Services

 Core and Other Services

FICT Programme Pilot

Home Safety Programme

Tamariki Kahukura: The Rainbow Programme

Book of Short Stories

Art Project

Refugee Youth Media Project

CORE SERVICE

WNRAS services provided Wellington offer community based support to assist refugees resettle in New Zealand. It is known that people that have been tortured or traumatised may carry the effects of these experiences for many years.

Former refugees may have endured, organised violence, torture, harassment, imprisonment, witnessing violence, being involved in war situations and civil unrest, difficult escapes, refugee camp life, exile and migration.

• Why is the need for a WNRAS service at all?
• You may be experiencing these symptoms
• Treatment
• Training
• Referrals
• The Core WNRAS Service
• Interpreters
• Hours of Operation

• The NZ Government is a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention.
• The NZ Government welcomes 750 refugees into New Zealand annually as part of a quota, up to 300 for family reunification, and about 200 asylum seekers.
• Many former refugees have suffered the loss of family and friends.
• Most of the former refugees have suffered from physical and/or mental trauma and many have also been survivors of torture.
• Most of the former refugees who arrive as part of the quota have been separated from close family members.
• Many former refugees have suffered from physical and/or and trauma, and may also have been survivors of torture.
• To raise community awareness of refugee torture and resettlement issues.
• To assist the psycho-social-resettlement of refugees.

As a former refugee you may be experiencing some of the following:

• body aches and pains.
• sleep problems and nightmares.
• recurrent memories and thoughts which are painful.
• feeling fearful, nervous or restless.
• feeling as if you are reliving past experiences.
• easily scared or startled for no obvious reason.
• frequent sadness, crying or feeling bad.
• withdrawal from social contact or other activities.
• avoidance of situations that may remind you of past experiences which were painful.
• loss of memory and concentration.
• poor appetite.
• guilt and anger.
• faintness, dizziness or weakness.

Treatment:

WNRAS provides community-based screening, assessment, treatment/therapy, and onward referral, and also medical reviews by a consultant psychiatrist. Care management included coordination of services from other agencies. Liaison/consultation takes place with general practitioners, mental health workers, and support workers (including ethnic community workers) to support community management of clients and the supervision of other staff.

The treatment methods used are eclectic and include CBT, Gestalt, narrative, problem solving, EMDR and other client-centred approaches appropriate to client needs and informed by cultural differences.

In the year  July 2010 to June 2011 the clients seen here came from the following countries of origin: Colombia 26%; Iraq 18%; Myanmar 16%; Ethiopia 13%; Eritrea 8%; Somalia 6%; other 13% (8 countries).
 

Referrals:

The Core WNRAS Service:

WNRAS employs a multidisciplinary team which provides a counselling and advocacy service for adults, children and families. As a client you can expect to:

• talk in confidence to someone who has an understanding of the issues involved in the refugee and exile experience.
• be referred to other health and medical services, with your consent.
• receive support in accessing other mainstream agencies involved in facilitating re-settlement.
• receive assistance with adaptation to life in New Zealand.

Interpreters:

• Interpreters are available for all counselling sessions.
• All interpreters are trained professionals.
• Confidentiality is assured.
• WNRAS contracts interpreters from Interpreting New Zealand.

Hours of Operation:

Other appointment times may be available on request.
Saturday and Sunday closed.

Location:

The WNRAS office is at 39 Webb Street. Outreach clinics operate in Porirua and the Hutt Valley.
If you want a map of our Wellington location, click here.

This service is confidential and free of charge to all refugees and those from a refugee type background.

OTHER SERVICES

Support:

This can take many forms but all former refugees who have been referred and accepted as clients of WNRAS will receive a range of support services. What these are will emerge from the counselling and could include advocating for their entitlements, e.g. government benefits; budgeting advice; legal matters; housing issues etc.

WNRAS employs staff who assist the counsellors with these various support services.

Training:

Training and education are available for professional staff of any agency working with refugees and migrants, as well as caregivers, and support staff. Training is provided by staff on issues of cultural differences, trauma, and cross-cultural mental health. Training can be provided to Government services (Hospitals), General Practitioners, other health professionals and the Social Services, plus health and social service professionals in the non-government sector.