Free lower North Island counselling service facing uncertain future

A lower North Island free counselling service is facing an uncertain future after one of its government contracts was cut by a quarter.

The Marton Counselling Centre's budget's taken a $30,000 hit during this year's Oranga Tamariki funding cuts.

The non-profit centre is now fighting for survival, leaving its manager Anna Sophia furious about its plight compared with Mike King's Gumboot Friday programme, which has received a multimillion-dollar government boost.

Sophia estimates her organisation had seen about 6000 people out of a Rangitīkei district population of 16,000 over its 30 years. She has been there for 24 years.

It, and iwi providers, were the only ones offering such services in the district.

"About 40 percent of our clients come through via our GPs, but other than that we get people via the schools, via the community networks and off the streets, and we aim to see people within a week, which is pretty remarkable," she said.

Unlike many organisations, it had no waiting list for its four part-time counsellors.

"It's a really really minimal cost for us to stay open. Roughly, our outgoings are about $250,000 a year, which is not much. That provides for the four of us to be here."

And to help keep costs down, Sophia did everything else - including HR and administration - herself. And, she said, the centre was lucky it owned its building.

But despite that security it had taken a financial blow, as one of many organisations nationwide that has had a contract for youth services cut.

"We've had a contract with Oranga Tamariki that's been cut significantly, which is a real mystery to us" Sophia said. "We've had no reason for that. That's significantly affecting our services and what we can provide."

For about five years the centre received $125,000 from Oranga Tamariki. Now, it is getting $89,000. That might not sound like much of a drop, but its effect on the centre was huge, Sophia said.

"In our last financial year we had a $30,000 deficit in our books. We could just about carry that, but the $30,000 drop in contract from Oranga Tamariki means that we're looking at $60,000 a year, and we just can't sustain the service with that drop."

Oranga Tamariki was asked why the service's funding was cut and where else in Rangitīkei young people could get counselling. A statement did not answer those questions, but spoke of prioritising core services - such as youth justice - while acknowledging its continued responsibility to contribute to preventative and community-based work.

"Our changes in funding in the Manawatū-Whanganui region include services that expired or grant funding due to end.

"Further decisions to discontinue and reduce contracts were aligned to either forecasted under-utilisation, duplication of services and needs of children across the region, and alignment to Oranga Tamariki's core business priorities."

Low morale

Sophia said if the Marton Counselling Centre did not have enough funds, the counsellors - who all did other work - might leave, so morale was low.

"We really want to carry on because we really believe in the service and we really love the work that we do.

"But, we can't reduce it and can't lose the children's counsellors because they are the ones who have the still and experience, and we don't want to start having waiting lists because that affects the community."

The centre would make a decision early next year about its future, as Sophia explored alternative funding, such as community grants, which she said were facing increasing pressure too.

"I'm furious. I'm mad. I feel really unsupported and unseen."

What made her even more mad was the $24 million given to Mike King's Gumboot Friday programme, and the auditor-general's criticisms about the procurement process for this.

Meanwhile, she said she had to meticulously account for every government dollar the centre received as it quietly and effectively served a community.

Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said the service was valuable to the district, but it was difficult for the council to fund.

"I spent five hours [last week] with a private trust, trying to convince the trust that we need to fund these sorts of services.

"I can't give you the results of that now, but hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey said he fully backed Gumboot Friday and the 15,000 children a year who would benefit from its funding.

He said he also supported those on the ground working hard for their communities, and would soon announce the recipients of the Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund.

"Health NZ funds a range of primary mental health and addiction services through the Access and Choice programme, which can be accessed through local general practices.

"As of August, this year, almost 1.8 million sessions had been delivered across all Access and Choice workstreams, from more than 650 sites from Kaitaia to Bluff and many other locations, including in rural areas. This includes services in Marton, Bulls and Feilding."

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.