Yellow Brick Road

Yellow Brick Road is a nationwide organisation supporting people whose family members are experiencing mental health problems. The Taranaki office is expanding their free support for whānau in the region supporting loved ones.

“Families are really the ‘unsung heroes’ across the mental health sector. They play a key role in their family member’s pathway from mental illness and distress to a place of wellbeing. It is widely acknowledged that a person’s family and their ability to help is absolutely instrumental in the success of that journey,” said Viv Head, Regional Manager.

“Funding is a huge hurdle for us. We spend a considerable amount of time and energy trying to achieve the additional funding we are reliant on to deliver our programmes. We believe we have a successful model to support people and are making considerable efforts to grow our service.” 
 

Toi Foundation funding of $30k means Yellow Brick Road can plan and deliver a range of programmes in Taranaki over the coming year.
The FACTS programme (Families and Carers Training and Support) teaches strategies for supporting people with Borderline Personality Disorder or Emotional Dysregulation.
SOFW (Stepping Out For Women) helps women refocus on their own journeys and find new perspectives on issues and problems while supporting their loved ones.
‘Resilience’ is an interactive workshop for families and whānau, teaching positive communication skills while building inner resilience and strength.  

“For every person who attends a programme, there is a wider family or whānau as well as tangata whaiora (person struggling with mental health) who will benefit from the better strength and knowledge the course attendee gains as they will share that strength and be in a better position to support others,” Viv said.
“It is encouraging that the Toi Foundation has realised this need in our community. We know that educating and supporting people works and are confident that it is going to be good for Taranaki.”