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The head of the South Island whānau ora commissioning agency says mental health is top of mind as it contemplates the return of COVID-19 restrictions.
Helen Leahy says Te Pūtahitanga is dusting off its guidelines on social distancing and community-based assessment procedures, and well as checking stores of sanitation and hygiene products.
It’s also remembering the anxiety and anger generated during the first lockdown.
"Even the prospect of lockdown can make people retrench from the world, not want to engage with others because they feel so overwhelmed by it. It is about the vulnerable in terms of health vulnerability, the immunity, but it is also about those who have a vulnerability in terms of their mental health," Ms Leahy says.
Te Pūtahitanga has asked its 100 navigators to check their networks for anyone who needs help.
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