Links & Resources

Useful links and Phone numbers for free services in New Zealand

  • Alcohol and Drugs Helpline: 0800 787 797
  • Chinese Lifeline: 0800 888 880
  • Citizens Advice Bureau: 0800 367 222
  • Depression Helpline: 0800 111 75 or free text 4202 (to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions).
  • Gambling Helpline: 0800 654 655
  • Lifeline: 0800 543 354
  • Mensline: 0800 636 754
  • Outline (gay, lesbian and transgender support): 0800 802 437
  • Relationship Services: 0800 735 283
  • Samaritans: 0800 726 666
  • Youthline: 0800 376 633 or free text 234 or email: talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
  • The Lowdown Text 5626 for support to help young people recognise and understand depression or anxiety
  • Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor
  • Suicide Crisis Helpline 24/7: Freephone 0508 828 865

HELPFUL APPS

  • Groov is an app that you can use to monitor, manage and improve your mental wellbeing by setting daily goals and tracking your progress.
  • Small Steps are digital tools to help you maintain wellness, find relief, or get help for yourself, friends or whānau.
  • Headstrong – (including Aroha Chatbot) a uniquely New Zealand chatbot app designed for young people – it feels like talking with a trusted friend. Download it from the app store on your mobile device.
  • Triple P Online – online parenting support including Triple P, Teen Triple P and FearLess Triple P. Designed to help parents support their children and teenagers to cope with lifes, ups and downs, promote wellbeing and make family life more enjoyable.
  • Wellbeing Support – an online directory to find free mental health and addiction support near you through the Access and Choice programme.

CRISIS/RISK OF SUICIDE

SUPPORT

INFORMATION AND SELF-HELP RESOURCES

The Health Navigator NZ website helps you find reliable and trustworthy health information and self-help resources:

Clearhead: Recommended mental health resources personalised to your challenge. Find mental health professionals who specifically meet your needs and book online with them.

ADDICTIONS

ANXIETY

  • Anxiety NZ: 0800 269 4389
  • The New Zealand Ministry of Health has funded free access to this British Medical Journal website for people browsing the web from New Zealand.
  • Kidshealth was developed by the Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand.
  • The Phobic Trust is a non-profit organisation aiming to educate, support and treat severe anxiety, phobic and obsessive compulsive disorders.
  • Anxiety Support Canterbury is a non-profit organisation working for people who experience, or support others who have, any form of anxiety.
  • The Mental Health Foundation provides free information and training, and advocates for policies and services that support people with experience of mental illness.
  • NHS Choices is health information from the UK National Health Service.
  • Relaxation breathing exercises can help relieve feelings of anxiety or stress.

ALZHEIMERS

AUTISM

  • Parent to Parent: is a non-profit organisation that aims to empower families and whānau of people with disabilities and health impairments through support, advice and information.
    • They provide support to parents, providing individualised information packs.
    • They offer parent seminars and workshops, run a sibling support programme, host family events and coffee groups and offer a one-on-one phone call from a trained support parent to those parents needing specific advice or support from someone in the same or similar situation as them.
    • They link people locally, nationally and internationally with other people who have children or family members affected by the same condition, enabling a support network to be established.
    • They provide training to support parents in the skills necessary to support other parents, caregivers and whanau.
    • They link people with trained support parents who provide experienced practical support and information.
    • They provide SibSupportNZ programmes designed to support siblings and help them understand and cope with a family member who has a disability.
    • They provide meet up at coffee groups at various locations.
    • Regional Groups run a range of activities designed to support parents but also to provide fun, learning, and opportunities to make friendships including coffee groups in different areas in Waikato region.
    • Parent to Parent New Zealand regularly participates in Government working parties, reference groups, and advisory panels addressing issues of importance to children with special needs and their families
    • Please also check out the Parent to Parent Waikato Facebook page: Parent to Parent | Facebook
    • They also offer the Altogether Autism service in partnership with Life Unlimited – https://www.altogetherautism.org.nz/ and the Care Matters service in partnership with SAMS (Standards And Monitoring Services) –

BIPOLAR DISORDER

CHILDREN/WHANAU

  • Mental Illness Support for Families 0800 555 434
  • Parents’ Helpline (Barnardos) 0800 472 736
  • What’s Up (counselling for ages 5-18 years) 0800 942 8787
  • Kidsline (up to age 14, 4-6pm weekdays) 0800 54 37 54
  • Shine confidential helpline (specializing in keeping people safe from domestic violence: 0508-744-633, free-to-call from any phone in New Zealand. Call 7 days a week, from 9am-11pm.
  • Supporting Families in Mental Illness (Yellow Brick Road): 0800 732825
  • ICAMHS:  Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ICAMHS) » Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Waikato (waikatodhb.health.nz) – provide help for children and young people’s mental health and anxiety in the Waikato.General enquiries: 07 839 889. All departments and services 07 839 8899

DEPRESSION

  • Depression Helpline (8am-midnight) 0800 111 757
  • The Lowdown TXT Free 5626

EATING DISORDERS

  • Eating Disorders Association of New Zealand is an association established to provide support and education for parents and caregivers of people with eating disorders.
  • The Health Navigator NZ website helps you find reliable and trustworthy health information and self-help resources including some for eating disorders.
  • Family Services Directory will help you find local support for a variety of issues including eating disorders.
  • The Mental Health Foundation provides free information and training about eating disorders, and advocates for policies and services that support people with experience of mental illness.
  • The NHS Choices Health provides information about eating disorders from the UK National Health Service.
  • Best Health – is provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Health which provides free access to this British Medical Journal website for people browsing the web from New Zealand, and who are interested in information about eating disorders.

GRIEF

  • The Grief Centre offers a variety of services, including Counselling, Support Groups, Information and Resources, Training, and books for sale to assist those that are grieving.
  • Solace Support Auckland 09 425 6750 or 021 998 949

HEALTH

  • Progress to Health 0800 77 57 57
  • Healthline (health information service for the whole whanau. Staffed by registered nurses) 0800 611 116

LGBTI+

  • Outline (gay, lesbian and transgender support): 0800 802 437
  • Like Minds Like Mine (anti-stigma and discrimination) 0800 102 107

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

  • NHS Choices is health information from the UK National Health Service. It has information about OCD:
  • The Mental Health Foundation provides free information about OCD, and advocates for policies and services that support people with experience of mental illness.
  • Anxiety Support Canterbury
 is a non-profit organization working for people who experience or support others with any form of anxiety, including OCD.
  • Anxiety NZ (https://www.anxiety.org.nz/) s a non-profit organisation aiming to educate, support and treat severe anxiety, phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
  • Best Health – the New Zealand Ministry of Health has funded free access to this British Medical Journal website for people browsing the web from New Zealand. The site has information about OCD.

PANIC ATTACKS

  • Relaxation breathing exercises can help relieve feelings of panic, anxiety or stress:
  • Anxiety NZ is a non-profit organisation aiming to educate, support and treat severe anxiety, phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
  • The Mental Health Foundation provides free information about panic disorder, and advocates for policies and services that support people with experience of mental illness.
  • NHS Choices is health information from the UK National Health Service. It has information about panic disorder.
  • Best Health – the New Zealand Ministry of Health has funded free access to this British Medical Journal website for people browsing the web from New Zealand. The site has information about panic disorder.

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

  • The Mental Health Foundation provides free information about mental health issues, and advocates for policies and services that support people with experience of mental illness, including PTSD.
  • Better Health Channel – The Victoria (Australia) state government provides online consumer-focused health and medical information, including PTSD.
  • Trauma and Birth Stress is an information site on PTSD caused by childbirth.
  • Best Health – the New Zealand Ministry of Health has funded free access to this British Medical Journal website for people browsing the web from New Zealand. The site has information about post-traumatic stress disorder.

SCHIZOPHRENIA

  • The Mental Health Foundation provides free information about mental health issues, and advocates for policies and services that support people with experience of mental illness, including schizophrenia.
  • The Health Navigator NZ website helps you find reliable and trustworthy health information and self-help resources including some for schizophrenia.
  • Supporting Families in Mental Illness (Yellow Brick Road) is an organisation for the family and whānau of people with a major mental illness such as schizophrenia.

SELF-HARMING

STRESS

  • Relaxation breathing exercises can help relieve feelings of panic, anxiety or stress.
  • NHS Choices provides information from the UK National Health Service including information about how to stand up to, and manage, stress.
  • Better Health Channel is the Victoria (Australia) state government provides online consumer-focused health and medical information. It contains information on how to deal with stress.
  • The Mental Health Foundation provides free information and training, and advocates for policies and services that support people with experience of mental illness, including stress.