Pegasus Mental Health service supports mental health and wellbeing through the primary Brief Intervention Talking Therapy team, health improvement practitioners, and the Suicide Prevention and Postvention team.
Brief Intervention Talking Therapy (BITT)
The BITT team comprises professionals from nursing and allied health backgrounds, with significant talking therapy and mental health and addiction experience. BITT is a short term counselling approach, and focuses on identifying and addressing specific issues or problems that the patient is facing. The goal is to help the patient develop practical skills and techniques to manage their symptoms and improve their mental health.
The BITT service provides access for the population enrolled in general practices for up to five sessions of talking therapy to support their mental health and wellbeing. The first sessions are typically 45 to 60 minutes, with subsequent sessions at 30 minutes. Our mental health clinicians meet with clients at various locations across Ōtautahi Christchurch, Ashburton, and rural Waitaha Canterbury.
Te Tumu Waiora
Te Tumu Waiora means ‘to head towards wellness’ in te reo Māori. It is a model of primary mental health care that aims to provide people experiencing mental distress or addiction challenges with access to convenient and person centred care and support. Employed by Pegasus Health, our Health Improvement Practitioners (HIP) are part of an integrated model of care, working as part of the general practice teams across Waitaha. Individuals and their whānau are offered support on the day they present to their general practice with any level of distress related to their health and wellbeing. HIPs typically see eight to ten people a day, for up to 30 minutes, using a behavioural health approach.
HIPS are allied health professionals or nurses, with extensive experience working within a counselling/mental health environment (including drug and alcohol support services) delivering talking therapies. For example, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and focused acceptance and commitment therapy (FACT).
Suicide Pre and Postvention Team
Our team of allied health professionals support the implementation of the Waitaha Suicide Prevention Action Plan and the Aotearoa New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy 2019-2029, He Tapu te Oranga o ia Tangata. The team coordinates and facilitates a range of suicide prevention and postvention activities with the aim of reducing suicide rates and lessening the harmful impacts on whānau, friends, and the wider Waitaha community. We work collaboratively with suicide prevention stakeholders within Pegasus and externally, to ensure integrated and safe delivery of wellbeing support for the Waitaha community.