Rotorua's Visions of a Helping Hand director Tiny Deane had seen a number of clients relapse back into addiction struggles post-lockdown. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua's Visions of a Helping Hand director Tiny Deane had seen a number of clients relapse back into addiction struggles post-lockdown. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua addiction services are welcoming Government funding to address an "ever-growing" problem seemingly heightened by the Covid-19 lockdown.
The Bay of Plenty region expects to get $3.2 million over four years for addiction services, part of a $32m nationwide package.
Lakes District Health Board will use the money for peersupport staff in Rotorua and Taupō before and after residential care, and the Bay of Plenty District Health Board for increased capacity in specialist services.
Rotorua's Visions of a Helping Hand director Tiny Deane had seen a number of clients relapse back into addiction struggles post-lockdown. Photo / Andrew Warner
The boards will get $1.6m each, Health Minister Chris Hipkins and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last week.
Rotorua's Visions of a Helping Hand director Tiny Deane said he was pleased addiction services were being acknowledged as relapses hindered his clients' progress.
He said the number of relapses since lockdown had blown his mind. People who had been clean for two years or more were turning back to substances.
"It makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall. We are putting so much work in, the hard mahi."
He said he was seeing people "crash and burn" after being thrown out of accommodation for their substance abuse.
Rotorua's Visions of a Helping Hand director Tiny Deane. Photo / Andrew Warner
"The problem is ever-growing and any help we can get is appreciated."
A Lakes board spokeswoman said the money would address long-standing "major gaps" in alcohol and other drug addiction services.
The $1.6m would be used to support residential providers including regional providers, she said.
"It will also be used to develop a new community-based managed withdrawal service and to strengthen the continuing care of patients."
She said it would give people a choice of detoxing with support at home or in a local community facility.
Regional manager for Lifewise Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Haehaetu Barrett said she had been advocating for additional funding, specifically for local peer support for a long time.
Her service operated 24/7 providing addiction and mental health support and services through the Bay of Plenty and Lakes district.
Regional manager for Lifewise Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Haehaetu Barrett. Photo / File
She said funding like this helped address a national need on a local level and meant people could access help without travelling.
Her team was preparing for an influx of clients as people began leaving motels post-Covid.
She would meet health professionals in the coming weeks to discuss the state of the issue and what their next steps may be.
Rahera Wild struggled with addiction for 20 years but has been clean for four and a half.
She worked as a peer support person in Rotorua, where some of the money would go.
She said peer support was the "way of future" as many were more willing to listen to and open up to someone who had "lived their experience".
"We show them that there is hope; a light at the end of the tunnel."
But she said there were "huge gaps in the system" and more funding could not come soon enough.
Wild described the region's meth problem as "absolutely crazy", saying a number of services needed additional funding to even get to the tip of it.
Director of Tauranga's Hamner Clinic David Benton said the sector was "underfunded" and anything was well-needed.
Recovered methamphetamine addict and peer support worker Rahera Wild. Photo / File
"Our groups are full, our waiting lists are long. We are stretched to capacity at the moment."
However, things were only getting worse as the stress of current events had many past recoveries turning back to the bottle or joint, he said.
He said they had seen a "spike" lately of people requiring help but numbers had gradually been rising for years.
"Funding of any kind that can help people get better is well spent."
A Ministry of Health spokesman said a key focus of the investment was to ensure services - which had been under pressure for some time - were sustainable.
The funding was to go the delivery of services, as well as new frontline staff in some parts of the region.
Budget 2019 funding for addiction recovery services ensured there were increases every year and the ministry was now planning its investment for the 2020/21 financial year, he said
