RISE’s Motueka office – how a friendly office is helping clients change their lives
“So many services pinpoint support for the victims. If we don’t pinpoint support for services for perpetrators how is there going to be any change? We need to support people to make the change in the first place,” Fran Bishop Motueka Clinician
RISE’s Motueka office is based in an old house. There’s no receptionist and it’s likely your clinician will meet you at the door.
The office’s “homey feeling” sounds like a small detail, but RISE’s Motueka-based staff understand the feeling of the building can play a role in helping their clients feel safe and open to change.
“Clients come in and can hear people laughing and can feel happy and relaxed,” Clinician Kimberely says.
Many clients, especially those mandated to do a RISE course, can feel wary and sceptical when they visit RISE for the first time. So when clients feel welcomed and relaxed it can help clinicians build rapport.
“The biggest thing with therapy is that we won’t get anywhere unless we build a relationship first. That relationship we build with a client is one of the most important parts of what we do,” Clinician Benita Lawrence says.
Five RISE family violence specialist clinicians work from the Motueka office at different days during the week. The office is based in the corner of the carpark of the Jack Inglis Friendship Hospital on Courtney St.
The clinicians run specialised family violence programmes and interventions for men, women, and children. They work with people who use violence and those who experience it.
RISE general manager Dee Cresswell says the services RISE provides in Motueka are the same as in Nelson and clinicians work with clients in the same way.
But she agrees Motueka’s smaller office provides a unique way for clinicians to interact with their clients.
Dee says it is important that RISE has an office based in Motueka as it enables RISE clinicians to be a part of the community, and work closely with the other service providers in the town.
“We’ve been working in Motueka since 2013 and we enjoy the collaboration with our Motueka partners working to keep families and the community safe.”
Michiel van Boekhout has been working in Motueka for 10 years. The community is typical of small South Island town, he says.
“There’s a lot of retirees, people who have escaped the earthquakes, people who have shifted here from Auckland, and people who want to live less busy lives than in Nelson.”
There is also varying needs. “There’s a sizeable proportion who are struggling … not working or have addiction and housing issues. Housing is a huge issue.”
He enjoys his work even though it can be challenging, because he loves working with people and helping them change.
The RISE Motueka crew outside the office. Clinicians Fran Bishop, Michiel van Boekhout, Kimberley and General Manager Dee Cresswell. Dee works in Motueka on a Tuesday.
“Whether they are aware of it or not there’s potential within them and if they can be encouraged to have that conversation it can lift them and give them a better future,” he says.
“Because that is what they want. They want to be a better man, a better father. They don’t want to be a worse father or dad.”
Michiel enjoys the flexibility RISE provides to be able to work with clients in a way that best suits their needs.
As well as meeting face to face with people, he is working with someone who is temporarily working overseas. Due to technical challenges they work together through long emails. Another client who is going through a separation he phones to support.
Fran Bishop is the newest clinician in the Motueka team. She joined RISE after working as a social worker for a government organization in the UK. She works mainly with youth and children.
She loves her work and the friendly vibe of the Motueka RISE office. Its smaller size means it is less formal. For example a client’s mother was able to work at the kitchen table while waiting for her child. This is something that might not have been possible in a larger office.
It is easy to step outside and do something active to break a session up.
Fran also feels privileged to work at RISE with the support it provides to work as flexibly as she needs. This includes being able to go into the schools her clients attend if necessary.
Fran says there is a great collaborative feeling between organisations in Motueka.
Motueka’s smaller size means the different services work together easily. Workers from the different organisations also meet regularly.
“The meetings are valued between organisations and the relationships are valued,” Michiel agrees.