What can I do about it?

School distress is a very frustrating, traumatising and difficult phenomena to deal with.

To prevent harm it is essential that schools, whānau and mokopuna use a wraparound approach where they work in partnership with one another.

Schools need to support whānau and form strong partnerships with them to ensure the outcome is in the best interests of the mokopuna.

A strengths-based and trauma-informed approach needs to be taken.

Schools must support whānau in accessing other professionals, such as psychologists, medical specialists, the RTLB service, and other therapists (occupational, speech-language, and counsellors).

When the school and whānau cannot find a way forward, the school needs to support the whānau to make decisions in the best interests of their mokopuna.

Providing information or community connections to homeschooling networks, or Te Kura Correspondence School or the local Health School.

Links to agencies and resources:

The Mahi before the Mahi Support for West Auckland Whānau, Educators and Mokopuna

This Facebook group and accompanying booklet was a group project from some of our fellow studiers who are RTLB (Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour) in West Auckland.

They have developed it to support whānau, mokopuna and educators to know about support services within the West Auckland region of Tāmaki Makarau.

West Auckland Education Voices | FacebookInspired by the voices in our education communities, this page is a network for people in West Auckland to connect, share, and support each other.

Support Resource: The Mahi Before the Mahi.pdf

Sutherland, J., Fox, P., Samuel, E., & Brown, L. (2024). The Mahi before the Mahi. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AP0jCytC5xyGa2HUYXXIb9wem3CrPF9O/view

What can I do about it?

Counselling / Mentoring services

Parenting

Health Services

Wellbeing

The Mahi before the Mahi Support for West Auckland Whānau, Educators and Mokopuna