Suicide prevention initiatives in hard-to-reach Māori communities
National: Wellington, Whanganui, Hawkes Bay, Rotorua
Hard-to-reach (H2R) is the name this whānau has taken on to represent their unique challenges. With a focus in suicide prevention, education, and information for their communities to be accessible across Aotearoa, an initiative has reached across four areas: Wellington, Whanganui, Hawkes Bay, Rotorua
Each community is unique and while there are commonalities of experience and approaches, they have different priorities and solutions designed to identify and prevent suicide. Providing effective responses when suicide ideation occurs and how to enhance overall well-being and resilience of hard-to-reach whānau and communities is the objectives.
The initiatives included :
- Whānau drug rehabilitation and resilience building in the Hawkes Bay.
- Leadership development program for tāne in Tairāwhiti.
- Wānanga to inspire and mobilise wāhine in Rotorua.
- Series of tiaki whakapapa wānanga in Whanganui.
Each of these initiatives has helped whānau in hard-to-reach communities to grow resilience, grasp knowledge, and take back their true selves. This national programme has extended to others who are in similar situations of deprivation, with suicide prevention, helping and linking them to needed supports, which have created interpersonal and whānau changes.
*This national initiative is proudly supported by Te Au (and Te Rau Ora) through the Māori Suicide Prevention Fund (2020-2021).
