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Otago Youth Wellness Trust

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    The Otago Youth Wellness Trust (OYWT) is a community-based service for Dunedin City that works alongside rangatahi, and their family/whānau/caregivers to create positive change.

    OYWT provides a free wraparound casework service for rangatahi (aged 11-18), who need support for issues affecting their wellbeing. We help strengthen what is working well in the lives of rangatahi, whilst addressing the issues that may be impacting negatively on them. These can include health, mental health, education, wellbeing and justice.

    Our wraparound service is comprehensive, flexible and responsive to the specific needs of each individual rangatahi.  Recognising each rangatahi is unique, we adopt a one-on-one casework approach, identifying strengths and needs, and build a relationship of trust with each of our clients.

    We respect every rangatahi as an individual, and focus our service on improving their wellbeing. The benefits for the rangatahi we support can include:

    • Strengthening family/whanau/caregiver relationships
    • Engaging and achieving in education
    • Improving physical and mental health
    • Reducing risk factors (e.g. drug and alcohol use, offending, and suicide risk)
    • Re-engaging in their community, including whānau, school and the wider community they live in. 

    Staff

    Our staff are fully qualified professionals trained in several disciplines including Social Work, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Teaching and Youth work
    Wraparound Casework

    Casework is rangatahi focused, family/whanau/caregiver centred, mobile, flexible and delivered in the community.

    OYWT casework is based on building relationships and supports rangatahi to focus on risk and protective factors and to strengthen what is currently working well.

    School Attendance Service

    OYWT provides the School Attendance Service working to improve the attendance and engagement of 6-16 year olds in the greater Dunedin area.

    Although all tamariki and rangatahi aged between 6 and 16 years must be enrolled in education, usually in school, we know that attending school regularly can be a challenge for some tamariki and rangatahi and their family/whanau and caregivers.

    Having an education generally means better life outcomes and at OYWT we help young people to:

    • Enrol or re-engage in education and learning
    • Stay in education and achieve academic qualifications
    • Transition from education to training or employment
    Education and training
    We work alongside rangatahi to assist them to transition between schools (intermediate to high school etc) and to re-engage in learning that suits their needs e.g. alternative education, training.
    Advocacy
    We advocate on behalf of our clients to ensure they have access to the services and support they need.  We also contribute on a national level where possible, inputting into Government policy consultations; select committee consideration of new legislation and review of current activities.
    Social work
    Our caseworkers are all performing work of a social work-type nature.  All of our staff are professionally trained, and they have registration in one of several fields, including social work, teaching, nursing, occupational therapy and youth work.

    Charges

    This is a free service.

    Age groups

    • Youth / Rangatahi
    • Child / Tamariki

    This information has been provided by healthpoint.co.nz, helping people better understand and use New Zealand health services. Healthpoint and Te Whatu Ora Southern do not endorse or adopt the information or materials provided by any of the service providers, and accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, offers or details in any such information or materials.

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    Emergency contacts

    After hours and emergency
    111

    Call Healthline
    0800 611 116

    Call or text Talkline
    1737

    In a mental health emergency call
    0800 46 78 46

    Call the National Poisons Centre
    0800 764 766

    Call Safe to Talk helpline or text 4334
    In the case of sexual harm
    0800 044 334

    Call the Family Violence Information Line
    0800 456 450

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