New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4)

Carol Thompson - Mental Health and Addictions

“I believe that because I’ve experienced addiction, I can utilize the talents I’ve been blessed with to support others to move forward.”

“This course is giving me an overview about mental health and addictions that I didn’t have. The different tutors are helping me get a better understanding and context and I’m getting extra help privately.” 

“I started doing the course in Whangarei when I was at Women’s Refuge, then Housing New Zealand got a house for me up here so I transferred the credits. I haven’t studied for years so I’m learning to be patient with myself and others and to adjust to being in a classroom environment. We’re all on the same journey here so we get huge support from each other and from the tutors.”

“I’m getting the confidence now to carry on with higher levels of learning. As I continue educating and healing myself, job opportunities are starting to come my way.”

“My first priority is to finish the course and my dream would be to work with and support people in my own community – especially youth.”

Floyd Te Tai - Mental Health and Addictions

“A passion for health and well-being has replaced my substance addictions. My progress has come from a pathway of self-discovery that I hope to pass on to others.”

Floyd has learnt the hard way. “I was sent to prison for 10 years for something I did when I was quite young. The steps that led me to prison were fuelled by substance addictions. Inside, I got the punishment but not the help I needed so I dug deep into myself to find a way up. We were offered courses so I did three levels of horticulture and one of auto engineering while I was there.”

“I got work in a saw-mill when I got out and have since finished a Mechanical Engineering Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics. My real sense of purpose came when I started some hard-out gym work. The physical training got me hooked on health instead of substances, plus it cleared my body and mind of a lot of toxic stuff.” 

“In fitness training you set yourself small goals, and by achieving them you gradually lift your self-esteem. I now come over to Kaikohe from Rawene every day for voluntary training in the gym, with a view to take over the business, and I’m doing the Mental Health and Addictions course at the same time.”

“I love meeting the people here and sharing ideas. I tend to think in black and white so I like to see and learn different ways of looking at things.”

“I have a bigger vision of what I want to create but for now I’m committed to completing the course. I want to open doors for people who may not have those doors open because of circumstances or prejudice. Through the gym, I’ve already been able to help a young guy with some mental health issues win a regional and then national power lifting title. I’m confident I can help because I have the experience – and am now getting the training.”

Verronica Herewini - Mental Health

“Mum is a social worker so I know how much need there is for support workers up here. One of our whānau has also been in and out of prison for years and in supporting him, I see lots of others without support.”

“So I already have the experience and this course will give me the ticket into the industry. I actually did the Mental Health and Addictions course some years ago but I’ve grown since then, and so has my urgency and drive to be able to help.”

“I saw this new course when my partner came to enrol for something else, so I was a last- minute enrolment. I always thought I’d do a bachelor in social services or nursing first but this timing feels right.” 

“The best part of the course is having a tutor who supports each of us in every way. We’re all walking this journey together and the course is part of our own healing. Because of what we share, we’ve developed a trust in each other and have connected in a deep way to create our own whānau.”

“Doing the course will give me many more employment options so I can help whoever I come across. I’m already doing that in my everyday life but this adds a professional aspect and helps me with self-care and boundaries.”

“I will become a full-time support worker as soon as I complete the course and I can do my bachelor of social services while I’m working.  I’m still expanding and exploring longer-term options but they include supporting the elderly, youth, and maybe prisoners, and giving respite to carers.”

Natasha Hall - Mental Health

“When the nursing application form asked why I wanted to be a nurse, I realized that I didn’t. I had done level 4 foundation to get into study and prior to that was choosing between social services and art. A lot has been going on for me in recent years including some hard relationships, so that cemented the decision to get into social services and start with the mental health and addictions course.” 

“I’m passionate about it. It feels like the right thing to do and the teacher and class are diverse and interesting. The whole point of the course is to help understand differences. This was in focus right in our first module, which was the Treaty of Waitangi. This involved some strong opinions made more pointed by delivery of oral presentations.”

“Balancing the full-on energy of my baby at home and this study is a challenge but there is a lot of self-directed study involved with flexibility of timing and fantastic tutor support.”

“When I finish, the course will either be a foundation for me doing the Bachelor of Social Services, or I can get work as a support worker. Long term I’d love to work with linking kids into foster homes or adoption.”

Michelle Haoni Heihei - Mental Health and Addictions

“Since studying in this area, I'm developing even more of a deep passion for helping those people out there who are struggling with addiction and mental illnesses. I know first-hand what it's like as I have been a sufferer in the past. For many years I battled alcoholism, addiction and multiple mental illnesses.”

“Now that I am sober, clean and healed of mental illness, this course is giving me a better understanding of what it may be like for others effected by addictions and mental illness. There is a massive need everywhere and I would thoroughly love to help.”

“This course is the beginning of my career journey. I am considering further study in the future and would ultimately love to open up my own Christian ministry drug and alcohol counselling service.”

“I enjoy studying at NorthTec Kaikohe because, although I live 35 kilometres away, I only have to come in to campus one day a week to participate in class learning. The rest of the study is done from home in my own time, making it very flexible and fitting with my family and other commitments.”

Percy Fepuleai - Mental Health and Addictions

“I’m a recovering addict and alcoholic from six years ago, so it is fitting for me to help others by passing it forward. I’m from Auckland and I moved up here to start a fresh life. NorthTec and this course happened to be here and I’ve just finished level 4.”

“The quality of the teaching, the resources, the facilities, and the people in general here are what I enjoyed the most. We had access to all of our tutors until an evening time-limit, and their willingness to see us succeed was a really good push for me. We also spent time in our own self-started student group and had a private Facebook group.” 

“This support added to my drive and motivation to push through the challenge of having to travel to Kerikeri once a week. And I had to knuckle down on planning to fit the study and the travel in with my family time.”

“Learning Te Reo was the biggest surprise for me about the course. I’m Samoan and speak fluent Samoan and I was hesitant at first to get involved with Te Reo, but I learnt to do my own mihi and I got a lot of satisfaction from learning about a language and culture similar to, but different from, ours.”

“I want to help my kids strive by showing them that their parents can study and do well. I’d love to now move on into Social Work and help others with addictions.”