Community in Mind

The Canterbury DHB took over responsibility for coordinating psychosocial recovery work from the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) on 1st March 2016.

Any continuing work in this area from December 2019 was integrated into the ongoing work allocated to Community and Public Health (as part of the Canterbury DHB).

The recovery work previously spanned three key areas:

• Governance: Community and Public Health convenes a Psychosocial Committee to plan, coordinate, promote and monitor the psychosocial recovery and wellbeing of the population of greater Christchurch. Community and Public Health also convenes the Psychosocial Governance Group, which connects the work of the Greater Christchurch Partnership (GCP).
• Service coordination: The Psychosocial Committee ensures continued provision of support through the Community in Mind Strategy and Shared Programme of Action.
• Monitoring: Community and Public Health manages monitoring and reporting on community wellbeing through the:
  • Canterbury Wellbeing Index; and
  • Canterbury Wellbeing Survey.

How Community in Mind worked

The Community in Mind strategy provided the context and shared vision and principles for psychosocial recovery in greater Christchurch.

The Shared Programme of Action expanded on the Strategy by outlining which agencies, organisations and groups are carrying out aligned work – what they’re doing, when they’re doing it and how it all connects together.

• Read the updated Activity Tables from the Shared Programme of Action – March 2019 [986KB PDF].
• Read the initial Community in Mind Shared Programme of Action – May 2015 [1.38MB PDF].
• Read the Community in Mind Strategy – June 2014 [1.85MB PDF].

The Shared Programme of Action was an annual updated practical tool for the Psychosocial Committee – making visible some of the Committee’s collective knowledge about its work and context.

The agencies, organisations and groups that are actively part of the Psychosocial Committee include:

• All Right? Campaign;
• Canterbury District Health Board, including Community and Public Health, Specialist Mental Health, and Planning and Funding;
• Earthquake Commission;
• Earthquake Disability Leadership Group;
• Faith-based delegates;
• Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service;
• Land Information New Zealand;
• Christchurch City Council, and Selwyn and Waimakariri District Councils;
• Mental Health Education and Resource Centre;
• Mental Health Foundation;
• Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM);
• Ministry of Education;
• Ministry for Pacific Peoples;
• New Zealand Red Cross;
• NGO delegates including One Voice Te Reo Kotahi;
• Pegasus Health;
• Social services delegates;
• Te Puni Kōkiri;
• Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu – The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency for the South Island; and
• University of Canterbury.

Where Community in Mind came from

Professor Sir Peter Gluckman of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee recommended a comprehensive and effective psychosocial recovery programme, following the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence.

• Read The psychosocial consequences of the Canterbury earthquakes: A briefing paper (May 2011) [152KB PDF].

Community in Mind was developed as a direct result of this recommendation.