Local help

There are many support services and resources available in the community that you can access directly, depending on the issues. The contact details listed below were accurate at the time of printing, but may change over time. If you find an error or a link not working do please let us know.

Telephone Support Services – 24 Hours

Sometimes it is easier to talk to an anonymous person, and/or you may feel the need for some immediate support, without having to go out to obtain it. There is a range of different telephone support services available, such as:

CAAT Team (Community Assessment & Treatment Team)
This is the 24 hour crisis emergency number for Community Mental Health if you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis and may harm themselves or others. 
Phone: (Wellington to Kapiti) 04 494 9169
Phone: (Hutt Valley) 04 566 6999

Lifeline
Lifeline 24-hour counselling.
Free Phone: 0800 543 354

MAMTA
MAMTA (Asian women supporting Asian women).
Phone: 04 478 6213

National Healthline
Free Phone: 0800 611 116

Plunketline
Free Phone: 0800 933 922

Pregnancy Counselling Services
Free Phone: 0800 633 328

Samaritans
Samaritans offer a free telephone counselling service for a wide variety of issues.
Phone: 04 473 9739

SIDS
SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) offer a 24-hour phone support line for parents bereaved by cot death.
Free Phone: 0800 164 455

Counselling, Support and Community Agencies

Other helping agencies can be found in the Local Government Community Directories or the Yellow Pages under Community Services.

Hutt City Community Directory
Kapiti Community Directory
Porirua Community Directory
Upper Hutt Community Directory
Wellington City Community Directory

Atareira
(formerly known at Schizophrenia Fellowship Wgtn) is a Wellington based Mental Health organization that provides services for people who experience mental illness and their family and whanau throughout the Wellington region including the Hutt Valley, Porirua & the Kapiti Coast.
Phone 04 499 1049

Barnardos
Barnados offer support and information to NZ families and whanau on any issue relating to families, and services to families.
Phone: 04 385 7560

Birth Power
Rebbeca Carr is a Qualified Childbirth Educator and Breastfeeding Counsellor and has been supporting parents in the Hutt Valley for the last 2 years through antenatal classes and offering breastfeeding support. Birth Power aims to offer new parents a little knowledge to help them feel empowered and excited by what they are about to achieve. Birth Power aims to offer a fun and interactive environment. Birth Power not only offers antenatal classes but also takes the next step by offering support classes for parents after their baby has been born. Check out some of the other courses offered.
Phone 04 976 8719

Care NZ
Care NZ offers a range of services for drug and alcohol addiction, including counselling, support groups, and referrals to residential treatment centres.
Phone 04 385 1517

Catholic Social Services
Catholic Social Services offer a koha counselling service.
Phone: 04 385 8642

Eating Disorder Services
Eating Disorder Services offer residential treatment, a day programme, and outpatient therapy for people suffering from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Phone: 04 461 6528

Hora Te Pai Health Services
Hora Te Pai Health Services offer free iwi health services eg. pregnancy care and tests, contraceptive advice, baby health. Based in Paraparaumu.
Phone: 04 902 7095

Kahungunu Ki Poneke
Kahungunu Ki Poneke offer advocacy and counselling support programmes, including Maori parenting programmes.
Phone: 04 384 6252

Kokiri Marae
Kokiri Marae offers a range of health services including clinics, counselling, and support to Maori women and their families.
Phone: 04 939 4630

Lifeworks
Lifeworks is a free 12 month home-based Open Polytechnic programme designed to help you make positive changes in your life (work, health, finances, relationships).
Free Phone: 0508 543 396

Mental Health Commisssion
Mental Health Commisssion of NZ – has many useful and up to date free publications available, in addition to information about accessing a range of services.

Ministry of Social Development
Information on support for parents from the Ministry of Social Development. They also publish a number of practical strategy booklets for parents on a range of topics related to parenting.
Alternative website: www.familyservices.govt.nz/skip
Alternative website: www.familyservices.govt.nz/directory/

Miscarriage Support Group
Miscarriage Support Group offers support and information to women who have experienced miscarriage.
Phone: 04 384 4272

Mothers Alone
Mothers Alone supports women who are pregnant or parenting on their own. City and Island Bay groups.
Phone: 04 385 0505

Mothers Network
Mothers Network organizes discussion groups for mothers of young children.
Phone: 04 383 8255

Multiple Birth Group
Multiple Birth Group offers support to women and their families who are parents of multiples.
Phone: 04 479 4529

NET
NET (Naku Enei Tamariki) is a community based network which aims to help new mothers in stressful circumstances, in order to promote healthy development of their families, whanau, aiga. Allied with PAFT (Parents as First Teachers) and Family Start, they take self-referrals for women in the Hutt Valley.
Phone: 04 567 9251 or Email: net.pakeha@ihug.co.nz — Pakeha and Administration Sections
Phone: 04 577 3386 or Email: naku.pi@xtra.co.nz — Pacific Island Section
Phone: 04 939 4640 or Email: netpaft@paradise.net.nz — Maori Section

Out of the Blue/Kia Marama
Out of the Blue/Kia Marama is a NZ Mental Health Foundation initiative. This site provides information about recognizing signs of depression, and where to go for help.

Pacific Health Services
Pacific Health Services offer support to Pacific Island families for a range of health issues.
Phone: Hutt Valley 04 577 0394 | Porirua 04 237 9824 | Wellington 04 388 2154

Parent Help
Parent Help – for parent help and family support – offer 24-hour telephone support, counselling, and an anger change group for women.
Phone: 04 499 9994

Parent to Parent
Parent to Parent is an information and support network for parents of babies and children needing special care.
Phone: 04 569 9398

Parents as First Teachers -PAFT
Phone: 04 567 7035

Parents Centre Head Office
Phone: 04 233 2022

Plunket
Plunket is a free service to assist families with advice for children under five, including individual well-child checks, parenting education groups, and PIN groups for women to meet others in their local area.
National office: 04 471 0177

Porirua Living Without Violence Group
Porirua Living Without Violence Group offers groups and 1:1 counselling when required to women in violent/abusive relationships.
Phone: 04 237 6009

Presbyterian Social Support
Presbyterian Social Support offers in-home family support, counselling, and parent education.
Phone: 04 439 4900

Refugees as Survivors
Refugees as Survivors offer community-based support to assist refugees to settle in NZ.
Phone: 04 384 7279

Relationship Services
Relationship Services offers relationship counselling throughout the Wellington region.
Free Phone: 0800 735 283

SANDS
SANDS (Still Birth and Neonatal Death Support Group) support women and families who have experienced the grief of stillbirth and neo-natal death.
Phone: 04 478 0895 or 04 478 9307

Sexual Abuse Healing Centre
Sexual Abuse Healing Centre – a free service for all ages.
Phone: Hutt Valley 04 566 5517 | Wellington 04 499 7532

Skylight
Skylight works with children and young people and their families who have been significantly affected by change, loss and grief.
Free Phone: 0800 299 100
Phone: 04 939 6767

The Family Court
The Family Court offers a range of services eg. referrals for free relationship counselling, or to support programmes for adults and children with a Protection Order under the Domestic Violence Act. Contact your local Family Court, or go to www.justice.govt.nz

WEAV
WEAV (Wellington Ending Abuse and Violence) run groups for women who are or have been in abusive relationships. These groups run both daytime and evening, attendance is free, and childcare is provided for the day groups.
Phone: 04 384 8275

Wellington City Mission
Wellington City Mission offer a range of services to families, including home-based parenting education and home-making support, free individual counselling and family therapy, community resource agency information.
Phone: 04 389 2033

Womens’ Centres
Womens’ Centres offer a range of services, and can provide up to date information on local community resources and supports.
Phone: Kapiti 04 902 6222 | Lower Hutt 04 569 2711 | Upper Hutt 04 527 0017

Wellington Womens Health Collective
Wellington Womens Health Collective offers information on many health concerns for women.
Phone: 04 499 7709

WINZ
WINZ (Work and Income New Zealand) can provide information on financial benefits available for families.
Free Phone: 0800 559 009