Porangahau School Principal Julie Scandrett is appealing for more help to provide mental health support for children in her community. Photo: RNZ/ Alexa Cook
A cyclone-hit village in Hawke's Bay is struggling to get mental health support for its tamariki, with requests for a social worker being repeatedly turned down or ignored.
Pōrangahau is still recovering from the physical and mental damage that Cyclone Gabrielle caused - and its school is seeing an increase in students lashing out, hurting others and swearing.
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Porangahau School principal Julie Scandrett told RNZ her students' behaviour had changed since the cyclone.
"They'll lash out or they'll hurt others or run away, or you know swear at people. And that's their frustration, and it's all about how their inner hurt hasn't been dealt with," she said.
In February 2023, more than 35 homes were damaged in the flood, and Scandrett said the immediate help from the Ministry of Education and other support groups was excellent. But now, with many families still living in cabins, she said it has vanished.
"I am really worried about the kids. I've tried to get social workers into school, they're meant to be available to our kids, but I've never been able to actually access that service," Scandrett said.
"It's such a battle and it's not fair, cause these kids have had extreme trauma to deal with... it's just not good enough."
Cyclone damage to the urupā at Rongomaraeroa Marae in Pōrangahau, in 2023. Photo: Supplied / Rongomaraeroa Marae, Ngāti Kere
The Ministry of Education declined RNZ's request for an interview, instead its deputy secretary Jocelyn Mikaere provided a statement saying:
"We are in regular contact with Porangahau School and have had further discussions with the principal this week to discuss their needs and to help the school access available mental health resources.
"The mental health of students and staff at schools and kura who were affected by the cyclone is a high priority and we continue to work alongside the cyclone recovery units, local councils and health to identify need and connect schools with services," she said.
However, Scandrett said until RNZ raised the issue with the ministry it had been impossible to reach them.
"I don't know where they are, they're not contactable. I've rung and left messages... they don't even bother ringing back... it's very infuriating," she said.
"Tamariki who are hurting, who are [sad], who are angry... don't learn, they can't learn. We just really want what is best for the kids here."
Photo: RNZ/ Alexa Cook
And it is not just the kids who need help, the trauma for many is still just at the surface.
"You think you're tough ... and you can soldier on, and you do to a certain extent, but it's still there," said local wahine Raina Ferris.
Her whānau feels that since the initial rush of help post-cyclone, mental health services have been lacking and people are needing more consistent and localised support.
"You need help, but you don't know what it is, probably the psychological stuff. Even though those services were there, it was just chaos. It just takes time to sort out what it is you need to do," Ferris said.
Central Hawke's Bay mayor Alex Walker said there has been a big network of government and local agencies focussing on well-being, especially earlier on.
"Now that we're getting a little bit further out from that I can understand where some communities might feel those networks aren't as strong as they were, but the reality is our networks are still strong if they're needing assistance," said Walker.
Although Walker agrees there's room for improvement when it comes to students.
"I would say that the wider health and education system does need to look at how they lean into these situations, particularly in these rural isolated communities who can so often be the last cab off the rank."
Scandrett wants to see mental health programmes rolled out to all cyclone affected schools.
"Come in and put some counsellors in the school to deliver it and they'll pick up anyone they think needs extra help. That would be really healthy," she said.
Health New Zealand's Group Manager for System Integration Deborah Davies said they gave additional funding towards a mental health and wellbeing response to support people in Hawke's Bay in the cyclone's immediate aftermath.
"This funding was time limited. Through this funding, there were seven grants given specifically to organisations in the Porangahau area from the Cyclone Recovery Mental Wellbeing Community Grants."
"These grants included workshops with support from counselling services for Waipawa and Porangahau for tamariki, rangatahi and adults," she said.
Health New Zealand said a range of mental health and well being support is still available for people living in Hawke's Bay, including Porangahau.
However, those living in the village feel it has been inconsistent and often hard to access.
