Puawaitanga Counsellor

Puāwaitanga means to blossom, to flourish, to break through, and is a phone and web-based service to support Kiwis to improve their emotional wellbeing - their hauora. The service is an alternative to face to face counselling for Kiwis who are struggling but face challenges in accessing traditional counselling.
- Work from home
- Be a part of a growing service with a dedication to supporting people to enhance their wellbeing
- Provide brief intervention counselling to a diverse range of people located across Aotearoa
- Deliver counselling sessions via phone call and video

**How Puāwaitanga works**
- Puāwaitanga has partnered with various organisations throughout Aotearoa (including PHO, tertiary education providers and MSD) to offer brief intervention counselling support through a virtual means
- Referrals are received through these partner organisations
- Clients are encouraged to choose from our team of clinicians who they would most like to work alongside
- Across the Puāwaitanga team, sessions are offered Monday - Sunday between 9am and 9pm
- Clients can speak to counsellors about any issues, some of which might be low mood, anxiety, grief, addictions, relationship issues and low self-esteem
- The client and counsellor will work together to identify main concerns and a pathway to increase wellbeing. This is typically completed over five sessions.

**About you**
- **Completed qualification in a relevant field and full registration with a professional body (e.g. DAPAANZ, NZAC, SWRB or similar)**
- 5+ years’ experience working therapeutically in a counselling environment
- A strong understanding of mental health and addiction concerns with particular understanding of mental health needs of Māori and Pacifica communities in Aotearoa
- Sound risk assessment skills
- Experience in delivering therapy using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and/or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is preferred
- Puāwaitanga holds client sessions Monday - Sunday between 9am and 9pm. Ability to commit to 10-20 hours per week within this timeframe
- The ability to speak Te Reo, Tongan, Samoan, Cantonese or other languages would be highly advantageous (to a degree of fluency sufficient to hold sessions with clients)

**About us | Ko wai hoki**

Whakarongorau Aotearoa are privileged to provide the people of Aotearoa with professional, quality advice, support and information across a range of health and mental health services (including Healthline, the COVID-19 Healthline, Quitline and 1737). We do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week across seven digital channels - a free digital virtual support network. We manage inbound and outbound call centres in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch as well as remote teams working from their homes across the country.

It's a fresh, connected approach to healthcare that helps millions of people across the country.

Whakarongorau Aotearoa’s head-office is in Auckland.

**Our Culture**

Our culture is one of inclusion, and our staff are passionate people, each driven to contribute to better health outcomes for the people of Aotearoa - especially our most vulnerable communities. They are from diverse cultural backgrounds, and our organisation is focused on hiring kaimahi who live and work in the communities they serve - an ability to connect with staff from a wide array of backgrounds is essential.

Whakarongorau Aotearoa staff work collaboratively, improving the health of our communities with a focus on quality, personal leadership and accountability in their work with external stakeholders, their partners, communities and with each other.

**Our Values | Ō Tātou Uara**
Our ambition is to virtually support people of Aotearoa to stay well and connect them seamlessly with care when they need it. Our values underpin all we do, and how we do it and we’re looking for people who align naturally with these values.
- Do the right thing | Mahia te mea tika
- Motivated by quality | Hihiri e te kounga
- Passion for better | Ngākau nui ki te pai ake

Shoulder to Shoulder | Pokohiwi ki Pokohiwi