30 April 2009

A lot has been done to improve mental health services in the Wakatipu region, but there is still a lot long way to go.

That was the message Pact Southland adult community support team leader Paula Dawson took from a recent Future Directions Open Forum held in the town. Future Directions is a regional representative group of mental health service users, families, providers and stakeholders.

Paula and Queenstown-based Pact community support worker Donna Baker attended the forum, where the aim was to identify improvements over the past year and for providers to see what still needs to happen. About 80 people attended and Paula says it was a good opportunity to network.

“There were a lot of agencies that still aren’t overly aware of each other’s role.”

The forum focused on: alcohol and drug services; services for families; consumer support and networks; services for young people; and services for older people.

"We went through what was currently available, what’s working, where are the gaps, what are the opportunities and what would make a difference and projects and initiatives.”

Paula says there are lot of successful services in the Wakatipu but added there is still a long way to go, particularly with alcohol and drug services for youth and also services for the elderly where there is a lack of residential services.

“[The area is] quite unique and has different needs compared to larger centres. That party town reputation with all the transient people coming through puts a different spin on the services required up there.”

Paula says that most of Donna’s clients are dealing with post natal depression.

“I met a few people from the post natal support group up there and they said 80% of the people that are involved in that group have no family there. There are established families there, but a lot of people do not have that support base.”

She says there were many ideas for improvements, ranging from simple initiatives to big dreams. There was discussion around how much involvement Future Directions could have in political lobbying.

“It was very broad but there were a lot of good ideas that came out of it.”