A major public appeal has been launched in Christchurch to help build a new outpatient space for children needing mental health support. Image / Supplied
A major public appeal has been launched in Christchurch to help build a new outpatient space for children needing mental health support. Image / Supplied
Canterbury professionals who work with youngsters in the mental health system have spoken out over the “heartbreaking” cases they experience every day.
Clinical psychologist Amy Edwards and clinical manager Tisha Bradley, who both work at the Child, Adolescent and Family (CAF) mental health service, are concerned at a 36 per cent rise in CAF emergency assessments from 2020 to 2023, with the service seeing an average of 72 emergency presentations each month. These are young people who are high-risk, extremely unwell, and many need to be seen urgently.
Edwards says every day she sees children whose mental health is taking over their lives.
“Seeing them being robbed of their childhood and seeing families who feel like their child isn’t the child they know and love is heartbreaking,” she says.
Every dollar donated through the appeal will be matched dollar-for-dollar, thanks to the Rātā Foundation. Details of the appeal, including inspiring stories from those on both sides of our mental health service, can be found at www.betterspace.org.nz.
Edwards works predominantly with children with mental health difficulties including OCD, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. She works alongside them in therapy to help them move toward their treatment goals.
“The children I work with are facing struggles that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone, let alone a child,” she said.
“What’s becoming really evident is the huge amount of extra help our children and young people need today.
“Christchurch children have experienced a huge amount of trauma with the earthquakes, mosque attacks and Covid-19. Their childhoods have not looked the way we would hope a child’s life would look and that is having an enormous impact on mental health.”
The new outpatient space will be called Kahurangi and be home to Canterbury’s Child, Adolescent and Family (CAF) outpatient service. Image / Supplied
But despite having a ringside seat to the struggles of her patients, and the heartache experienced by families, Edwards says her job is rewarding and inspiring.
“Seeing kids at the other end of the journey who have gotten their lives back through our therapy balances out the hard, sad aspect of this work,” she said.
“You have all of these different emotions all at once but holding onto hope is so important.”
Edwards is holding onto hope for a number of different reasons.
“It’s sad to say but the reality is it’s a pretty grim physical environment we’re working in,” she said.
“Our children and young people deserve better but I have hope because I’m seeing a community come together to give them that through Māia’s Better Space Appeal.”
Māia Health Foundation chief executive Michael Flatman says the Better Space Appeal has touched the hearts and minds of Cantabrians who know just how desperately our young people need a modern, fit-for-purpose outpatient space for mental health.
“Please give to the Better Space Appeal today, as with your help we can make this new space world-class. We can take it from good to great.”
Māia Health Foundation chief executive Michael Flatman. Photo / Supplied
The new outpatient will be called Kahurangi, meaning “blue skies”. It will be home to the CAF outpatient service, which provides mental health services for children and young people up to 18 years of age. In total Māia has promised to raise $6 million towards the new space ̶ the Better Space Appeal is part of the final push to reach that goal.
CAF’s clinical manager of the access team, Tisha Bradley has worked tirelessly in the mental health system for more than three decades.
The registered nurse oversees a team of 18 which receives all enquiries and referrals for child and adolescent specialist mental health services in Canterbury. They also manage the emergency response service.
“In our emergency work, we can see someone who has become psychotic, which could be drug-induced or for another reason such as stress or anxiety. Or we may be working with a young person who wants to end their life or who has arrived at the emergency department,” Bradley says.
And she says the phone is always ringing.
“We get referrals or enquiries from GPs, members of the public, teachers, school counsellors and families. There are a lot of high-stress situations that we are involved in.”
Bradley has noticed they are seeing younger and younger children in crisis and needing specialist mental health support.
“There’s a lot of stress in society these days and a lot of pressure placed on young people,” she said.
“It can be so overwhelming… there’s just so much happening for these kids.”
Bradley says the new outpatient space will make their service more cohesive, but ultimately this new space will be the biggest help to the rangatahi they care for. “You see young people and parents come through here and you can just see the despair they’re feeling, that they are frightened about what’s happening.
“For us to have a space that acknowledges our young people and lets them know they deserve this beautiful space will be amazing. We’ll be able to show them that we care, and these young people will feel that they are worthwhile.”
