Able Minds

Able Minds is community-based, providing emotional support, information, advocacy, and peer support groups to family and whānau that have a loved one affected by mental distress or addiction.

Our Fieldworkers are experts in this area — they understand the impacts of mental distress and addiction and collaborate with other services so clients are well resourced to care for their loved one. Able Minds builds resilience so families can effectively manage the challenges they face. 

Able Minds delivers three signature programmes. Skylight Waves, a course to walk beside those who have suffered bereavement as a result of suicide. CUMIA (Children Understanding Mental Illness and Addictions), designed for primary school aged children who have a family member affected by mental distress or addiction, and RAW (Rangatahi and Wellbeing), a programme empowering youth to build resilience. All have a combination of peer support and one-on-one emotional support that are designed to impart tools, tactics, and strategies to move forward.

Able Minds facilitates activity centres and groups which are formalised meetings where those with mental distress and addiction issues come for peer support and actively focus on their recovery by learning new skills to build self-esteem, confidence, and reconnect with the community.

Our Timeout Contact provides individual supervised contact for families who are exposed to challenges associated with separation. Timeout Contact creates a safe environment to strengthen and maintain vital relationships.

Able Minds’ Supporting Parent’s Healthy Children Coordinator is the primary link between Health NZ and community needs with a focus on achieving better health outcomes for children, parents, and family as a whole.

Able Minds is a free, confidential, and mobile service and people can self-refer. We have offices in Invercargill, Gore, Dunedin, Alexandra, and Oamaru.

Please contact us on: 0800 494 262, email admin@able.org.nz, or for more information see www.able.org.nz