Anastazia Puklowski works with some of Te Tahi Youth’s most complex clients.
“They’re the ones who could easily fall through the cracks. They’ve got a lot going on and need someone to help them unpack where they’re at and make sure they’ve got the right support in place.”
Anastazia is a social worker who sits alongside the medical team at Te Tahi Youth.
Te Tahi Youth Manager Fiona Kay says while it’s not where you’d expect a social worker to be, about 18 months ago they realised they had to start doing things differently.
“We had a group of young people with really complex challenges that needed support but who didn’t necessarily qualify for transitional support and weren’t ready for our employment or training programmes.
“Traditionally, they were looked after by our doctors and nurses but we realised there was a better way for the young people, and our organisation, to support them through a specialised social work progamme,” Fiona says.
That’s where Anastazia comes in. The rangatahi she works alongside have varied and complex situations, whether experiencing issues with mental health, housing, employment, finances, challenging family dynamics or needing advocacy across the health or court systems.
“Some of these young people were seeing our medical team frequently, but rather than seeing a doctor every one or two weeks they need more dedicated case management and specialised care plans,” Anastazia says.
A lot of Anastazia’s time is spent collaborating with the medical and youth work team within Te Tahi Youth, external community organisations, or government departments.
“Most of the young people I work with are in a really tricky place in life and are not ready for work or training. They could be finding themselves in hospital frequently or may not have anywhere to live. My goal is to help them find a way through the challenges they’re experiencing and get into a space where they’re ready for the next step in life.”
Complex situations, like the ones her clients are going through, are not new for Anastazia. She has lived experience of trauma and knows what it’s like to feel isolated and alone. She also knows the incredible difference one person can make. For Anastazia, she was 18 years old when a social worker stepped up for her.
“It was amazing to finally have someone looking out for me. That experience, I think, helps so much in my work now with young people. I can relate to them and have a real understanding of what they’re going through, but also know that they can come out of it as well.”
Fiona says having Anastazia able to view their most complex enrolled patients through a social work lens has been invaluable to Te Tahi Youth and the young people they serve.
“Having a social worker as wonderful as Anastazia working alongside our medical team has made an enormous difference to our resourcing and the results we can achieve. It’s now a key part of the support we offer our enrolled patients and a structure we believe is the future for primary health care.”