Community Support Service

We offer tailored support to māmā to help them get back on their feet.

Community support service sharing a cup of coffee

How can this service help you?

Support is tailored to your unique needs, and we work one on one. Together, we create personalised wellness plans and set achievable goals. This partnership helps guide you on your journey to overall well-being.

Emotional and Practical Support

Our community support workers (CSWs) provide emotional and practical support. We offer a listening ear, empathy, and practical advice, helping mothers build capacity to maintain wellness.

Bridging Gaps in Care

Our team act as a bridge between our mothers and healthcare providers, ensuring that mothers receive timely and appropriate care. We help mothers understand medical advice, attend appointments, and follow through with treatment plans alongside other health professionals to ensure the most effective care.

Reducing Isolation

Maternal mental health struggles can often lead to feelings of isolation.  Our community support workers help reduce this by connecting mothers with local resources, support groups, and other mothers facing similar challenges.

Advocacy and Education

Our community support workers provide support with advocacy within the healthcare, corrections, court systems and WINZ when needed. This support helps mothers make informed decisions about their care and the care of their children.

Holistic Care

We provide holistic care that addresses not just the mental health needs but also the social, economic, and physical health needs of mothers. We help to find the right support networks and refer clients to the appropriate agencies if needed and assist with food parcels and other resources where possible.

Cultural Competence

Our community support workers are professionals who walk alongside clients providing a safe, respectful environment for clients to share about their past or current experiences, building trust and understanding cultural nuances. 

Come as you are welcome mat

Who can access our Maternal Mental Health Community Support Service?

Mothers referred to us who:

  • are 18 years or older, and

  • have a child aged between 0-3 years, and

  • are in the Waitematā DHB area (i.e Waitākere and North Shore), and

  • have a mental health diagnosis or a history of past trauma or Edinburgh Postpartum Depression scale score 13 and higher.

We accept referrals from:

  • WDHB Maternal Mental Health teams

  • GPs

  • Health coaches and Health Improvement Practitioners

  • Health professionals such as psychologists

  • Whānau Āwhina Plunket

  • Community Support services and other NGOs

  • Midwives

We do not accept self-referrals for this service.

Frequently asked questions

  • You will need to be referred to the Dayspring Maternal Mental Health Community Support Service. You will be allocated a CSW as soon as there is one available to take on a new client.

  • Your CSW will discuss with you and tailor the frequency of their visits to your needs. Visits are often fortnightly but can be more or less frequent depending on your individual needs.

  • The choice is up to you. There are a number of options regarding the service. You can be visited in your home, onsite at Dayspring or via zoom. This is something your CSW will talk through with you.

  • Our CSWs are available between the hours of 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

  • There is no charge for this service.

  • Our CSWs are experienced registered professionals such as Social Workers and Counsellors.

  • We have a robust process around complimenting or raising a complaint. Please see the section on the website ‘Compliments and Complaints’.

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    “After giving birth to my first child, Dayspring Trust became my lifeline. As an immigrant I didn’t have any family around for support, and with Covid-19 having closed the borders, I’d never felt so alone, overwhelmed or anxious.”

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    “My mental health has started deteriorating whilst I was pregnant and only got worse after giving birth and my GP referred me to Dayspring and the maternal mental health. I felt privileged to have the help I was given.”

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    “I am a mum of two young children.  I have a history of anxiety and depression and I was in a domestic violence relationship that ended. It was no longer safe for me and my children. I was referred to Dayspring for ongoing support. 

    I found connecting one-on-one with my community support worker extremely helpful with her support I could gain access to wraparound services. At my one-to-one sessions with my social worker, we set goals, and focussed on my wellbeing.”

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    “I personally found setting goals around self-care hard. However, I was encouraged to put myself first. I felt that reaching some of these goals on my own would have been impossible without the support and encouragement of Dayspring staff. What I went through I couldn’t have done it without their support.”