“Emergency departments are not always the best place to go – they are brightly lit and noisy - so part of fixing that is rolling out crisis recovery cafes across the country because we know they work,” Doocey said.
“It’s about having the opportunity, for someone in a time of distress or crisis, to come into a safe place like this and be supported by peer support lived-experience workers.
“We think they can make a real difference supporting people with mental health issues.”
Whanganui’s cafe is the first of six being set up around the country.
Whanganui MP Carl Bates said it was fantastic the city had the first cafe because mental health is something raised to him by the community regularly.
“It is fabulous that we have got such passionate and skilled individuals to support us in Whanganui,” Bates said.
The cafe will run as a crisis recovery safe-place five days a week from Wednesday to Sunday, 3pm-9pm.
Balance Aotearoa general manager Rana Aston said it was a great opportunity for her and the staff to take on.
“We have been working on it for a long time with the community, trying to open some way of supporting people after-hours in a nice warm space that people can go,” Aston said.
“It’s really amazing that the Government is putting funds into peer support and mental health support.”
Aston said her personal experiences with mental health developed a passion for helping others.
“Being able to be in the community and create things that give people other options is a real passion of mine.”
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said it was good to see Whanganui prioritised because mental health statistics were “stark”.
“It was great for Whanganui to host the Minister for Mental Health for the opening of the new Crisis Recovery Cafe at Aunty’s Cafe – it’s a place to feel heard, supported and safe,” he said.
Doocey said the concept aligned with a push towards more peer support.
“When I was growing up, talking about mental health issues had a lot of stigma and discrimination so people would not talk about their own experience in the mental health system, now we see it as a real strength,” he said.
“We wanted to work with local NGOs and community organisations which are ready to go. Part of what this Government wants to do, especially in mental health, is get money out of Wellington and into grassroots organisations who are already on track with delivering.”
Doocey believed the Government’s mental health plan was working, by “turning the corner” on reducing wait times and increasing the mental health workforce.
“We are looking to build out a crisis response in New Zealand,” Doocey said.
“When you think about crisis, it doesn’t need to be mental health, it can be someone in distress as well.
“Whether it’s you, your child, a friend, or a family member, reaching out for support, this Government is committed to ensuring support is there.”
Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
