Celebrating employment support for Māori and Pasifika tāngata whai ora

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Celebrating employment support for Māori and Pasifika tāngata whai ora

One year has passed since 16 additional employment consultants / kairapu tūranga mahi joined mental health teams across Auckland and Counties Manukau health districts.

Mahitahi Trust and Workwise have been integrating employment consultants across 14 community mental health teams to increase access to employment support, with a focus on Māori and Pasifika tāngata whai ora.

The collaboration celebrated its first year of service delivery in March, sharing achievements and learnings from along the way.

Warren Elwin, Chief Executive of Workwise spoke about the way they had supported each other over the year, through the collaboration. “There’s been adaptability. We’ve learnt lots about connection with clinical teams. The process with this collaboration has felt safe and kind and whānau orientated and that’s worth celebrating.”

“We need to keep building on what we’ve done. In these times, employment support is more important than ever,” he added.

Workwise and Mahitahi Trust have worked together, combining their expertise in employment service and cultural practice to support the health and wellbeing of people – and to enable them to live their dreams.

The service provides anyone currently utilising community mental health services across Auckland and Counties Manukau with culturally-appropriate, wrap-around support to find and keep a job.

View a video about the collaboration so far.

“I want to bring it back to the heart of why we’re all here. It’s about the stories of whānau whaiora getting into mahi. That’s why we ask our employment consultants to get out there every day and do the best they can for our people,” said Raewyn Allan, Tumu Whakarae / Chief Executive Officer of Mahitahi Trust.

If you’re working in a mental health team, you can refer people using services to an employment consultant. Your referral means that employment support and advice is immediately available for people.

Additional information:

Under contract to Te Whatu Ora, this collaboration between Mahitahi Trust and Workwise provides an expansion of employment support services in two health districts: Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau and Te Toka Tumai Auckland.

About Mahitahi Trust: Mahitahi Trust is a 30-year-old kaupapa Māori heath and addictions provider, committed to helping people and whānau work toward achieving and maintaining wellness through the delivery of integrated tikanga Māori services.

About Workwise: Workwise has been operating for over 20 years across the country. Workwise are part of the Wise Group, a leading provider of mental health and wellbeing services in New Zealand.

To make a referral, contact the employment consultant attached to your team or email referrals@mahitahi.co.nz or info@workwise.org.nz

For more information, please contact us.