better and stronger community.”
Youth Mental Health First Aid banner
Andrew and Georgina Christie, co-founders of Ko Wai Au Trust
