Richard Dick: Salvation Army Northland Regional Bridge Director on the Te Ara Oranga programme designed to help meth users

There's deep concern over wastewater results showing the highest volumes of meth and cocaine use since records began six years ago.

Police testing between June and September reveal weekly meth consumption was double the average quantity of last year.

Salvation Army Northland Regional Bridge Director Richard Dick says the Te Ara Oranga programme offers a multi-agency approach tailored to affected residents in the Northland region.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk ZEDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
News Talk ZB. So we've been having a pretty deep
but important discussion about methamphetamine use in New Zealand. Then
on the line we do have Richard Fick. He is
the director of the Northland Regional Bridge of the Salvation Army. Richard,
very very good afternoon to you.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Good afternoon massive Matt and Tyler.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yes, yes, now you yeah, Hello, very great to chat
to you. So you've been involved with the Tata Audunger program.
Is that right, Richard, I have, yes.

Speaker 4 (00:47):
And how is your program different from other programs?

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, I'm not sure about a lot of other programs
and what's happening nationally, but the difference I think for
Chad order, it's a partnership with Houston Police and it's
a multi agency approach. It builds on builds on health

(01:16):
and police work and evidence based interventions, and it's a
kind of blend of public health, police work and evidence
based alcohol and drag interventions.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
It certainly had a lot of success, judging by the
recent evaluation report Richard that the program saw a thirty
four percent reduction and harm from offending among those who
the program helped. So just walk us through it. How
does someone get selected for the program?

Speaker 3 (01:51):
Well, there's a number of referral pathways that police are
major referrals into it. But it can be from corrections,
probation services, other health, other health services to fudge or
order and basically it's for people who are are experiencing
difficulties with the methane fetamine all their families.

Speaker 4 (02:13):
So do you sometimes reach out or do the police
sometimes reach out to people and refer them to you
before a crime has actually been committed.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Normally the police would come into contact with individuals through
their normal police work and they can offer treatment. I
guess that is a point of difference as well at
the police of a referral to treatment and the police
can make the referral themselves.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
So the thirty four reduction that is you know, significant,
that is success. What do you put that success down to?
What happens within the program to see that level of success.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Well, look, I can tell you there's a lot of
follow up by the police themselves. The police follow up,
they do drug testing, they refer through to POFAR no
connectors which are what they postponnder connect the works with
the person to help keep them in treatment. They do

(03:15):
intensive outreach, really assert of outreach in the communities and
work with families and individuals and so there's an enormous
amount of follow up and there's a range of different
treatment options that individuals can use themselves or select themselves.

Speaker 4 (03:35):
Is it strictly a referral process or can families or
individual addicts reach out to you?

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yes? Absolutely, so that people can self refer. There's a
website on to funt of order website under Chowter Orderinger.
People can access support through the website. They can refer themselves,
or family can refer for family support, or they can
go through a range of other option referral options like

(04:08):
the gp O. The service providers are the health service providers.

Speaker 4 (04:14):
Now, Richard, there's a saying you always hear that an
adit has to want to be helped. Is that still true?
Or can you find someone in any position that has
been referred to you or has come to you and
offer them help and have some success.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah, that's a great question, A big question. I think.
I think you know, having a range of treatment options
caters to people that are at different stages and have
different different motivators, and I think you know, like being
having contact with the police can be huge motivation for people.

(04:56):
But some people are just ready to change, and so
the treatment options available and a tailored treatment plan for people,
we've taken to account the stage that they're at, whether
they're ready to change or they're ready for treatment, and

(05:17):
so d orderinger treatment options, try and meet meet people
where they're at.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Is there hope Richard, that this program can be rolled
across the country.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
I do believe there is. It's very topical and of
course met problem is growing, so people I understand exploring
that option.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, Richard, thank you very much for having a chat
with us, and all the best with the program, and
congratulations on the success that you are heaving up there.
I really appreciate your time.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
Yeah, and anyone can go to the Crow's Nest Research
Chowder Ordering and read the evaluation themselves. It's open to public.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Thank you very much, Richard. And just that name of
the program again, Tata Ordnger, that is te Arer n GA.
So thank you very much again, Richards. And just a
reminder for anyone listening who has a family member addicted
currently or indeed, if you are addicted meth amphetamine, there

(06:23):
is help available the Tiata Audunger program, but also the
Alcohol Drug Helpline OH eight hundred and seven eight seven
seven nine seven. You can text eighty six eight one
for support around alcohol and drugs. It's a free and
confidential chat with a trained counselor twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week.

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