Kia ora e te whānau,

We wanted to provide an update on:

• operating mental health and addiction services under Alert Level 4
• use of personal protective equipment and mandatory use of face coverings
• information and resources to share on supporting people's mental wellbeing, including for young people
• social media content to promote mental wellbeing awareness.

Operating at Alert Level 4

• Mental health and addiction services (including residential support and respite services) are essential services and must continue.
• Inpatient and residential mental health and addiction services will operate as usual, in accordance with Public Health guidance. There may be fewer beds available at some facilities, to reduce the possibility of transmission. All services will have plans for managing any potential cases of COVID-19.
• Community mental health service appointments will be online or by phone where possible.
• Urgent and crisis community mental health and addiction services will continue as usual, in accordance with Public Health guidance.
• For inpatient and residential care, visiting is not permitted except for urgent Health Care Practitioner interactions.

Mandatory face coverings

It is now mandatory for everyone aged over 12 to wear a face covering when visiting essential services including healthcare facilities. It is also a requirement for staff working in those places to wear a face covering.

Please see the Ministry’s Guide to Mask Wearing in Healthcare Settings for more information.

Use of Personal Protective Equipment

• Full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) does not necessarily need to be worn by staff in all interactions. Its use needs to be considered as part of a range of activities that reduce the risk of transmission of infection when used correctly and in the appropriate context.
• Organisations eligible to order PPE through the National Supply Chain should continue to place orders through the PPE portal. Deliveries are currently expected to take 2 – 3 days to arrive after the order has been placed. For clarity on supply and distribution you can email: COVID.HealthSupplyChain@health.govt.nz 
• For full guidance on PPE, please see further information on personal protective equipment use in health and disability care settings.

Up-to-date information

If you are signed up to receive all of Government updates, you will receive the latest information about the Government’s response to COVID-19. As always, the best source of up-to-date information is on the COVID-19 website.

In your communications it is also important to acknowledge that it can be an unsettling time, and that:

• It’s reassuring to remember New Zealand’s approach has worked to date. That we have stamped out COVID-19 before and we can do it again.
• The Five Ways to Wellbeing will help us get through.
• It’s okay to not be okay. If you need to talk to someone know there is help available. You can still connect with friends or family over the phone, and there is other support available if you need professional support.

Wellbeing resources and advice for getting help

There are many organisations and services doing great work to support people’s mental wellbeing through COVID-19. Some useful resources include:

• Guidance to support workplace wellbeing during COVID-19
• Le Va’s #catchyourself suite of practical resources and information on how to manage through the impacts of COVID-19
• Advice for wellbeing for Māori and Pasifika available on the depression.or.nz website.
• Te Pou’s range of COVID-19 resources.

Even though New Zealand is in Alert Level 4, there is still help available for those that need it. People are enabled to support their own mental wellbeing by making use of the range of free tools and resources listed on the Ministry of Health website.

If people need professional support they should be advised to call their health professional or GP who can provide advice on accessing mental health and addiction support. 1737 can also connect people to a counsellor via free call or text, 24/7.

Support for young people

The latest move into Alert Level 4 can be especially challenging for young people, especially if they are finding it difficult to remain linked into education or if their employment is impacted.

There are dedicated self-help tools and support available for young people including:

• SPARX is a computerised self-help programme intended to help people aged 12-19 who may be feeling down
• Mental Wealth by Le Va provides online resources to help young people look after their mental health, and includes online counselling
• The Lowdown provides videos and articles about anxiety and depression and also includes support through a free 24/7 helpline, text and webchat
• Aroha is a chatbot to help young people cope with stress
• Youthline provides support for young people via the fee call service, text and webchat
• Melon Health provides online tools and resources to help people manage stressful times, and also has an app available for download
• Sparklers is a free online toolkit of wellbeing activities for tamariki Years 1 to 8.
• 1737 is a free service for any New Zealander, including young people, that may be feeling down, anxious, a bit overwhelmed or just need to chat to someone. People can call or text for free 24/7.

Social media resources

A range of organisations and services are providing useful content focused on sharing mental wellbeing messages. Some examples that you may wish to look at sharing across your own networks include:

• Mentemia’s blog and Instagram and Facebook content
• Melon’s series of Facebook videos
• The Mental Health Foundation’s content on the Five Ways to Wellbeing (via the Getting Through Together campaign)
• Youthline’s daily reminders in Instagram and Facebook