wellness

Manawa App and West Auckland Pilot: Local Mental Health Resources Auckland Families Should Know

Initiatives including a South Auckland app and a West Auckland school programme offer practical tools ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week 2026.

By Auckland Wellness Desk · Published 25 July 2026

How we reported this

This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Auckland is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 will run from October 12 to October 18, placing focus on resources that help Auckland residents understand and support wellbeing. Two locally delivered programmes stand out for families seeking practical tools.

Manawa App for South Auckland Whānau

The Manawa app, available in South Auckland, has recorded nearly 5,000 downloads since release. It assists whānau to build personal safety plans that address mental wellbeing needs directly. The resource operates through Healthy Families South Auckland and targets everyday use by families in the area.

West Auckland School Pilot Programme

More than 20,000 students across 30 primary and secondary schools in West Auckland now take part in a pilot that supplies software for mental health monitoring and early intervention. The programme covers both primary and secondary levels and aims to identify support requirements within the school setting before issues escalate.

Pacific Mental Wellbeing Contracts

New contracts worth $6.6 million support Pacific mental wellbeing services across Auckland. Providers including Fonua Ola and Vaka Tautua deliver the work, with the funding expected to reach more than 3,000 people each year. The contracts form part of broader efforts to expand community-based options in the city.

Evidence of Need

Ministry of Health data for 2021/22 recorded that 23.6 percent of young people aged 15-24 in New Zealand experienced high or very high psychological distress, compared with 11 percent in 2020. The increase underscores why monitoring tools and safety planning resources have been introduced in Auckland schools and communities.

Residents can access the Manawa app through local South Auckland channels and check with West Auckland schools about the pilot software. The Pacific services operate via the named providers under the new contracts. Individuals seeking personal support are advised to consult a medical professional or the listed community organisations for guidance tailored to their situation.