HEALTH HUB SERVICES

Health Improvement Practitioners (HIPs) are registered health professionals who work as members of the general practice team. They have experience and training in evidence based talk and behavioural therapies and come from a variety of backgrounds including nursing, social work, occupational therapy, psychology, psychotherapy, and medicine. 

Key aspects of the role are:

• Working with individuals (of all ages), whanau, and groups to provide rapid access to evidence based brief interventions (generally of 30 minutes duration) and to help people make changes to enhance their health and wellbeing. Around 50% of people will choose to be seen just once, but there are no limits to the number of times they can be seen (no pre-prescribed “packages of care”). People can return as needed for a same-day or booked appointment.

• Taking a whole of population approach, HIPs work with the general practice team to:

• Build their confidence and capability in meeting the needs of people experiencing mental health and/or AOD concerns.

• Develop routine pathways for high impact problems commonly experienced by people in that practice.

• Working closely with the health coaches and other organisations to provide timely access to natural community supports.

• Working closely with local community mental health teams to ensure timely access to advice and services for people who need this level of support.

The Health Coach uses their own experiences combined with health coach training to partner with people to support them to build their own skills, knowledge and confidence to manage their health and wellbeing.   In this context, the term “peer” is used in its broadest sense.  It refers to people with lived experience of a mental health or addiction concern or of a long-term physical health condition, as well as people who are matched in age, ethnicity or some other characteristic to the population being served. 

The Health Coach works with individuals, whanau and groups, can connect by phone or text, and see people in the general practice or in an alternative community setting when people prefer this.

Key aspects of the role are:

• Providing self-management support;

• Acting as a bridge between a primary care clinician and the person/whanau;

• Helping to navigate the health and social services system – including linking to appropriate community supports;

• Providing emotional support; and

• Providing continuity within a busy primary care team.