According to the NZ Government's 2024 Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry, the number of New Zealanders accessing mental health and addiction services has grown a staggering 73% over the past decade. With demand soaring, the sector is under immense pressure, making it difficult for many to access the help they so desperately need. 

Jessica Apanui has overcome her challenges with substances and now holds a Certificate in Health and Wellbeing – Mental Health and Addiction Support - from Unitec. This is the story of how her past has helped drive her path in helping others.

Replacing drugs with the power of Māoritanga

Substances gave Jess an escape from the trauma of a violent childhood and being totally disconnected from her whakapapa. She first started using at just twelve years old, and it wasn’t long before a methamphetamine addiction took hold. Jess resigned herself to the fact that she was “always going to be a gutter junkie.” 

Police intervention was a huge turning point for Jess. She felt at her lowest. 

“I was defeated, had the mana stripped from me,” Jess recalls.  

But it led her to rehab, where she knew she had to break the cycle for the sake of her tamariki. It was here that she reconnected with whanaungatanga, tikanga and Te Ao Māori, feeling a strong drive to help others do the same.

Jess turned to Unitec to equip herself with the skills to work with people, whānau and communities. With a Certificate in Health and Wellbeing – Mental Health and Addiction Support, and her lived experience, she dedicates her time to inspiring others on their recovery journeys.

She now heads Mana over Meth Kura Kaupapa – an interactive programme run in schools to support and resource rangatahi living with substance addiction, suicidal ideation and the impacts of sexual abuse and violence. She is also Principal Advisor – Lived Experience, Addictions for Te Whatu Ora.

Armed with lived experience, deep understanding and practical skills

There are things you simply can’t teach. Jessica’s journey from a life of addiction to becoming a beacon of hope for others, with decades of lived experience, puts her in a unique position to understand the struggles people face in accessing the help they need. It’s also invaluable in helping navigate the inevitable roadblocks that come with a system under pressure. 

Unitec’s New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing – Mental Health and Addiction Support has further empowered her with the skills to support those in need – to the highest standard.

 

Photo credit: The Level