Advice service good both ways

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 309, 17 October 1989, Page 7

Advice service good both ways

The Waimarino Community Advisory Service is a volunteer group of trained people formed to provide a listening ear and practical help to those who feel isolated with their problems.

Their training programmes often run in conjunction with the community college and consist of a 20 hour course on helping

skills, a course on counselling and a community resource course. The group attend many other courses such as on drugs and alcohol,

and psychology as they come up. The courses are generally held between Raetihi and Taihape and are open to any member of the public to attend. The C.A.S has a trained back-up team assisting them when necessary, consisting of a doctor, lawyer, women's .refuge, sexual

abuse centres, drug and alcohol centres and community nurses. The service is located in Queen Street, Raetihi in the Community Health Rooms. The trained staff are available to talk to between the hours of 10am and 1pm week days. Due to the lack of volunteers within the service, an answerphone with contact numbers is available after hours. President of the C.A.S Gail Imoff believes that the service is very beneficial to the Waimarino and they have all had great reward out of dealing with the community problems. Gail says their job is based on listening without being judgemental, and remaining impartial. The service is strictly confidential between the client and the member of the service involved. Clients' cases are not discussed among the staff. The aim of the service is to give alternativesr to problems to allow the client to find his or her own answer. Gail states that the most common problem facing the service at present is budgeting. In July 1988 C.A.S became involved in the setting up of the Waimarino Budgeting Service, which is affiliated with the New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting. The job at C.A.S

consists of three hours a week at present, with training made available. The volunteers say that it is a position that becomes an individual gain as well as a feeling of achievement. C.A.S are seeking volunteers that may need that sense of achievement, and concern for others. C.A.S will be holding its A.G.M on 25 October at the Waimarino Club meeting room at 7.30pm and everyone is welcome.