A bicultural pūrākau has moved from vision to screen. Photo / Supplied
A bicultural pūrākau has moved from vision to screen. Photo / Supplied
Nicola Clarke (Waikato, Ngāti Maahanga, Te Rarawa) says stigma and discrimination against people with mental distress or illness is a problem faced by many today.
People with a mental health problem often avoid seeking help or treatment because of this stigma and concerns about being treated differently, she says, andthat is something she wants to see change.
Nicola, who works as a consumer advocate for Tui Ora, says people's negative view of those with a mental illness often comes from a lack of understanding. With this in mind, and to help her better support her community and expand her knowledge, she enrolled in a Mental Health and Addictions apprenticeship through Industry Training Organisation Careerforce.
The apprenticeship is a work-based learning programme and is endorsed by Tui Ora, a kaupapa Māori community-based health and social services provider, built on the aspirations of all Taranaki iwi.
In her role as a consumer advocate, Nicola walks alongside whānau to help them reach their potential and empower them to achieve their goals.
Nicola says she and her colleague Natalie Kihi (Waikato, Taranaki Tūturu and Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga) have both lived experience of mental illness, and had an initial vision to raise awareness about the impacts of mental illness discrimination.
That vision has been brought to life with the launch of a bicultural pūrākau, and the creation of a beautiful short video, now being distributed throughout communities.
It was through being Te Kete Pounamu's, the national organisation for Māori with lived experience, regional lead for Te-Whanganui-a-Tara that Nicola saw the opportunity to produce the pūrākau Tomo Mai, she says.
The bicultural resource reminds people that stigma and discrimination exist, and as a result, people with mental illness are often misunderstood. They may not be able to go back to work and are often discriminated against, says Nicola.
She says she is grateful for funding for the project which enabled it to go from vision to reality.
"The public awareness programme, Nōku te Ao: Like Minds generously provided the funding for the project."
She says Nōku te Ao: Like Minds aims to end mental illness discrimination through public awareness campaigns, community projects and research.
The launch was held in July this year. Photo / Supplied
Nicola and Natalie developed the story themselves, engaging Taranaki based graphic designers and animators, TGM Design Ltd, to help bring the story of Moko's mental health journey to life.
Nicola says they selected the music Ka Piata which talks about letting your wairua shine through, no matter how many difficult times may be ahead. The words of the song inspired them to bring the pūrākau to fruition.
The video launched in July this year, with whānau, friends and colleagues attending the launch.
"We also had fellow kaimahi and kaiarahi from different Tui Ora services - like Whānau Ora, Public Health, Suicide Prevention and colleagues from the TDHB - Consumer & Whānau Advisors."
Nicola has almost completed her Level 4 apprenticeship in Mental Health and Addiction Support, something she says is thanks in part to the support she has had throughout from Tracy Collier, her Careerforce apprenticeship adviser.
"Tracy has been really helpful and encouraging - just amazing and very patient. With the challenges of completing my apprenticeship, studying te reo and working, it has taken time, but I want to give it a bit of a final push now to get it over the line."
While she has almost finished her apprenticeship, Nicola has no plans to stop learning.
"There is still lots to learn about mental health - I want to keep learning. I'll continue with my te reo studies – it is important to me. I will keep focusing on mental health, especially with a focus on Māori mental health. I want to be able to give back to my people and help the whānau out there who are struggling."
She says she would encourage others to look into the opportunities available through Careerforce apprenticeship programmes.
* As a result of the Government's Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF), enrolments in Careerforce apprenticeship programmes are currently free. In addition, employers of apprentices may be eligible for $1000 a month payments through the Apprenticeship Boost fund.
