Tauranga: Te Waka Aorangi Child Wellness Centre opened by Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey

The Te Waka Aorangi Child Wellness Centre has opened in Tauranga.

A “one-stop-shop” for children with neurodevelopmental, behavioural and mental health concerns has opened in Tauranga, which should “speed up” access to services.

Te Waka Aorangi Child Wellness Centre near Tauranga Hospital was officially opened by Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey on November 8.

Wayne Wright – Wright Family Foundation co-founder and husband of the late Chloe Wright – spoke at the opening to commemorate the $1 million donation Chloe gifted to the centre.

Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty group director of operations Pauline McGrath, the Wright Family Foundation's Wayne Wright, patient Piper Harvey, and Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey opening the Te Waka Aorangi Child Wellness Centre in Tauranga. Photo / Megan Wilson

In a speech, Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty group director of operations Pauline McGrath said the opening marked a “significant milestone” in its commitment to improving the health of children and whānau in the Bay.

McGrath said it was the only child wellness centre in Aotearoa using an “innovative integrated model of care” called the Child Health Integrated Response Pathway (Chirp).

Chirp was developed to “put the child at the centre” of treatment and assessment services – children were assessed by a team of professionals from different child-facing services, she said.

“Their needs are addressed by the best combination of clinicians and expertise as opposed to choosing departments and criteria that we may think is the best fit.”

McGrath said Chirp had brought an “improved collaborative approach” to neurodiversity assessment, reduced system inefficiencies and frustrations faced by whānau, and brought better outcomes for children.

Local iwi Ngāti Ranginui – who helped develop the centre – gifted the name Te Waka Aorangi to the building which means “a journey towards light and wellness”, she said.

‘Speed up access’

Tauranga Hospital acting head of department of paediatrics and paediatrician Dr Justin Wilde told the Bay of Plenty Times the child development service, developmental paediatrics, and part of the child and adolescent mental health service would be at the new centre.

“The reason for co-locating those three is that there’s a lot of crossover and historically, children could be referred to one or all three services and would often be then redirected to another service which was frustrating for everyone, mostly the patients.”

He said CHIRP meant there was “one door” and patients would not need multiple referrals to access those services.

The Te Waka Aorangi Child Wellness Centre has opened in Tauranga.

Wilde said Chirp had initially dropped waiting times.

“Although Tauranga is no different than everywhere else in the world in post-pandemic, the demand for this service has gone up.

“The difference it makes hopefully is to stop bouncing between referrals so it should speed up access and ensure that you are seen by the correct service first.”

Audiology services were also on-site, he said.

‘She embraced it’

Western Bay of Plenty Health Foundation’s Michelle Crook said the centre was initially going to be opened in four stages.

Crook helped get funding for an additional $1m needed to open it as a single-stage project. This led her to Chloe Wright.

“She saw us, she got it, and she embraced it.”

Crook recalled when Chloe told them she would give them $1m, “there wasn’t a dry eye in that room”.

“I think for Chloe, it was so aligned with what was important to her. It was about children, it was about babies, it was about whānau.”

Wayne and Chloe Wright pictured in 2017. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Wayne Wright said it had been a pleasure to “follow through in Chloe’s footsteps” and be at the centre’s opening.

“I knew what she was doing, it was a great idea ... "

Wayne said he was married to Chloe for 57 years and they had five children and 11 grandchildren.

She died in September 2023.

“I just can’t say enough about my wife. We were a great team ... she had all the ideas and all the thoughts and all the inspiration. I just knew how to make money and it was a great combination,” the entrepreneur and philanthropist said.

Centre to provide ‘much-needed support’ for children

In a press release, Doocey said Te Waka Aorangi was a “one-stop-shop” for children with neurodevelopmental, behavioural, and mental health concerns and would make it easier for them to access support in a “timely way”.

“We know that early intervention gives these children the best chance to thrive. With support from a range of services and clinicians in one place, we can better help children and their families.

“This Government is unwavering in its commitment to improving access, timelines, and quality of mental health care, which is why I’ve established five mental health targets to drive improvements across the continuum of care.

“Achieving these goals requires fit-for-purpose infrastructure and a workforce that is well supported and equipped to deliver high-quality care in their communities.

“This centre will play an important role in ensuring that children and their family receive responsive and integrated care.”

In a statement, Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell said he was “thrilled” to see the facility open.

“This innovative facility will provide much-needed support to our children, ensuring they receive the best possible care right here in our community.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.