Posts Tagged ‘New Zealand’

On Reflection

August 3, 2010

An inside view of an in-patient mental health service. Our thanks to Michael W Brown for this contribution.

“Two hours”

By, Micheal W. Brown. BCApSc. MIndS (Distinction) (Otago) Doctoral Candidate (Waikato)

At the request of a mental health practitioner, I was asked to write about my experiences of the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre Hamilton.  This is my retelling of a story; an experience that transcended and informed my reality of what it is that is “real” for me. 

This story was written five days after my release from the Mental Health Ward at the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre, Waikato Hospital.  

My Hubris:

In my attempt to end my life, to “right the wrongs” that I felt I had been implanted in the consciousness of those people who loved me the most; my wife; my children; my whānau and friends, I irreparably hurt these people. By engaging in dysfunctional, yet enlightening experiences of self discovery, I become an “actor” in my own play; a play that embodied a theme of destruction; a play culminating in my hubris, my tragedy. Thus, I take full and absolute ownership of the experiences that led to my admission into the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre(more…)

Whānau Ora

June 29, 2010

Whānau Ora has been embedded in the ‘health’ language for many years as a health outcome goal, a policy and numerous strategies.

In mental health and addictions it has become a way of working with people that connects all the bits up in a Professor Sir Mason Durie Te Whare Tapa Wha, kind of way. Post modern Whānau Ora will not be as narrow as it is setting out to improve social, education and other support services, helping families to be more self managing and take responsibility for their own development.

The debating and hui that attracted over four and a half thousand people from around New Zealand is over. The Whānau ora Governance group has now called for Expressions of Interest for providers to develop whānau centred services and nominations for the Regional Leadership Groups that will drive Whānau Ora in the ten regions. So the shaping on how Whānau Ora will work in practice, has begun.

This will be a testing time as the questions that have been asked will need to be addressed and new ones are bound to arise.

Who is it for?

What’s the activity?

Who is accountable for the money?

Where to start?

What are the boundaries?

How do you hook into what is already there?

How do you do through whanau not to whanau?

As the next months unfold there are many community organisations and NGOs, Maori and non Maori, hoping that this fundamental approach will address the critical issues that stack the health, wealth and well being statistics against Maori. They are waiting to find their role and to bring their skills and experience into the emerging rethink of what is possible.

Great Dads – Ordinary men make great fathers

June 14, 2010
How about this story.  A guy – lets call him Dave is reading some material by a NZ pediatrician and a US economist and is so stunned by the material he resolved to tell as many men as he could how important it is to give attention to very young children.  He set out to make a positive difference to the lives of New Zealand children.
I was stunned that I didn’t know that what happens to and around a baby creates the emotional foundation for the rest of his life. This is very important information … information that every parent, every adult needs to know.  And yet I’d raised two girls and this was new information to me! And if I didn’t know this … I figured most other men didn’t know, either.
During his research it was clear that you need to get in early as it’s during the first 3 years that the most important learning happens in a human brain. (more…)

Make a Mother’s Day

June 2, 2010
CCS Disability Action has launched a TV campaign called ‘Make a mother’s day’ which will run until the end of July.  The commercial features a real kiwi mum going about a typical hectic day with her disabled son and sibling.
While many mums get a bit of a break on Mother’s Day, the campaign highlights there are thousands of mums caring for disabled children who need emotional and practical support all year round.
To make a donation and to hear more from Andrea, the mother from the TV commercial, along with other stories from New Zealand families who face the challenges of caring for a child with a disability, visit the microsite

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