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Free head and shoulder massages, fruit packs and quit smoking support have been offered at health promotion days organised by Amanda Shanley with the aim of  improving the physical health of Waikato mental health service clients.

NAME: Amanda (Mandy) Shanley
DHB: Waikato
JOB: Clinical nurse specialist, mental health and addictions

Free head and shoulder massages, fruit packs and quit smoking support have been offered at health promotion days organised by Amanda Shanley with the aim of  improving the physical health of Waikato mental health service clients.

A holistic health initiative by clinical nurse specialist Amanda Shanley is making a difference for mental health service users in Hamilton.

Amanda was appointed to the role of clinical nurse specialist mental health in March 2015, from a background of working with service users diagnosed with eating disorders.

“I have always been passionate about holistic health care and after researching global initiatives I started raising awareness across mental health teams about the alarmingly reduced life expectancy of people with a serious mental illness.

“The ultimate aim is to increase the life expectancy and quality of life of the service users that we work with,” she says.

Using the umbrella of Equally Well (a Te Pou initiative) and with “amazing support” from the community clinicians, Amanda and her colleagues held two nurse-led health promotion days at the Hamilton community mental health service base last year.

The first event saw over 50 service users and their whānau take up the opportunity to discuss their concerns on smoking and trialling a nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Free packs of fruit, other healthy snacks and signed quit cards (to access free NRT) were given out to all who attended.

One of the positive spin-offs of this initiative was much stronger mental health clinician engagement in seeking advice and NRT support for their clients who smoke.

Next, Amanda linked with secondary, primary and NGO services and Sport Waikato to turn on a ‘Treat yourself for Christmas, look after your health’ event. With live music, balloons, free fruit and gift baskets, free head and shoulder massages, and health promotion stalls, the outside event got an extremely positive response.

“It was a relaxed setting where service users, whānau and clinicians could share simple strategies for improving physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health – holistic health.”

This success means the holistic health initiative will continue into the future, with strong support from those involved and the mental health service’s senior leadership team.

Carole Kennedy, nurse director of Waikato DHB mental health & addictions says, “The initiative illustrates Amanda’s commitment and dedication to mental health and addiction service users and to making a positive difference to their lives”.