Quake advisers in ‘disbelief’
From the time Pablo Godoy smashed through a wall to get out of the collapsed CTV building, he has been a leader in the psychosocial recovery of Cantabrians.
Early this week, Godoy learned he and 15 Relationships Aotearoa (RA) staff members had lost their jobs after negotiations with the Government to save the service failed.
Worse still, Relationships Aotearoa clinicians, who deal with high at risk families and individuals, could not longer see their clients, said Godoy, director southern operations.
The organisation also managed earthquake related trauma counselling, with 30,000 Cantabrians seen over four years.
Godoy said he understood that an eight to 10-week transition plan for clients had been proposed but was then ‘‘taken off the table’’ by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
‘‘We couldn’t continue to see clients anymore. We were told they were the funders clients and they were now responsible for them,’’ he said. Clients have reacted badly. ‘‘I know that one client . . . was informed that he could no longer be seen and from my understanding due to their reaction to that news, he has been put in a mental health institution,’’ he said.
Godoy said a group of men were meant to graduate on Tuesday, from a domestic violence programme, but could not because of the closure.
‘‘[We] could have concluded work with so many clients in a safe, meaningful way,’’ he said.
MSD deputy chief executive Murray Edridge said ‘‘negotiations broke down’’ when RA and the ministry could not agree on funding and the length of time need for transition.
Five agencies would support MSD in transitioning clients: Barnardos, Family Works, Stand Children’s Services, Lifeline Aotearoa and Vitae.
Lifeline call volumes have increased by 100 a day, since they agreed to help, he said.
‘‘As the funder, it is MSD’s responsibility to ensure clients have suitable services to transfer to. RA also has professional and ethical obligations to the clients,’’ he said.
Edridge said Canterbury clients were at the ‘‘forefront of transition planning’’.
Godoy said staff have been put through the wringer.
Staff were in the CTV building collapse, where they lost their much loved colleague Nina Bishop, and went through a round of redundancies about 18 months ago.
‘‘Staff are in disbelief. They’ve gone through a lot, like so many others in Canterbury have,’’ said Godoy.
Only three of the 15 who worked at the Christchurch office during the earthquakes remain, due to the redundancies.
‘‘After restructuring we had headed in a positive direction . . . it was a highly functioning service,’’ he said.
Godoy went straight back to work after the earthquakes. Workers from other Relationships Aotearoa offices came down to deliver ‘‘psychosocial first aid’’, said Godoy.
Those in the building on collapse were given the time they needed before being assessed whether they could start supporting Cantabrians suffering earthquake trauma, he said.