AFS Wellness Services at Apollo Medical Centre

This service is accessed through general practice and is based around new roles in the primary care workforce – the Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) and the Health Coach. Based in the practice, these new members of the team provide advice and support to clients based on individualised goals, promoting self-management and connecting people to other services they may need. The HIP and Health Coach works closely with local community NGO support workers, ensuring that people can access the full range of help they need to manage distress, encourage and maintain behaviour change and increase their wellbeing.

A GP or nurse in the general practice can offer someone who is experiencing distress or issues the option of seeing the HIP in the same location quickly – often immediately. A support plan is developed, with follow up as needed, tailored to individual circumstances. For some people the initial session is enough to provide the emotional or behavioural support needed.

The aim of these new services is to:

  • increase access and equity of access
  • increase choice in addressing people’s holistic concerns
  • reduce wait times for mental health and addictions support
  • improve population health and equity outcomes.

AFS Wellness Services Team

AFS Wellness Services Team recruits an experienced team of registered professionals who offer advice and support to clients based on individualized goals, promoting self-management and connecting people to other services they may need.

Five Ways to Wellbeing and the Green Modern Creative Comfort Zone - Thai Version

Five Ways to Wellbeing and the Green Modern Creative Comfort Zone


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Service System Framework Submission - Asian Family Services

AFS provides feedback on the Service and System Framework, which describes the future state of the mental health and addiction system and services in ten years, moving the New Zealand health system towards the aspirational future experience of mental wellbeing for all. This submission is made by Asian Family Services.


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2022 Asian Hui - Cutting Edge Conference

31/08/2022 9:00 am
Speaker - Asian Family Services
Location - Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre (you can also join the live-streamed event remotely)

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Submission on: He Ara Āwhina framework

He Ara Āwhina has been developed using feedback from communities in 2020 and 2021. It has been co-designed with people who have expertise in Te Ao Māori, experience of mental distress, addiction, substance harm, or gambling harm, as well as youth, public health, and clinical expertise.


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Submission to Repealing and replacing the Mental Health Act - AFS

Repeal and replace the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 so that it reflects a human rights-based approach, promotes supported decision-making, aligns with the recovery and wellbeing model of mental health, and provides measures to minimise compulsory or coercive treatment.


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He Ara Oranga wellbeing outcomes framework feedback submission

Providing feedback to He Ara Oranga wellbeing outcomes framework


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National calls for better mental health services for Asians

News Source: Radio NZ, 20/01/2022

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Gaps, challenges and pathways to improve Asian mental wellbeing—WTMF project research findings

Asian Family Services (AFS) and Platform Trust were funded to conduct a study to explore ways in which mainstream mental health and addiction (MH&A) providers and Asian specific MH&A providers can work together to better respond to the needs of Asian people in New Zealand.


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Asian mental health survey: Multiple barriers to people seeking help

News Source: Radio NZ, 21/07/2021

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Maintaining Wellness: Webinar Series 2 - Korean

Maintaining Wellness: Webinar Series 2 - Korean


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Maintaining Wellness: Webinar Series 1 - Chinese

Maintaining Wellness: Webinar Series 1 - Chinese


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Maintaining Wellness: Webinar Series 2 - Korean

3/06/2021 7:00 pm
Speaker - Imsoo kim
Location - Online Zoom

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Maintaining Wellness: Webinar Series 1 - Chinese

2/06/2021 7:00 pm
Speaker - Alex Wang
Location - Online Zoom

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Asians satisfied with NZ life but face depression risk: Survey

The latest media release from NZ Herald

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2021 Asian Hui - Cutting Edge Conference

8/09/2021 10:00 am
Speaker - Asian Family Services
Location - Dunedin Centre

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Supporting Equitable Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes for Asian Women

Caring for mothers, caring for the future.


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Maintaining Wellness: Webinar Series 3 - English

21/07/2021 7:00 pm
Speaker - Aashini Jutson
Location - Online Zoom

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AFS Self Help Booklet

As part of a MoH-funded research project, AFS has produced a booklet to help people manage issues associated with gambling, smoking, alcohol, drugs and emotional distress, available in four language versions: English, Chinese, Korean and Hindi.


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New Zealand Asian Wellbeing & Mental Health Report 2021

AFS and Dr. Andrew Zhu conducted the survey with Asian people has released the findings. The findings showed that Asians in New Zealand are experiencing depression, stigma, and other mental health issues. The research also has shown Asian wellbeing levels.


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Childhood Experiences of Living Within a Problem Gambling Family

“Your father might not come home.” That’s what my mom said to us 40 years ago; the words still echo in my heart just like it was yesterday.

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Mental health support and servcies

Therapeutic, peer-led or medical hauora hinengāro/mental health supports and services can be an important part of our kete/toolkit to stay well. You might be looking at accessing these services for the first time, want to maintain your access to them or want to change things up to help manage any new or returning manawa pā/triggered thoughts and emotions you’re experiencing.


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Managing mixed emotions through the levels

Going down the alert levels can bring up mixed emotions. You might be excited to get back to your routines and see whānau or loved ones, but also have manawa pā/anxious feelings around going back to a loud, busy world of mahi/work and social expectations. It’s perfectly understandable to have these mixed feelings and to feel tāmomi/overwhelmed by them. Even changes for the better can be disruptive to our oranga/wellbeing and can feel whakamataku/scary at times.


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4-7-8 Breathing Practice (poster)

Are you feeling anxious/worry or having a problem sleeping at night? Try this breathing exercise, and it will help you to relax your body and calm your mind.


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4-7-8 Breathing Practice (video)

Are you feeling anxious/worry or having a problem sleeping at night? Try this breathing exercise, and it will help you to relax your body and calm your mind.


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2019 Korean Youth Mental Health Resource

Korean youth living in New Zealand feel and distressed due to high expectation of academic achievement from their parents.


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What is counselling (poster)

Counselling offers an opportunity to talk to some who will listen without criticism, and who will keep what you say private


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20200619-Yaya Talk Workshop (Mandarin) 2

19/06/2020 10:00 am
Speaker - Julia Zhu, Hong Yuan, Alice Wang, Eva Chen
Location - Online Zoom

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The COVID-19 National Psychosocial Campaign Introduction

Funded by the Ministry of Health for AFS to provide translated linguistically appropriate COVID-19 related resources and counselling to Asian clients affected by the pandemic using the existing helpline as the main platform


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New Zealand Police recorded nearly 150 cases of family violence per day within the first 4 days of the COVID-19 lockdown! Please say “No” to family violence!!

News media in New Zealand simultaneously reported on this shocking issue: the dramatic increase of family violence cases during the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. Family violence is not okay. We are here to help.

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Asian schoolgirl forced to change schools due to racial harassment! Don’t be silent when you are treated unfairly in New Zealand!

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AFS received many calls from those who suffered from racial harassment related to coronavirus. Lily’s case was one of them. To protect the privacy of the client, names have been changed and background information masked

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First Asian mental wellbeing report released: results are striking! | 2020 New Zealand Asian Wellbeing Report

First Asian mental wellbeing report released: results are striking! | 2020 New Zealand Asian Wellbeing Report

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66% of Asians living in New Zealand gamble? | 2020 New Zealand Asian Wellbeing Report

Recently, the 2020 New Zealand Asian Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey initiated by Asian Family Services and commissioned by Trace Research released its findings.

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NZ Asian Mental Health & Wellbeing Report 2020

A survey conducted by Asian Family Services and Dr. Andrew Zhu recently released and showed Asians in New Zealand are experiencing racism, anxiety and other mental health issues because of COVID-19 pandemic.


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Asian Family Services Brochure

Asian Family Services Brochure


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Mindfulness (Video)

Mindfulness (Video)


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Mindfulness (Poster)

Mindfulness (Poster)


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20200515 Yaya Talk workshop (Mandarin) 1

15/05/2020 10:00 am
Speaker - Susan Zhu, Julia Zhu, Eva Chen
Location - Zoom

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