Tu Kaha, our new mental health and addiction services subacute unit was blessed and officially opened today in Kaikohe.

The beautiful new building replaces a building that was damp and that was going to cost over $300,000 to repair.

“Our subacute service provides transitional treatment and rehabilitation to minimise the need for hospitalisation,” said Ian McKenzie, general manager, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Northland DHB.

“We promote independence and quality of life for people with a mental illness at a crucial point of recovery or relapse so it was really important to ensure that they had a suitable place to stay to achieve that.”

Earlier today Kaumātua, Kuia, staff and contractors brought life and energy into the building, both as an honouring of all those who have helped to build it, and to make it ready for those who will visit in the future.

There are on average 100 individual stays for up to three weeks per annum at the facility.

“The house accommodates six clients at any one time and we have a Marae attached to the house to enable whānau meetings and korero.”

The previous facility has been in the same residential street in Kaikohe for over 10 years and is well supported by the mid-north community.

Construction was managed by Trigg Construction and Bay Builders with DHB project managers Brett Atwood and Deb Rihari.

“Everyone is very proud of this facility in Kaikohe, including patients and their whānau who describe a feeling of being ‘valued’ and certainly not forgotten.”

“This beautiful new building fills a very valuable purpose in our mid-north community.”

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