But this time JK's welcome to Kahurangi, Christchurch’s new Child, Adolescent and Family (CAF) mental health outpatient facility, will be drastically different.
He had to stop the tour on a previous 2022 visit to the old CAF facility at The Princess Margaret Hospital after he was overcome with emotion.
“Walking through those old buildings brought up a lot of dark memories for me. I just couldn’t carry on with the tour. It was my first time at the facility, and I found it overwhelmingly difficult to be there,” said JK who is Westpac NZ's mental health ambassador.
“I remember thinking at the time, every New Zealander should come and visit places like this, as they would want change, like I do.
“I feel so relieved to know that those facilities I struggled to walk through are no longer, and that Canterbury’s young people now have an inspiring location where they feel welcomed and supported in their mental health. I’m really looking forward to seeing Kahurangi and all it has to offer.”
Kahurangi (blue skies) opened in November last year, replacing the old facilities at The Princess Margaret Hospital and Hillmorton.
The Māia Health Foundation raised $6 million towards the new facility, with help from its other partners.
While it has only been open for three months, Kahurangi staff say the impact of the new building is already showing.
Said Canterbury CAF service manager Deborah Selwood: “The building is everything we dreamed it would be and more.
“While it’s too early for any stats, the feedback we are getting from parents, patients and staff has been overwhelmingly positive.
“What has stood out, is seeing children running up to the building and playing with the musical instruments.
"Where we were previously, children had to be really supported to come into the facility, they were nervous to enter the building because the building didn’t look welcoming at all. It didn’t reflect what we wanted kids to feel when they came to see us.
“Now, we’ve got kids running up to us. We’ve never seen this before, a child feeling positive about entering our building, I think that kind of says it all.”
Selwood said demand for the service is expected to grow now that school has re-started.
“The clinicians doing specialist work actually have the tools and space they need," Selwood said.
"It lets staff be flexible and thoughtful in their practice when they previously couldn’t.
"This building and all it entails mean we are able to provide a therapeutic and comfortable environment for people.
“We can already see the enormously positive impact on young people’s experience at this new facility and we are so incredibly grateful to Māia Health Foundation, its supporters and the community for making this happen.
About 640 young people will be treated at Kahurangi on the outskirts of the Hillmorton campus every month.
Māia Health Foundation chief executive Michael Flatman said it is a privilege to welcome JK to Kahurangi.
"It’s just a few months old but hearing about the hugely positive impact Kahurangi is having on our tamariki and rangatahi is very special," Flatman said.
"Thanks to the support of our community and organisations like Westpac NZ, Kahurangi is going to make a real difference in the lives of many, for generations to come."
