Photo: Grace Bella
The country's first community based Depression Recovery Centre is set to open in Wellington early next year, established by a not-for-profit charity. It will offer a therapeutic day programme for people with moderate to severe mental health issues, and hopes to serve 300 people per year, at purpose built premises in Cuba Street.
The centre, to be known as Whakamātūtū : A place of recovery will have a team of 20 staff, including a GP, psychiatrist, eight psychotherapists, a trauma treatment specialist as well as art, music and massage therapy.
It will begin assessing its first participants from the 15th of January to begin the first course in February. The driving force behind the centre, and it's director, is Wellington mental health advocate and lawyer Brent Williams - who has found funding from the private sector and got backing from ACC, the Social Development Ministry and private insurers, but so far Te Whatu Ora has not given any support.
Brent Williams is in our Wellington studio, along with Psychotherapist Karen Begg, who is part of the new centre.
