Lifeline Aotearoa is celebrating 60 years in the business though it comes at a time when there have been staff cuts in other mental health support services.
The Mental Health Foundation, for example, confirmed over a week ago it would lay off one in five of its staff to compensate for government contracts not keeping up with costs.
Lifeline Aotearoa is a non-profit organisation providing a free 24/7 mental health support and counselling service.
Mary Haddock-Staniland (Tainui) is an ambassador for the organisation and says there is a definite need for it.
“Cuts are being made to make the dollar go further. We must not let the lever come up and we must accelerate our support services and anything connected with mental health.
‘Asking for help incredibly difficult’
“I’m so excited about the anniversary. Lifeline - what a milestone. [It’s been] 60 years that this organisation has been supporting Aotearoa and our people... I’ve seen the work that they’ve done across the motu but also for myself.”
A trans Māori woman, Haddock-Staniland said it was difficult for Māori and Pacific people to reach out for help.
“Asking for help is incredibly difficult. There’s a lot of whakamā behind that particularly in Māori and Pasifika and having the strength to come forward and say “I need help”, whether that’s deeply ingrained in our culture or through a whānau unit.
“I understand the dark hole that many face and not just in LGBTQIA+ but across all dimensions of diversity, as a trans Māori woman who has lived in a world, where often the world has said I shouldn’t be me.”
She said acknowledging that people have a problem can be one of the hardest things they can do.
“I unapologetically stand on my whenua and say ‘I am who I am’ and I’m very unapologetic about that in the world, and so I say don’t be afraid.
