The call to action to minimise the impact of alcohol in our communities is longstanding – especially for our Māori and Pasifika whānau, people living with disabilities or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), and people living in our most deprived communities in Aotearoa.
For many this is a generational problem with wide, deep and intertwining roots. Many of us have our own stories and stories of whānau whose lives, families and communities have been impacted in some way by alcohol related harm.
Fa’afetai tele lava to the Minister for Mental Health, Hon Matt Doocey, to the Alcohol Healthwatch Committee and partners for bringing together all strands of the community – kaumātua, lived experience whānau, researchers and workforce – to talanoa at the Alcohol and Mental Health Symposium held at Parliament in May.
It was uplifting to hear from future leaders who shared their wealth of experience especially from a lived experience perspective and to feel the breadth of support and advocacy for stricter policies around alcohol sales.
Learning about initiatives like Influence Engine in Australia – a publicly available conflict of interest online tool that sheds light on relationships between politicians and the alcohol industry – and hearing of local initiatives that are holistic, culturally grounded and prevention focused such as E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services in Tāmaki Makaurau – was invaluable.
The symposium’s theme was ‘Mā te wai, ka ora: Transforming our waters, transforming ourselves’. Transforming our waters requires community-wide self-reflection that starts with ourselves.
What messages do we support in our communities when it comes to alcohol? Do our individual/whānau/community actions consistently align with our desire for safe communities free from alcohol harm?
Asking ourselves these challenging questions will help us discover the path to true transformative change.
Celebrating the achievements of the first ever cohort for Le Va’s Addiction and Problem Gambling Harm Scholarship was a highlight for our Mental Health and Addiction team in November.
2024 was the first year of Le Va administering the new scholarship, which is funded by Te Whatu Ora with the intention of growing the capacity and capability of the workforce.
Students from all backgrounds were part of that inaugural cohort, all dedicated to working and studying with the goal of reducing harms to our communities from alcohol and other drugs, and from problem gambling.
Gratitude in abundance
Many of the scholarship recipients expressed their gratitude to Le Va and Te Whatu Ora for providing the scholarship opportunity, with several sharing that they would not have studied in 2024 without it.
Toleafoa Mark Esekielu, Le Va’s senior manager – mental health and addiction, said of the celebration and workshop, “It was heartwarming and humbling to hear the life stories and motivations of our 2024 Addiction and Problem Gambling Harm Scholarship recipients.
“Their drive to serve our communities from Invercargill to the Far North was apparent throughout the day and even more so in their final remarks. The humility each recipient showed and their gratitude for receiving support speaks volumes about them as people.
“When we hear the sentiments of our recipients feeling connected in the sector, feeling less isolated as addiction and problem gambling workers, and feeling motivated to carry on their study and mahi, it makes it all our efforts worthwhile.”
Many thanks go to Helen Schmidt-Sopoaga – Clinical Team Leader for CADS South Auckland and DRUA co-chair, Maikali Kilioni – Industry Engagement Lead (Pacific) at Toitū Te Waiora, and Ivan Yeo – Deputy Director and Lived Experience Lead at Asian Family Services, for sharing their experience and expertise in a career panel during the workshop.
Applications opening soon
The next round of applications for this scholarship, and for Le Va’s Futures that Work Pacific Mental Health and Addiction Scholarship, will open soon on Monday 2 December.
Both scholarships offer much more than just financial support, with mentoring, pastoral care, career advice and the chance to connect with peers in the sector available to all our successful students.
We encourage everyone planning to study in the areas of mental health, addiction or problem gambling in 2025 to check out our scholarships and eligibility criteria and send in an application. Our communities need you!
Explore Le Va’s scholarship opportunities.
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