Yellow Brick Road is the largest provider of family and whānau-focused mental health support in New Zealand. Its work centres on giving families the knowledge, tools and confidence to support a loved one through mental distress, while also looking after their own wellbeing.
“Families are the biggest supporters for people with mental illness in New Zealand, yet they are untrained, on call 24/7 and often very distressed themselves,” says communications manager Belinda Wells. “Providing them with a little support and some tools to care for others, and themselves, can go a very long way.”
Supporting a loved one can be all-consuming, and families often feel they cannot let up. They are frequently so stretched trying to keep their person safe that their own wellbeing is the last thing on their minds. Yet, as Belinda points out, people are far more help to their loved one when they are stronger themselves. “It’s a bit like putting your own oxygen mask on first.”
That message sits at the heart of Yellow Brick Road’s approach. It helps families understand what is going on, learn about any diagnosis and the things that might help, and find their way to other services when needed. It also carries whānau concerns and ideas to those who can influence change more widely.
“We are really driven by whānau voice,” Belinda says. “We’re committed to providing a service families actually need, and to influencing at a government and community level to meet those needs.”
Families, she believes, often know their person best and are well placed to find the right pathway to wellbeing, but just need some support to do it. Demand is growing. Pressures from housing to the cost of living are pushing more people into distress, and people are increasingly presenting with more complex or multiple issues. Some of the solutions are simpler than they sound. “People just need someone to travel with them on what is a difficult journey and share the load.”
Some never reach out for themselves. They may not realise the value of having someone help them understand what is happening, or that a service like Yellow Brick Road’s is free with rarely much of a wait. Others are so used to carrying the load they don’t recognise they need support at all.
Belinda is clear about the value of whānau support alongside clinical care. It is not an either/or. Even a modest investment in supporting families delivers real benefits for the person and for the wider system. Strengthening families eases pressure on the system, builds capability in communities and improves outcomes.
Her message to anyone supporting a loved one is simple. If someone in your family is having a hard time, reach out. Find a service that will help you understand what is going on, walk the journey with you, and have your back. “A little support and self-care will go a very long way in helping someone you love.” www.yellowbrickroad.org.nz
