Supporting whānau and individuals bereaved by suicide or affected by suicide attempt. A presentation on the challenges and development of a Postvention Support Service that aims to provide support to Māori whānau and individuals bereaved by suicide or affected by suicide attempt. Presentation by Eliza Snelgar, Dr Louisa Walker, Clinical Advisory Services Aotearoa at the 2009 SPINZ National Symposium: Culture and Suicide Prevention in Aotearoa: http://www.spinz.org.nz/page/108-events-archive+spinz-national-symposium-2009+symposium-coverage

1. He Kura te Tangata
The Human Being is
Precious
Supporting whānau and
individuals bereaved by suicide or
affected by a suicide attempt
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2. Objective
• To provide an overview of SCS service
delivery to Māori
• To discuss experiences and challenges in
the development of the service and the
needs of whānau who are dealing with the
trauma of suicide or affected by suicide
attempt
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3. Background
• Postvention Support Initiative precursor to
Postvention Support Service – SCS, CPRS and
IRS
• Evaluation of PSI resulted in development of
Specialist Counselling Service for those bereaved
by suicide or affected by suicide attempt
• Available in 7 DHB regions: Canterbury, Nelson
Marlborough, Tai Rawhiti, Hawkes Bay, Counties
Manukau, Auckland, Waitemata
• Coordinator Māori Services appointed October
2008 to develop a services for Māori whānau and
individuals bereaved by suicide and or affected by
suicide attempt to access SCS 3
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4. Service to Māori
• Experience in first phase (PSI) of the programme
resulted in very poor uptake by Māori (1.5% of
those referred)
• Attempt to identify and address barriers
• European model – appointment at provider
rooms
• Absence of Māori providers
• Difficulty appreciating benefit of counselling
• Little trust that the service was safe or relevant
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5. SCS Māori Services
Structure
• Network of contracted Māori and non-Māori
providers
• Free bereavement counselling support to
Māori whānau
• Available in 7 DHB regions
• Whānau focus
• Provider input in design and delivery
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6. Eliza with Māori Providers Puawai and Tina
Marie
Tamaki Makaurau
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7. SCS Māori Services
Structure
• Free service
• Kaumatua, Kuia, Kai Atawhai available to
support whānau
• Referral process made easy via 0800
number, email, text, website, post, word of
mouth or fax
• Referrers include GPs, PHOs, MH services,
community services, and Māori providers
• Available for children, young people and
adults
7
• Home visits offered
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8. Specialist Māori Service
• Efforts on-going to identify and recruit Māori
providers
• Efforts to design a service that better
matches Māori models of care
• Enthusiastic response by Māori providers,
NGOs and organizations
• Māori engaged in service has increased to
22.5%
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9. SCS Programme Update
• 303 referrals received since 01 December
2008 to end of July 2009
• Average 38 referrals per month
• Gender
• Female 59%
• Male 41%
• Ethnicity
• European 63%
• Māori 22.5%
• Other 14.5%
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10. SCS Programme Update
• Average number of sessions attended is 1.7
• Family groups 20
• 54 individuals
• Multiple family members agree to referral
however only 2-3members may actually
continue with support beyond initial meeting
• 11.9% of those referred use six sessions
available
10
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11. Revised Programme
• Enthusiastic uptake by Victim Support,
PHOs and GPs, NGOs, Self-referrals
increasing
• Current demand for service now
exceeds budget
• Have revised programme in order to
stay within current budget
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12. Revised Programme
• Reduced sessions from 6 to 4
• International data – modal number
of session is 4
• Reduced some provider fees
• Limit to those affected by death within
last 12 months
• Considering applying quotas to
referrers
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13. On-Going Service
Development
• Success of the programme requires
that we look carefully at demand
versus capacity to deliver the service
• Will roll out nationally when/if funding
allows
• Important to determine best structure
and model
• Recognize shared design/structure
with Primary Mental Health
programmes 13
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14. General Wihongi – Kai Atawhai
Te Whānau O Waipareira Trust
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15. He Kura te Tangata
The Human being is Precious
• Provider feedback
• Whānau feedback
• Challenges – more questions than
answers
• Why Māori don’t participate in
counselling
• Building the service from a vision
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16. Presenters
Eliza Snelgar
Coordinator Maori Services
eliza.snelgar@casa.org.nz
Dr Louisa Walker
Clinical Manager SCS
louisa.walker@casa.org.nz
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