Our Arowhenua Whānau Services Primary Health team offers support for a wide range of chronic health issues. We have daily nurse-led clinics which are “walk in”, with no appointment necessary, around the rohe.

Our highly skilled nurses are here to tailor individualised care packages to our clients. We provide wound care, immunisations, contraception, and medications. The approach we use is based on the values of manaakitanga.

Our nurses can answer questions on wellbeing, lifestyle, diet, physical activity, health, and potential treatments. Nurses will identify health needs, prioritise health goals and plan how to reach them with individual and whānau support, while also co-ordinating access to other health and social agencies as required.

• GP requested blood tests

• Diabetes

• Cervical smears / self-swabs

• Sexually transmitted infections

• Cardiovascular disease risk assessment

Nurses will help you to manage your health through guiding you to ask the right questions with your GP and other medical professionals, as well as understand and explain diagnosis, treatments, and dosages.

A specialist registered nurse provides dietary assessments and advice.

A podiatry service is provided monthly in clinic.

To access both services an assessment must be first made by our nurses.

Our registered nurses administer childhood immunisations as per the national immunisation schedule.

Our nurses support whānau to understand manage and monitor their own health plan. They can liaise with other health professionals on your behalf. Health appointments and follow ups can be completed at our clinics or in your home.

Tamariki Ora is a free service for all whānau with tamariki aged four weeks to three years of age in the Aoraki region.

The nurses will offer 7 core visits over the three years, following a referral from your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC), other well child providers or a self-referral.

Well child nurses can help support you to protect and improve your child’s health so they can develop to their full potential. Visits can be provided in the home or in one of our clinics depending on individual whānau needs.

If extra support is needed or wanted, we offer additional visits.

Tamariki Ora provide information on:

• Child development

• Safety

• Nutrition

• Breast and formula feeding

• Maternal mental health support

• Whānau wellbeing and support

• Immunisation

• Safe sleeping

• Oral health

• Early childhood education

• Contraception

We refer to other health professional sectors including:

• Paediatrics

• Smoking cessation

• Dental Care

• Hearing/vision screening

• Other services as required

The Mental Health and Wellbeing team consists of registered nurses and experienced support workers, kaitautoko and rongoā practitioners.

Arowhenua Whànau Services will work alongside whānau who want help to manage their (mild to moderate) mental health challenges being guided in a journey of mindfulness and Te Ao Māori approach to improve their well-being including addiction support and recovery.

Our model of care and health outcome measures Hua Oranga this reflects the focus on developing, working towards, and measuring wellbeing for tangata whaiora this is based upon tikanga Māori and centred around the Pou of Taha Tinana, Taha Wairua, Taha Hinengaro and Taha Whānau.

Free support is available to all members of our community who are over the age of 12years of age.

Self-referral or referrals from other services are accepted for tangata whaiora with existing diagnoses.

Are you?

• Rangatahi, Pakeke and kaumatua of all ages welcome

• Anyone over 18 must have a diagnosis of a mental illness

• Living in the South Canterbury region. (Temuka Timaru, McKenzie Country and Waihao)

• Referrals can be made by you (self-referrals), friends/whānau or health professionals

• Free service

• www.arowhenuawhanauservices.co.nz

Rangatahi, Pakeke and kaumatua of all ages welcome

• Anyone over 18yrs must have a diagnosis of a mental illness

• Living in the South Canterbury region. (Temuka Timaru, McKenzie Country and Waihao)

• Referrals can be made by you (self-referrals), friends/whānau or health professionals

• Free service

• www.arowhenuawhanauservices.co.nz

The number of suicides in South Canterbury has risen to its highest rate in nine years.

In 2024-2025 Arowhenua marae, Te Hapa o Niu Tireni buried five young men and women all were whakapapa Ngāti Huirapa sadly who took their own lives within 8 months, we have a community in devastation of grief, and parents isolated, depressed with nowhere to go.

Arowhenua Whānau Services will continue to be a kaitiakitanga for whānau needing suicide prevention. Providing a safe space for whānau to grieve, hui, korero and share a kai or workout.

Kaupapa over the next three terms will include gathering kōrero with a tuakana-teina model, within the rohe of Arowhenua, Waihao and McKenzie takiwā. Using the model of sharing/mentorship/trust/non- judgement for our whānau who are struggling with physical and emotional changes. Difficult korero therapy‘whakapapa history of whānau who have completed suicide’self-harm, substance abuse.

Whakapakari Tinana (Exercise) is a powerful tool is multi – faceted neuro and a physical response that directly improves an individual’s mental wellbeing.

The Temuka local Gym, Central Fitness will be accessed by delivering a combination of cardio, strength, and mindful movement 3-5 times per week. Arowhenua Whānau Services will work within the Tuakana-Teina model with the whānau at the gym and the offices by addressing the challenges they are experiencing with substance use and support them to take positive steps to create long term changes in their lives ensuring to enhance their cultural and spiritual needs using humour and tough love to break down barriers and this tool will be a health distraction from negative whakaaro

(thoughts). Whānau releasing worries, incidental talking therapy and transferring stress into exercise or digging a maara kai, is rejuvenating and rewarding, mentally and physically. Transferring those frustrations into physical movement is the goal.

A collective response for the learnings of the new and old Te Hapa Niu o Tireni marae. Local leadership from Ngā Hau e Wha will support to teach new and old waiata, karakia, Te Reo Māori me onā tikanga.

This will set the building blocks of connection and intention for whānau to begin their healing journey.

Values and principles will be driven by Māori concepts of karakia and manaakitanga (cultural safety).

Rangatahi, Pakeke and kaumatua of all ages welcome

• Anyone over 18yrs must have a diagnosis of a mental illness

• Living in the South Canterbury region. (Temuka Timaru, McKenzie Country and Waihao)

• Referrals can be made by you (self-referrals), friends/whānau or health professionals

• Free service

• www.arowhenuawhanauservices.co.nz

This kaupapa is more than just about Rongoa it is about growing korero to heal and strengthen whānau mental well-being.

Activities over the three terms will include Rongoa gathering kōrero from local kaumātua, from the rohe of Arowhenua, Waihao and McKenzie takiwā. The knowledge shared around manu, ngahere and rongoā will be delivered in the warmer months by the experts to take roopu into the ngahere and awa to kōrero about Aoraki Rongoa, plentiful old mauri gardens, mosses, seaweeds, inanga this will be led with strong kawa and tikanga of the Arowhenua rohe (Waimataitai experts).

Arowhenua whānau Services will have two Mirimiri practitioners and a local expert Cultural advisor they will share cooking recipes of balms, oils and barrier creams, a comprehensive plan promoting Māori local herbs to provide natural goods for whānau wellbeing and wairua internally and externally.

This Whānau kaupapa will include:

- Māori Maramataka in Arowhenua rohe to gather rongoa.

- Rongoa baking

- Rangatira from Te Hapa Niu o Tireni marae and Waihao marae sharng knowledge of importance.

- 5 Mirimiri/Romiromi sessions per 5 weeks

- An opportunity to earn new income or save income and build whānau time around the table

– whakawhānaungatanga me ōna tikanga me te reo.

Arowhenua Whānau Services will continue to be a kaitiakitanga for whānau needing tautoko for their

Mental Health challenge by providing a safe space for whānau to relearn, hui, korero and share a kai or Mirimiri.

Registration Form to be completed on arrival.

• Rangatahi, Pakeke and kaumatua of all ages welcome

• Anyone over 18yrs must have a diagnosis of a mental illness

• Living in the South Canterbury region. (Temuka Timaru, McKenzie Country and Waihao)

• Referrals can be made by you (self-referrals), friends/whānau or health professionals

• Free service

• www.arowhenuawhanauservices.co.nz

This Kaupapa will be a joint venture between Arowhenua Whānau Services and the local marae Te Hapa Niu o Tireni.

Our teams will build Maara kai boxes sharing new education from expert gardeners. Whānau interventions informing whānau of environmental matters, planting, recycling, composting, karakia, harvesting, pruning, picking and identifying materials that can be salvaged again.

Maara kai planning will be led by local garden experts for whānau who engage in this kaupapa with.

Values and principles will be driven by Māori concepts of atuatanga, Awhi(help) Tautoko (support) and

manaakitanga (hospitality) they will form traditions of whakapapa in their home gardens and marae.

whānau wellbeing, tikanga, matauranga Māori healthy role models and rangatira in their own whānau.

Respecting the tikanga of growing a Maara Kai and to grow the information flow, will build motivation across the whānau in resilience, food reserves, money savings, capability and confidence. Whānau releasing worries, incidental talking therapy and transferring stress into digging a maara kai, is rejuvenating and rewarding, mentally and physically. Transferring those frustrations into physical movement, is a incidental form of exercise unplanned weight loss and multi-tasking is of value to all whānau partaking.

Registration Form to be completed on arrival.

Kaumatua are our taonga, our beautiful precious treasures. Arowhenua Whānau Services acknowledge that as many as one in ten kaumatua who have experienced or at risk of some kind of elder abuse. Arowhenua Whānau Services will continue to be a kaitiakitanga for kaumatua experiencing all types of abuse from emotionally frightened, anxious, physical, financial and scamming.

Providing a safe space for kaumatua to receive treatment with a cup of tea and to share their korero and some kai is a open door policy we want to continue with our team here at Arowhenua Whānau

Services.

Kaupapa over the three terms will include hui with kaumatua enhancing the Te Wheke model in their

personal practice. Elder abuse is often hidden and those who experience the abuse are afraid to talk.

Kaumatua, Taua and Poua supervised cuppa/ café / walking groups, Ukulele groups, McKenzie Country and Waihao wahi tapu visits to resite the areas of significance will be a therapeutic experience to support them to take positive steps to regain a voice and confidence to assess the risk and a safety plan.

Registration Form to be completed on arrival.

Our Social Worker assists and supports you and your whānau with social issues impacting on your life, through connection, engagement, advocacy and linking you to other services.

Priorities of parenting support include:

• Encouraging reconnection through fun and laughter

• Parenting education

• Teaching techniques for tamariki and rangatahi to self-regulate

• Guidance in creating routines and structure within a whānau

• Engaging and building trusting relationships with tamariki and rangatahi

The Mental Health and Wellbeing team consists of registered nurses and experienced support workers. We work alongside tangata whaiora to help them live well and manage mild to moderate challenges to their mental health and undertake addiction support within the community.

Our model of care is based upon tikanga Māori and centred around the Pou of Whanaungatanga, Kaitiakitanga, Manaakitanga and Rangatiratanga.

Free support is available to all members of our community who are over the age of 12.

Self-referral or referrals from other services are accepted for tangata whaiora with existing diagnoses.

We are committed to providing equity for our clients.

We are responsive to whānau involvement and helping people to make informed choices about their own healthcare.

We focus on recovery, independence, and resilience through a tailored goal-based, individual approach. We support people with challenges to live well and participate positively in the community.

Our smokefree kaimahi can support you to quit smoking and/or reduce consumption of tobacco products. They can support with handy tips on ways to cut down, cope with cravings, stop or remain smokefree. Kaimahi can provide the latest research information and education on tobacco and vaping products available and provide smokefree educational discussions with community groups upon request.