Awhi—A Game Changer 

Originally established as ‘prison gate’ ministries around 1897, both Epsom Lodge (Auckland) and Addington Supportive Housing (Christchurch) have continued to provide care for people with complex needs. While a good meal, a safe place to sleep and the supports offered go a long way, the introduction of the Awhi Programme at both sites has been a game changer. Jules Badger reports on the evidence of therapeutic healing provided in a Department of Corrections-funded evaluation conducted last year. 

To ‘awhi’ means to embrace in te reo Māori. National Operations Manager for Supportive Housing, Bruce Christensen, is not sure whether he’s surprised or just plain delighted by the report findings on the Awhi Programme, a holistic therapeutic programme offered to residents. 

‘The key surprise has been the significant level of uptake in the therapeutic community. We have men saying, “Come on bro, come to this group with us. You need to do it”. This natural process of lived experience peer support is occurring, and they are holding each other accountable for their actions. Awhi also embraces wāhine and wider whānau, and I’ve been delighted to see their feedback. Awhi is giving men the opportunity to review their values and rethink how they do life which is having a positive impact on partners and communities.’ 

Evaluation Lead, Emma Hunter (ASARS), adds, ‘Awhi has created a community of recovery and a natural lineage of peer support, where men coming through Corrections who might be more inclined to stay in their rooms are being “awhi-ed” and encouraged to join in.’ 

With lived experience of both addiction and the justice system herself, Emma knows just how important this approach is. Now extensively qualified in forensic psychology, mental health, addiction, criminology and trauma-informed counselling, Emma affirms that the evaluation provides clear evidence that Awhi is helping The Salvation Army achieve its mission. 

‘Before Awhi, we had high rates of men return to our services. But now when they come back and engage in the programme, they are beginning to heal from past traumas and addiction, and experience increased wellbeing outcomes in all domains of their lives. Awhi is contributing to the reformation of society, because it’s focused on pro-social reintegration and establishing healthy relationships, which contributes to thriving communities.’ 

Building trust 

Both Emma and Bruce affirm the importance of developing trust and providing a safe space. 

‘Some people start in the groups, and then they build up a level of trust and start to access counselling. And that really makes a difference in their lives. And for other people, it’s exactly the opposite. They start with counselling that is personal and private, and then they build up the courage and the trust to venture into a group setting,’ explains Bruce. 

Many of the people who engage with Awhi have very high and complex needs. For some its significant criminal histories, poor mental health, poverty, brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It’s imperative that staff practice a trauma-informed approach.  

Trauma informed 

‘I’m really proud of the staff,’ says Emma. ‘A true trauma-informed practitioner is someone who recognises that people need to feel safe in order to be safe. Many of our people have faced lots of adversity and experienced extensive trauma, so the programme is strongly focused on whanaungatanga, connection, cultural safety and inclusivity. Once people feel safe, they begin to engage.’ 

Emma takes care to explain that intentional power sharing is paramount within the programme.  

‘We understand that the people we engage with have had lots of experiences of coercive power against them. Some from when they were young, and more recently from interactions with police and the justice system, so the Awhi team focuses on equal power sharing.’ 

Furthermore, the exploration and integration of spirituality within the programme has emerged as a catalyst for profound personal transformation. Both Bruce and Emma cannot emphasis enough the positive impact of Salvation Army mission support officers.  

Spiritual enquiry 

‘They speak directly to the spiritual side of life—they are intentional,’ says Bruce, with Emma highlighting that, ‘exploring spirituality is a natural extension of who we are as The Salvation Army’. 

Understandably, many participants are cautious about discussing spirituality. One man interviewed during the Awhi evaluation process struggled to believe there could be anything good in the word, because he had such a tough start to life. 

‘How can I believe in God, when all we got to eat when I was child was a boiled cabbage? Mum would drop us off at the diary and say go and steal something to eat,’ he said. 

Emma explains that, ‘a person-centred approach created space and honoured where people were at in their own journey, and allowed people to set their own pace rather than being told what they should believe. When participants discovered the staff were inviting them to consider spirituality by being curious and asking questions—the essence of therapeutic work (Rogerian Theory)—they began to engage. Connecting spiritually and then taking that home and into their communities is incredible!’ 

Glowing report 

Designed to align not only with Ara Poutama’s Hōkai Rangi strategy but also the Ministry of Health’s Pae Ora Healthy Futures strategy, the Awhi programme provides holistic, therapeutic support, and is rooted in Te Whare Tapa Wha model of care (mental/emotional, physical, spiritual, family/social and cultural). The report’s executive summary concludes with the following: 

The Awhi Programme stands as a beacon of transformative potential, not only empowering individuals to achieve pae ora (healthy futures) and successful reintegration but also fostering resilient whānau and vibrant communities. This evaluation has evidenced a holistic approach that contributes towards a more inclusive, supportive and rehabilitative societal framework. By bridging the gap between institutional care and community reintegration, Awhi exemplifies a model of compassionate, culturally responsive intervention that holds promise for reducing recidivism and enhancing overall societal wellbeing.