The Salvation Army is making major changes to some of its operations, after Te Whatu Ora dropped funding of its gambling addiction services after three decades.
The Salvation Army is making major changes to some of its operations, after Te Whatu Ora dropped funding of its gambling addiction services after three decades.
Addiction services national director Rod Carey says Māori and Pasifika clients will be hardest hit because the army can no longer offer them the convenience of one-stop-shop services.
“They can come to us and get help with their gambling addiction, their alcohol and drug addiction. We can put pathways to housing – you know all sorts services that we provide right across the country. The challenge for us is now that maybe one of those services we cannot provide because we’re no longer funded,” he says.
Rod Carey says the Salvation Army still waiting for Te Whatu Ora to give reasons for the funding cut and name a new provider – but that will be small comfort to the many staff who face redundancy just before Christmas.