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Weaving the realities and responsibilities: Crossing culture and concepts of healing within co-existing mental health and addictive disorders.

Abstract
Within ‘Mainstream’ western and Kaupapa Māori services, competing priorities often mean that cultural and clinical services are not implemented in unison. Without this ‘unison’, treatment of Māori with co-existing mental health and addictive disorders may be ineffective. This paper reflects the journey of a small social service agency ‘Pai Ake Solutions Limited’ (PASL) in integrating western clinical approaches within tikanga Māori values. Pai Ake Solutions Limited (PASL) provides a range of group and individual services to whānau who are affected by mental illness and co-existing substance use problems. The initial development of the service was based on the whakaaro of providing ‘pai ake’ (better) services for whānau in the greater Waikato. These services were initially founded on the strong values of founders Mihaka Hohua and the late Ritchie Re Cribb, which were influenced by the practices and experiences of Ngati Kahangungu, Ngati Haua, and Waikato-Maniopoto. From an initial non-clinical service provision contract, PASL began receiving referrals from individuals and whānau whose needs were not being met by mainstream service providers. Encouraging outcomes and an internal agency review of clientele utilising the service, identified that those accessing PASL services were experiencing socially and clinically significant mental and physical health, addiction and psychosocial problems.
Type
Conference Contribution
Type of thesis
Series
Citation
McLachlan, A. (2008). Weaving the realities and responsibilities: Crossing culture and concepts of healing within co-existing mental health and addictive disorders. In Levy, M., Nikora, L.W., Masters-Awatere, B., Rua, M. & Waitoki, W. (Eds). Claiming Spaces: Proceedings of the 2007 National Maori and Pacific Psychologies Symposium 23rd-24th November 2007 (pp. 57-61). Hamilton, New Zealand: Māori and Psychology Research Unit, University of Waikato.
Date
2008
Publisher
Maori and Psychology Research Unit, University of Waikato
Degree
Supervisors
Rights
Copyright © Maori and Psychology Research Unit, University of Waikato 2008 Each contributor has permitted the Maori and Psychology Research Unit to publish their work in this collection. No part of the material protected in this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the contributor concerned.