Health Pasifika — adults

You can contact the Health Pasifika team by: 

• freephone: 0800 300 181
• phone: 04 230 6324

We have adult clinic days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 4:30pm.

We have a separate service for children and young people.

Health Pasifika — children and young people

We are located at:

Kenepuru Hospital
16 Hospital Drive
Porirua

How to get to Kenepuru Community Hospital

We provide services for Pacific people who have moderate mental health and addiction issues.

We can help you:

• in your home
• somewhere in the community.

Our services include:

• assessing your mental health needs and providing treatments in a way that considers your cultural needs
• consultation with other services working with you — these may may include other community, hospital  and Pasifika health providers
• providing mental health information
• providing information about other community services.

Our team includes:

• a Pacific cultural advisor (matua)
• nurses
• peer workers (support people with their own experience of using mental health services)
• psychologists
• psychiatrists.

A psychiatrist is a specialist doctor who is an expert in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. You may have been referred to a psychiatrist if your healthcare provider thinks you need specialist help.

What you can expect from our service

Once we receive your referral, we will arrange an appointment with you. At the appointment, a clinician will talk with you and complete an assessment of your mental health needs. This initial appointment can take up to 2 hours.

If we agree that we are the service that is the best for you, we will develop a treatment plan. Our team will then work with you to carry out the plan.

If we believe that another service would be better for you or the person you are supporting, we can refer you to another service.

Or, we may recommend some actions you can take at home rather than using a mental health service.

You can be referred to our service by:

• your GP or other healthcare provider
• a family member or friend
• other social or mental health services in the community.

You can also contact the team directly using the contact details above and ask to be referred.

You are welcome to have your family, ngutuare tangata, aiga, kaiga, kainga, magafaoa or other support people with you when you use our services.

Eligibility for free care

Our service is free of charge if you:

• are a New Zealand citizen
• have New Zealand residency
• hold a work permit valid for 2 years or more.

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria for health funding, you can pay to get treatment through a private service. Your insurance company may reimburse you for this.

If you have been referred to our service under the Mental Health Act, you will not have to pay anything regardless of your visa status.

If you have any questions about your eligibility for health care, contact our team. Or you can find more information on our eligibility web pages.

Eligibility for publicly funded health and disability services

Service eligibility for people from Pacific Island countries