A New Zealand mental health professional says the need for culturally tailored mental health services can't be overstated, as a Pacific counselling branch opens in the South Island.
Pacific mental health and addiction service Mapu Maia had its official opening in Christchurch on Thursday.
Mapu Maia has been in operation since 2009, with offices in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, and has also been delivering mental health support services in the South Island, but not with an established branch.
Philip Siataga, the organisation's research and workforce development manager, said the idea of culturally competent mental health services had only been around for the last 15 years, but he "can't overstate" how important it is.
"On a scale of importance, it's ginormous," he said.
"It's not that mainstream services can't [do it] - it's just that we're better at it, for our people, around engagement, familiarity, [and] language."
Siataga, who is based in the new Christchurch building, said the workforce is passionate but under resourced.
"The need is huge, particularly the clinical workforce; we only have a handful of people in Christchurch and around the country."
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey, who was there, said making mental health services more accessible often means breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination - which is something locally run services are very good at.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
"Quite often there can be a barrier, potentially about language, cultural competency and services, so by working with services like Mapu Maia they know their community; they know them quite often personally."
Doocey said the New Zealand government wants to give people guaranteed access to services, with feedback including that mental health services are difficult to access and fragmented.
He said the workforce needed to represent the country's diversity.
"When you look at the percentage of Pasifika in different parts of New Zealand, that will be at varying degrees and we just make need to make sure that is matched up.
Pasifika communities work to destigmatise mental health
"How we do that is by understanding what are some of the perceived and real blocks for people coming forward to do some of these roles, and how we ensure we raise the awareness in communities, that actually jobs like working in mental health or problem gambling are important ways of serving your community."
The Pacific population in the South Island has almost doubled to nearly 41,000 in the past decade, with growing numbers in Oamaru, Nelson and Marlborough.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Mapu Maia chief executive Tuala Pesio Ah-Honi said given those statistics, there needed to be more of a focus on the South Island.
"We have RSE workers working in the Nelson area, so we are seeing anecdotally quite a number of Pasifika living in these regions and growing, and we are getting a lot of requests for help."
Tuala said there's a lack of awareness around mental distress amongst Pasifika, and once acknowledged, the next step is to remove the shame from those needing help.
"Our culture itself leans towards 'praying will help you', 'just suck it up', 'you will be okay', 'carry on and be strong', 'you're the man'."
She said Mapu means 'rest' and Maia means 'to come'.
"It's an invitation to call people into our space, into our fale, into our home, to say, 'come out of this hot sun, take a load off, have a rest, have a drink of water'.
"It completely describes us as a service."