Activities and initiatives database

“This funding has enabled us to provide consistency of availability across the region so people, for instance in coastal Taranaki, who may not have been able to access this service before it existed, now can.”
Sarah Wood, clinical project manager, Taranaki Primary Connections

Three primary health organisations (PHOs) in the Taranaki region are working together to ensure a primary mental health initiative is available to as many people as possible.

Originally established in 2006 and run by Manaaki Oranga, a small Maori health provider, the programme initially targeted people aged over 18 registered with very low cost access general practices.

The programme, called Taranaki Primary Connections, has expanded considerably since its inception to now provide access to subsidised primary mental health services for all general practices linked with the region’s three PHOs - Peak Health Taranaki, Hauora Taranaki PHO and Te Tihi Hauora O Taranaki PHO - enabling more people to access fully funded counselling sessions.

Peak Health Taranaki is the lead PHO providing administration for the programme,  with the CEOs of the three PHOs acting as a governance group. “There is very much a collective effort and a real commitment to work collaboratively on this from all three PHOs,” clinical project manager Sarah Wood says.

Virtual vouchers ensure fair allocation of funding across a region where resources are limited and demand is high. Sarah says the voucher allocation is calculated based on the number of patients registered with each general practice and the deprivation level of the practice population. The vouchers are distributed every six months and GPs are updated on a quarterly basis as to how many have been used and how many are left. “As with all health services, demand far outweighs the funding resource that we have available. However this funding has enabled us to provide consistency of availability across the region so people, for instance in coastal Taranaki, who may not have been able to access this service before it existed, now can,” Sarah says.

The voucher is simply a referral letter from a GP to a counsellor or therapist with details of a person with mild to moderate mental health concerns. The voucher entitles the person to a pre-agreed number of sessions with the therapist.

GPs are also able to refer people who have more complicated issues directly to Manaaki Oranga where they are given additional support in the form of assessment, care coordination and referral. For example, a Manaaki Oranga coordinator may visit the person in their home to do an assessment and help them engage with the most appropriate service for their specific needs.

“Having funded services within community-based settings means we can be much more proactive about dealing with people’s mental health issues before they escalate.”
Sarah Wood, clinical project manager, Taranaki Primary Connections

The programme is available to anyone aged 18 years and older with mild to moderate mental health issues who is unable to afford to pay for counselling services themselves.