Knowing you need help is the first step

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, 20 September 1994, Page 5

Knowing you need help is the first step

The International Year of the Family (IYF) Committee wants New Zealanders to understand today that it' s okay to seek help Families or their members often display signs of needing help, but the signs are ignored or not understood, says Mrs Pat Seymour of IYF. This month (September), IYF is concentrating its efforts on bringing to peo-

ples' attentiontheavailability of a wide range of fam-ily-based services. "We have chosen to focus on the issue of familybased services this month, mindful that many people in our communities feel services are not for them, or they shouldn't need help, or even that it's too shameful to ask or accept," says Mrs Seymour. "There is a huge range of

agencies available, primarily funded by Government, either directly or indirectly. We are stressing that people should approach services before there is a crisis." She says help can often be just a phone call away, need not cost much money and can save an individual or family progressing to crisis where the impact is that much worse. One of the key help agencies is the CAB,

or Citizens Advice Bureau. CAB, supported by IYF, is promoting positive attitudes to seeking appropriate help. CAB information materials in the form of leaflets and posters will be distributed to around 9,000 schools, early childhood centres, GPs and Plunket clinics this month. The leaflets are available in six languages including English. "Through this project we want to increase awareness amongst families about the information and support services they can link with

through their local CAB," says NZACAB president Trish Hanlen. IYF is also working on a major research-based project to understand how families access services that are there to assist them. "IYF is funding research into how organisations communicate with families and the barriers which hinder people in taking up these services, and the results of this project will be released in December," says Mrs Seymour.