Interactive with games, activities and opportunities for participants to practice T.A.L.K. skills they’ve learned
Teaches skills of how to notice, recognise, and respond when themselves or others are experiencing overwhelming thoughts and feelings
Embraces a holistic approach to health drawing from the ‘Te Whare Tapa Whā’ model
Is suitable for a range of contexts, from schools to youth groups, churches and community groups (and many more)
Fits within the NZ Curriculum Achievement Objectives for Health and Physical Education. Specifically, C1 Relationships; C2 Identity, sensitivity, and respect; C3 Interpersonal skills
Fosters positive attitudes towards friendship and mental wellbeing
Does not replace professional supports
The program includes helpful information, tips and tools presented by a trained facilitator and a team of helpers. It is adaptable to suit the time and place it is presented . . . from as little as 50 minutes, across multiple sessions. The core content remains the same no matter how long it takes . . . just the games and activities are tailored to suit.
Āpōpō workshops have been done with well over 300 students at the same time and in these instances we recomend that these workshops run in smaller groups in different locations around the school at the same time. Once we know your needs we will work with you in planning the locations and logistics needed to run each workshop and will then organise the required amount of facilitators and team to help run each workshop space.
• Practical skills to learn through facilitated, interactive workshops, using games and experiential activities and discussion.
• Students learn the TALK principle using similar support frameworks as used in Mental Health First Aid.
• Adaptable programme to fit your students and school community.
• Āpōpō recognises the importance of whanau and empowers students to reach out to help others too.
That is fantastic! There are a few ways you can be part of our team! Check out our home page for some idea. You could become a facilitator and help run the training in your area, you could help out at an event but not be doing the upfront part, or you could donate to help with the costs involved in running the programme so that we can expand it further.
No. Removing some of the stigma around suicide and creating a safe space for people to talk is one of the best ways we can tackle it. We are careful not to talk about any methods or stories of suicide, but giving participants the tools to check up on their friends in these areas means that people will be able to get the help that they need before it’s too late.
We aim to approach this subject with as much care and sensitivity as possible, however we are aware that some participants may still find the subject matter difficult. For this reason we always introduce two concepts at the beginning of the programme. These are “challenge by choice” and “you can opt out but not drop out”. These concepts allow all participants to take part to a level where they feel their well-being is still O.K.
Āpōpō seeks to empower participants to have real, honest and supportive conversations with their friends and loved ones who may be struggling, however we are sure to emphasise that no-one will walk out of our programme as a mental health professional. Āpōpō isn’t about creating mental health professionals in the same way that first aid training doesn’t seek to create paramedics or medical professionals. It’s about learning tools and strategies to be “first responders” and get those closest to us or in our circles of influence, safe for now, to “the next day”, so they can get the professional help they may need.
Āpōpō aims to be a tool for those from all backgrounds. We work hard to make our content sensitive to Te Ao Māori and are committed to embracing these values as we continue to contemplate our worldview and programme delivery. We believe that this approach will benefit both Māori and non-Māori communities.
While mental health is an issue greatly impacting the youth of Aotearoa, we also recognise that it’s not an issue that exclusively affects young people. Our program aims to address all ages as well as those from different backgrounds.
