North

Drive Consumer Network represents the interests of people in the Counties Manukau area who experience mental health and addiction challenges. The network exists to ensure the consumer voice is heard and reflected across services and systems.

We connect service users and service providers, support research activity, and contribute to peer workforce development. We also run hui that bring people together to share experience and build connection.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Mahi Marumaru is a mobile peer service supporting people to recover from alcohol and other drug related challenges. The service is delivered by peer support workers who bring their own lived experience of addiction and recovery.

We provide practical, relationship based peer support that meets people where they are. Support focuses on connection, understanding, and working alongside people as they rebuild stability and confidence in their recovery.

We support people aged between 18 and 65 who live in the Counties Manukau area. The service welcomes self-referrals and also accepts introductions from clinicians, other services, and family members.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Peers in ED provides peer support in emergency departments for people experiencing mental distress or addiction challenges. The service offers support at a critical point of need within hospital emergency settings.

We provide calm, practical support to people and whānau, delivered by peer workers who support people during their time in care. The service also supports clinical teams by improving the patient experience.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Piri Pono is a six bed, peer led residential service that provides an acute alternative to hospital care. We provide short stays for people experiencing acute mental distress. Support focuses on stabilisation, rest, and regaining balance, with an emphasis on independence, everyday living, and supportive relationships.

The service is staffed by a mix of nurses and support workers and offers short term support in a calm, home like setting.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Puna Whakataa is a 10 bed residential Alcohol and Other Drug respite and treatment service delivered in partnership with The Salvation Army. Ember provides management and peer support, while The Salvation Army provides clinical care.

The service offers a safe, calm environment for rest, recovery, and reconnection.
We provide short term residential support for people who need time out to stabilise, reflect, and reset. Stays of up to 14 days support people to regain balance while remaining connected to their community and existing support networks.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Reach Out is a mobile peer support service supporting people in their recovery from mental health challenges. The team brings lived experience of mental health trauma and recovery to the support they provide.

Support is practical and relationship based, with a focus on getting to know each other rather than completing formal assessments. Together, we develop a simple plan that reflects each person’s goals and priorities.

For more information contact:  [email protected]

ISS supports people with intellectual disability and, in some cases, mental health diagnoses who have high and complex needs. 

 The service provides life skills and day support for people subject to compulsory care and rehabilitation processes. Support combines client centred goals with behavioural interventions and is delivered in partnership with residential services to provide coordinated and consistent support. 

Programmes include daily living skills, creative and cultural activities, social skills development, recreational learning, work placement, voluntary work, and support to access tertiary education.

We develop support plans together with residential services that focus on an individual’s rehabilitation goals.

For more information contact:  [email protected]

Telephone: 09 837 5106 or 09 837 5105

 Abeo and Poutama are eight bed residential community services that support people experiencing mental health challenges to stabilise and move forward with their lives.

Both services provide structured, supportive residential environments focused on helping people build the life they want within their community, tailored to individual needs.

Abeo supports people experiencing mental health challenges and offers longer term stays of up to 18 months.

Poutama supports people experiencing both mental health and alcohol or substance use challenges and provides a harm reduction based approach, with most stays lasting up to one year.

 Both services support people who are engaged with local adult community mental health services. 

Contact Abeo on : 09 482 0981  Contact Poutama on: 09 834 5063 

Awhi Ora provides community based support for people experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges who are finding it difficult to manage day to day life or reach their goals. The service operates in Central Auckland and sits within Community Support Services Central.

We provide practical support to help people build self-management and independence. This includes support with accommodation, transport, employment, budgeting, education, self-care, and personal and interpersonal skills. The focus is on helping people access resources and supports within their own community.

We support people living in Central Auckland who are experiencing personal or practical challenges. Support may involve working alongside whānau, community mental health services, and general practitioners where needed. The service is delivered by occupational therapists, social workers, and support workers with skills in communication, assessment, planning, and goal setting.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Beachhaven is a community based Packages of Care service for people who receive four hours or more of support each week and need ongoing assistance to live well in the community.

We provide longer term support that focuses on building practical, emotional, and social skills. Support is structured to help people strengthen everyday living skills and maintain stability within their community.

We support people who would benefit from higher levels of complex support and who are under the care of a community mental health team. The service works with people who need consistent, sustained support over time.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Community Living Service supports people with mental health challenges who have high and complex needs to live in their chosen communities.

We provide practical, community based support that helps people develop daily living skills, access housing and transport, and build routines that support wellbeing.

 Using the Strengths Model and Te Whare Tapa Whā, we support people living in the Papakura and Pukekohe areas who are receiving care from local clinical services. Community Living Specialists work closely with clinical teams and local community networks, whanau, friends, and support groups.

For more information, contact: [email protected]

Community Support Services Central supports people who experience challenges with their mental wellbeing to live independently in their chosen communities.

Support focuses on everyday living, including housing, transport, employment, self-care, and personal and interpersonal skills. The team includes registered health professionals, social workers, and support workers with skills in communication, assessment, planning, and clinical awareness.

We support people living in Central Auckland, Waiheke Island, and West Auckland who are finding it difficult to live well in their community. We work to build confidence and independence, in partnership with community mental health services, GPs, whanau, and other local supports.

You can access Community Support Services Central through referral from clinical partners.

For more information, contact: [email protected]

Community Support Services South supports people who experience challenges with their mental wellbeing to live independently in their chosen communities.

Support focuses on everyday living, including housing, transport, training, employment, self-care, and personal and interpersonal skills.

We support people living in the Papakura and Franklin areas who are currently, or have recently been, engaged with local clinical services and are finding it difficult to live well in their community or reach their goals. Staff work alongside people to build confidence and independence, in partnership with clinical teams, GPs, whanau, and other local supports.

You can access Community Support Services South through referral from clinical partners.

Our Community Support Teams provide mobile community based support for people recovering from mental health challenges. They operate through three mobile teams delivering practical, empowering support across Waitemata, Rodney, and Central Auckland.

 We provide flexible support tailored to individual needs, including Packages of Care for people who need higher levels of responsive support in complex situations.

We also deliver culturally responsive support through a multilingual Asian Support Team, working with people whose English language skills are limited, to help them connect with services and feel part of their community.

We have a specialist team who work with families and whānau where a family member is experiencing mental health or addiction challenges, including support that responds to the needs of children and adolescents.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Akiaki Ora provides skill based programmes that support people with mental health and addiction challenges to build life skills, connect with their communities, and prepare for employment.

 We deliver a range of programmes focused on wellness, self-development, and pre employment skills. Our approach is guided by the Strengths Model principles, with a focus on recognising individual strengths and supporting people to set achievable goals that reflect their needs and aspirations.

We support people through group based programmes from 16 years of age, with individual support available up to 65 years. Support is tailored to individual learning needs and delivered in ways that encourage participation, confidence, and connection within local communities.

You can refer yourself to Akiaki Ora. Information is collected as part of the referral process to confirm eligibility and meet funder requirements. Missing information may delay access to the service.

Ember Employment supports people with mental health and addiction challenges to find and retain work. Our dedicated mobile teams of employment consultants serve the greater Auckland area from our North Shore, South Auckland and Papakura hubs.

We work alongside people through the key stages of their employment journey. Our consultants focus on understanding interests and aspirations, reducing barriers to work, and identifying realistic pathways into employment. They build practical relationships with employers to support people into work and to help them stay there.

Our consultants work in their local communities and come from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. They focus on building confidence, trust and capability, particularly where previous employment experiences have been challenging.

IPS supports people with mental health and addiction challenges who want to get and keep paid work. The service is delivered in the Rodney area through a partnership between Ember and Health New Zealand and is funded by New Zealand government departments.

We use the evidence based IPS model, which is integrated with mental health care and treatment. Our employment specialists work closely with people and their treatment or support teams to move quickly into mainstream, competitive employment. Jobs are real roles that anyone can apply for, pay at least the minimum wage, and are based on individual preferences, strengths and choices. Support continues for as long as it is needed.

We support people who may experience multiple barriers to employment. No one is excluded based on diagnosis, symptoms, substance use history, hospital admissions, housing situation, level of disability or criminal history. Our employment specialists actively engage with employers to match individual interests. We begin job searches promptly once someone decides they want to work.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Peer Employment Training supports people with mental health and addiction challenges to develop skills grounded in their own lived experience and is based on peer to peer learning.

 We provide structured training that equips people with the skills needed to work in peer support roles across a range of settings. The training focuses on wellbeing, mutual learning, empowerment, and hope, and supports people to use their lived experience in purposeful and professional ways. The programme runs over 11 full days and there are no course fees.

The programme is for people living in Counties Manukau who have completed Wellness Recovery Action Plan training. The training is for people who want to build peer support skills and use them in paid or voluntary roles working with others who have similar lived experience.

For more information contact: [email protected]