Advocacy & Support, Health Care & Hauora, Information

Mental Health Advocacy & Peer Support Trust

MHAPS Purpose

Providing a wide variety of peer led and peer informed services from which a person can choose options that feel comfortable to them.
Offering information, education and referrals to other services to families/whanau to enable them to better support those close to them who experience mental distress or addictions.
Working collaboratively with mental health and addiction service users to provide improved services and support for people who experience mental distress or addictions.
Encouraging and supporting people to live well in the presence or absence of their symptoms by facilitating their recovery within their chosen community.

Their personal lived experience as people with their own history of mental health, alcohol or addictions issues give great insights when working to help others. You can be confident that whatever you bring, someone here has had a similar journey that helps them to relate to you.

People feel ‘heard’ and often for the first time. Mutual lived experience helps build relationship and relationships help to make services and support more accessible.

The knowledge that you are far from being alone in what you experience, and that, in fact, your own journey may have meaning in helping others can help to bring new meaning into your life.

The People of MHAPS

Everyone who works at MHAPS and many of the Trust Board has lived experience of mental distress, mental illness and/or substance addictions and of recovery.

Their staff members have a wealth of knowledge, life experience and empathy, all of which supports their work. They have in their own way travelled a similar journey as clients and so can offer a mutual experience and empathy to those who may be struggling with their own distress.

MHAPS work with people can range from anxiety, depression, bipolar and addiction, to struggles as a sole parent with mental health issues, leaving inpatient or residential care, stigma and discrimination issues, particularly in employment, and many other areas of distress and fear.

Region: Canterbury

Access Needs: Mental Health