Below are a selection of help services available for young people and families.
There are a large range of self-help tools and other supports available for young people who may feel they aren’t coping.
Helplines:
- Youthline – Call 0800 376 633, text 234, email or webchat (7-11pm daily) for young people and their parents, whānau and friends.
- Rainbow Youth – Call (09) 376 4155 (11am-5pm weekdays) or webchat (3-5 weekdays) for peer support for youth in the rainbow community, their friends and whānau.
- What's Up – Call 0800 942 8787 (0800 WHATSUP) or webchat to talk about anything with trained counsellors. Call: Monday to Friday 12-11pm, Sat and Sun 3-11pm. Webchat: Mon-Fri 1-10pm, Sat-Sun 3-10pm.
- Kidsline – Call 0800 543 754 (0800 KIDSLINE) for young people up to 18 years old - 4-9pm weekdays.
- The Lowdown – Call 0800 111 757, text 5626, email or webchat to get for support for young people experiencing depression or anxiety.
Self-help tools and information:
- Aroha is a chatbot that provides practical, evidence-based tools to manage stress, maintain social connection and stay active. portal.habits.auckland.ac.nz/Portal/#/landing-covid19bot-trial
- Aunty Dee is a free online tool for anyone who needs some help working through a problem. www.auntydee.co.nz
- Melon Health has a kete of resources to support teenagers’ emotional wellbeing. There are videos, downloadable worksheets and a ‘First steps to managing anxiety’ mini-course. www.melonhealth.com/manual
- Mental Wealth has resources where you can learn more about mental health. www.mentalwealth.nz
- SPARX is an online self-help tool that teaches young people the key skills needed to help combat depression and anxiety in an interactive game-world. www.sparx.org.nz/home
- The Lowdown has some great resources about recognising and understanding depression and anxiety. thelowdown.co.nz
For Pacific families:
The Mental Health Foundation also recently sent the following message out to their Pacific families:
- “Wellness is community. As children of the moana, our wellness is collective, it is caring for ourselves and caring for each other. Now more than ever, we as a people need to come together in heart and mind, keeping our village strong.” Words by Grace Iwashita-Taylor.
- If you or someone you know is feeling stressed or anxious, our friends at Vaka Tautua can offer you support through their helpline 0800 OLA LELEI (0800 652 535)
LeVa Pasifika also provides information and
support for Pasifika families on mental health, addiction and suicide prevention.
Mental health and
wellbeing support for all:
The Ministry of Health has brought together a list of tools to support mental wellbeing and places to go to get help [PDF].
Need more support?
Visit www.healthpoint.co.nz/mental-health-addictions
to find mental health and addiction services near your school. There are
services specifically for young people, kaupapa Māori, Pasifika, addiction, and
maternal mental health. You can also search for services that are ‘walk-in’
that don’t need a referral.