Te Awatea – Doing whatever it takes
It's Monday morning at DCM – almost 11am. “Last call for coffee!” Clifton announces to the room. Some people get their final cup, while others mill around, waiting for Te Awatea to begin.
Evan and Jo have set up the space, where everyone is welcome to come and go. They are joined by Clifton and other kaiāwhina, offering peer support for the group. Te Awatea is as accommodating as possible, though Evan and Jo will keep an eye on disruptions, and manage any behaviour that starts to impact other members of the group.
Te Awatea is all about harm reduction – and today the nine members of the group start with a round of, “How are you doing today, on a scale of 1-10?” Some whānau rate themselves pretty high, a 7 or 8, while others are feeling a bit down today. A couple of people are dealing with medical issues at the moment, which is not making life any easier.
Everyone shares how their weekend went. For some, there are challenges. There are members of the group who freely share that they are dependent on drugs or alcohol, and feel stuck. But there’s no judgement from Evan and Jo, or from other people in the room. This is a safe space to share whatever you’re feeling, wherever you’re at.
One person has to leave early to see a nurse. Before he goes he shares how he’s managed to reduce his alcohol intake. He had a great weekend, and is feeling good today. The group cheer him on – “Awesome mahi!” – as he pops out to see the Te Aro Health team.
After the intros, Evan leads a kōrero about mental health. By sharing some of his story Evan knows that it will help break the ice, and get the group to open up about their own experiences. Whānau share how they face mental health challenges too, and some acknowledge that they use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate, but that it doesn’t really help.
There are a lot of laughs at Te Awatea. Everyone is different – and there are some characters! – but everyone is so open and honest that it’s hard not to share in a joke or two, to lift the spirit in the room.
As the session comes to a close Evan leads with the serenity prayer, “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Whānau chat amongst themselves as they head off. Some are looking forward to the next session, which will take place on Friday.
In the meantime, Evan and Jo have their own little side room at DCM for one-on-one sessions with whānau who need them. While Te Awatea focusses on harm reduction DCM offers other pathways forward that are always there if that’s what it takes for whānau to thrive.
“Whatever it takes” is part and parcel of DCM’s kaupapa. Te Awatea truly shows that kaupapa in action.