Kaitaia Crisis Recovery Café opens

People in Kaitaia who need mental health or addiction support now have another place to turn, with a new Crisis Recovery Café officially open, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced. “Emergency departments aren’t always the best environment for someone experiencing mental distress. They can be busy, brightly lit and feel far too clinical and scary, when often what someone needs instead, is a calm place to sit down and talk to someone who understands,” Mr Doocey says. “That’s why we are rolling out Crisis Recovery Cafés across the country, giving people faster access to peer support workers who can help link people back to community services, lend a listening ear, and offer people experiencing distress a safe place to go.” The Community Wellness Café – Te Whare Tau will be delivered by Rakau Ora, an organisation that already has strong relationships and a trusted presence in the Kaitaia community. “Vanessa Kite, Rakau Ora’s Chief Executive and Founder, brings more than 20 years’ experience in addiction services and 18 years as a registered mental health nurse. She will be a real asset as the café becomes established in the community. “Earlier this year, the organisation began