The government has put the gumboot into mental health in Gisborne with its failure to support a successful suicide prevention charity.
Hear4U helped men in particular Photo: methaphum/stock.adobe.com
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A vital suicide prevention charity which has saved countless lives in Gisborne has had its own desperate calls for help ignored.
Hear4U has been forced to close its doors due to a lack of funding, five years after it was set up by Krissy Mackintosh and two girlfriends to save lives and raise awareness around mental health and suicide.
At the time, Tairāwhiti had one of the highest suicide rates in the country.
"When we closed, we had 3500 people on our database, mainly male, and we never lost one soul to suicide," says Mackintosh. "We used to be representative of one of the highest suicide stats in New Zealand, mostly male and younger male. When we shut our doors, we became one of the lowest in New Zealand."
They needed about half a million dollars a year to keep operating, but the team couldn't secure that funding in spite of exhausting every avenue.
The lack of support comes at a time when the government put $24 million over four years, unprompted, into Mike King's Gumboot Day for mental health awareness; and in the wake of an announcement of $10m fund to support new initiatives focussed on mental health support.
Closing the doors of Hear4U was a heart-wrenching decision for the 38-year-old mother of two, who has overcome her own mental health struggles, including several suicide attempts.
"It was my worst nightmare. I fought a pretty massive campaign, and I had an amazing waka of people behind me, even the legendary (All Blacks great) Ian Kirkpatrick. I felt devastated, I still am in a state of devastation and it's going to take a bit of healing.
"We did everything that was asked of us in terms of policy, outcomes, deliveries and expectations, and the fact we never ever got anything back from Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is absolutely heartbreaking, but we have to be grateful and blessed that we made a difference in the time that we had."
Her quest for financial stability took - at times - dark and nasty turns.
"We were told our charity was never enough of something, or something else, or something else. And it got really ugly. I have seen and endured huge amounts of racism and sexism. I have had attacks on myself as a person to the point where we have asked the police to support my family. It's been a tough journey."
And it comes at a time when Gisborne needs mental health support, having been through the ringer - financially, emotionally, and mentally - over the past couple of years, following cyclones Hale and Gabrielle and the more recent boating triple fatality and deadly 21st birthday party.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz, who has fronted every disaster and tragedy, says Hear4U has helped many of the victims, and she's gutted the charity's doors have closed.
"Krissy and her crew have done fantastic work here in our region, reaching out to our men, who sometimes don't chat," Stoltz says. "Hear4U destigmatized asking for help, the crew showed it's okay to say, 'I'm not okay', so it's heartbreaking and sad to see them close the doors because it's exactly the service our district needs for the next few years.
"And to be forced to close because the funding isn't available is just sad and cruel."
The mayor extended an invitation to the mental health minister to visit the region.
"I would say to the minister - 'come and visit us and see first-hand what is going on here, how you can support us. We are a bunch of resilient people, but we are tired, we need that mental health support. So please jump on a plane, minister, I will show you around, we will show you the wonderful work these charities are doing and a community that needs all the help they can get."
In a statement minister Matt Doocey said he was disappointed Hear4U had to close its doors.
"I appreciate the work it has done to reduce stigma around reaching out and the positive impact they have made in Gisborne. Suicide prevention remains a top priority for me as Minister. It's why I fought for the Suicide Prevention Office to stay open and why I intend to launch consultation on a new suicide action plan next month.
"It is also unfair to say I have ignored correspondence, my office was in touch with one of their Trustees as recently as last month as to how to appropriately access government funding opportunities. As you'll be aware, as Minister, it would be inappropriate for me to direct funding."
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm
Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
Sexual Violence
Victim Support 0800 842 846
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu
Safe to talk: a 24/7 confidential helpline for survivors, support people and those with harmful sexual behaviour: 0800044334
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496
Family Violence
Women's Refuge: 0800 733 843
It's Not OK 0800 456 450
Shine: 0508 744 633
Victim Support: 0800 842 846
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu
The National Network of Family Violence Services NZ has information on specialist family violence agencies.
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