Whakatāne crisis recovery cafe gets Government funding boost

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey cutting the ribbon at Resilience Cafe in Whakatāne on Friday, alongside Waata Heathcote, who runs the cafe. Photo / Supplied

A “crisis recovery cafe” in Whakatāne will extend its opening hours thanks to a Government funding boost.

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey announced on Friday during the final stop of the Rural Health Roadshow that Whakatāne’s Resilience cafe would receive the funding.

In a statement, Doocey said emergency departments were not always the best place for someone in mental distress.

Crisis recovery cafes such as Resilience offered a “peer-led, non-clinical space where people can go to get support and be heard”, Doocey said.

The cafe was previously open Monday to Friday 7am to 3pm.

The additional funding would enable it to operate until 7pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and on Saturdays from 7am to 3pm.

The team could now grow by at least two additional peer support specialists, meaning the cafe could double its capacity from seeing 15 to 31 people at once.

“I’ve been calling lived experience the silent revolution, not because it’s new, but because it’s starting to gain more traction here in New Zealand,” Doocey said.

“We are better utilising peer support workers in a range of settings, including emergency departments, eating disorder services and crisis alternatives.”

He said the Resilience cafe was a great example of a community organisation already making a difference, and the funding would “help them reach even more people”.

“Crisis Recovery Cafes are a part of our mental health plan for faster access to support, more frontline workers and a better crisis response.”

Doocey attended a public meeting on Friday in Whakatāne to hear from the local community and the frontline.

“These roadshows have given me the invaluable chance to hear directly from rural communities and those working in rural health about what’s working well and where barriers remain.”

He thanked everyone who attended.

“The bottom line is that people in our rural communities deserve timely, quality health and mental health support, no matter where they live. That’s exactly what this Government is committed to delivering.”