Able Minds

Able's aim is to provide effective interventions for families/whānau dealing with mental illness and addiction.

This includes:

Education/Information
Able provide resources and information that may help you and the wider community better understand mental illness or addiction. able also provide education on different types of mental illness with a key role of assisting family/whānau with problem solving and coping strategies.

Support
Able works with you to support your family or whānau member with a mental illness or addiction. We're here to listen, offer hope and encouragement, help you develop strategies for dealing with difficulties, and to create support networks so you and your family or whānau can cope with the impact of mental illness or addiction.

Advocacy
Able acknowledges the importance of the family voice and will support you to feel empowered to ensure that your concerns and your opinions are heard. able can provide practical support in your contact with other service providers if needed.

Able Minds facilitates Activity Centres and Peer Support Groups for Tangata Whaiora in a community-based environment. 

These are formalised group sessions where those with mental distress and addiction issues can come for peer support as well as actively focus on their recovery by learning new skills to build self-esteem and confidence both on and off site.

These groups are proven to get results and are led by our Coordinators and Peer Support Workers to reconnect people back into the community.

Able Minds also provides a Peer Support Navigator (Wed-Fri) through the Activity Centre to support, empower, inform and advocate for tangata whaiora helping them to self-advocate, problem-solve, plan strategies and further develop life skills to have a better life experience at home, at work and in the community.

Our connector is also someone who understands how to navigate processes and systems. They will walk alongside tangata whaiora, helping them deal with government agencies, social services, medical and other professionals to access their entitlements.

Dunedin Activity Centre can help by:

• exploring opportunities for community participation
• developing goals that focus on community integration
• providing on-going support and motivation
• providing one on one support through the Peer Support Navigator (Wed-Fri)

Operating five days a week from 9am - 3pm with a range of onsite and off-site activities.

Some of our past activities/groups are:

• cooking skills
• computer skills
• keep fit - mind and body
• carpentry skills
• community outing
• art and craft activities

The Activities Centre operates at the Able Rooms 28 Ashworth Street, Alexandra.

Able Minds facilitates Activity Centres and Peer Support Groups for Tangata Whaiora in a community-based environment.

These are formalised group sessions where those with mental distress and addiction issues can come for peer support as well as actively focus on their recovery by learning new skills to build self-esteem and confidence both on and off site.

These groups are proven to get results and are led by our Coordinators and Peer Support Workers to reconnect people back into the community.

There are opportunities to:

• share 
• problem solve 
• chill out 
• play table tennis or pool 
• listen to or play music 
• watch DVDs/TV on Demand  
• work on own projects 
• art and craft 
• writing – journaling, poetry 
• develop own strengths 
• do community/volunteer work 

Able Minds facilitates Activity Centres and Peer Support Groups for Tangata Whaiora in a community-based environment.

These are formalised group sessions where those with mental distress and addiction issues can come for peer support as well as actively focus on their recovery by learning new skills to build self-esteem and confidence both on and off site.

These groups are proven to get results and are led by our Coordinators and Peer Support Workers to reconnect people back into the community.

See our website for groups currently running including a walking group, an art/craft group, and a cooking group.

CUMIA is designed for school aged children who have a family member that is affected by mental distress or addiction. This programme can be undertaken in a peer support based group or with 1:1 support and is designed to impart tools, tactics and strategies to accept the challenges associated with mental distress and live well.  With respect to the CUMIA programme, one child reported in a recent evaluation that “the thing he learnt the most was that his mother’s illness was not his fault”.  There is often blame associated with mental distress and addiction. Able Minds’ intervention allows children to be children. CUMIA is an age related group/individual programme that will educate children about mental illness/addiction and support them to develop skills which enables then to understand the impact in their family/whanau environment (CUMIA is not intended for children suffering from mental illness themselves).

Rangatahi and Wellbeing (RAW) is a 12-week programme based on the principles of Te Whare Tapa Wha and designed for rangatahi (aged 12-24 years) in our local communities who are being affected by emotional distress, poor mental wellbeing and or addiction issues.

At RAW we follow the Te Whare Tapa Wha model which is our 4 walls of wellbeing - psychological health, spiritual health, physical health and family health and together we will work on strengthening these walls empower our rangatahi to take control and start creating autonomy over their wellbeing, build confidence, self-esteem, resilience and to eventually finish the programme feeling confident that they will be better able to self-manage their day to day lives.

We will do this by working alongside rangatahi to identify their triggers, early warning signs, safe people and places as well as any organisations, agencies and/or helplines they may need.  All of this information will be made into an individualised safety plan.  This will take place over 12 weeks of 1:1 sessions and 6 modules of group work sessions concurrently.

The 1:1 session will be where most of the hard work will get done.  Group sessions will be used for korero, activities and peer support to reinforce the work done in 1:1s.

• A better understanding of the complexities of suicide
• An understanding of the grief processes when a suicide occurs
• A confidential, safe and friendly environment to share experiences.

Able provides various support groups, located throughout Otago, Southland, Central Otago and Waitaki. Support Groups give families and whanau the opportunity to make friends, share information, share stories, listen, have fun, and to be just you.

We are focused on providing support and information to people with a loved one suffering from an eating disorder. Coming together to discuss experiences, share ideas and develop strategies for coping, the Eating Disorder Group offers a way to connect with those dealing with similar issues.

The SPHC Coordinator will work across the Southern DHB area assisting all mental health and addiction services, adult and children services from the secondary and primary (community) sectors that engage with family/whānau to meet the guidelines.

The aim of the role is to support and promote positive family relationships and the social and emotional development of all children.

The co-ordinator will assist to strengthen family/whānau centered "best practice" at the personal, service practice and organisational levels. This will include identifying and supporting the professional development of the workforce to recognise and respond to the needs of the children and their family/whānau.

Able works with communities to promote mental health and wellbeing and support families/whānau, friends and others affected by suicide or suicidal behaviours.