Southern Wellbeing service hits 200,000 encounters
Tōku Oranga Access and Choice Southern Service, a free primary care mental health and wellbeing support programme, has reached 200,000 encounters across the Southern regions of Otago and Southland.
Launched in 2020, the award-winning programme provides free 20–30-minute appointments with Health Improvement Practitioners (HIP), Health Coaches or Community Support Workers for mild to moderate mental health issues. People get what they need between one to four appointments.
Tōku Oranga Access and Choice Southern Service team leader Anita Clouston says the milestone paints a picture.
“We describe an as an interaction with a person experiencing something impacting on their mental, physical, social or whānau wellbeing. We receive regular feedback about how helpful the early intervention sessions are and the new skills and support they receive to manage everyday stressors such as high stress, lack of sleep, new diagnosis of a long-term condition.”
Patients can often see one of the practitioners on the day, or that week.
“Earlier interventions and easy access for people, especially in cases where we refer on to further mental health support, ensure support is provided before stress or other issues escalate and exacerbate,” says Ms Clouston.
Over the six years since starting, the programme has grown and is now delivered in most of the general practices in Otago and Southland by practitioners on site. Patients are usually walked down the hallway by a GP, nurse practitioner or nurse, or patients can self-refer at their practice.
While Access and Choice is a national service, the Southern service, called Tōku Oranga, was awarded the best mental primary care health services in Aotearoa in 2025.
Find out more about accessing the service, https://wellsouth.nz/your-health/mental-health-and-wellbeing/toku-oranga-access-and-choice.
The Access and Choice Southern Service Tōku Oranga team
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