Growing up, Tracy Richardson found little support when she needed it most. Now, with help from a HealthCarePlus Grant for Good, she’s graduating with the skills to make sure today’s young people are heard.
For Tracy Richardson from Whakatāne, study has been a steady climb, resulting in a graduation this October with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Health and Wellbeing (Mental Health and Addiction) majoring in Advanced Addiction Studies. As a mature student, Tracy started with a Certificate in Health and Wellbeing, followed by a Diploma in Career Development. What she saw there changed her direction.
“At that time I was seeing people with mental health and disability challenges struggling to get into careers. I saw how a career can bring about an increase in people’s purpose and a decrease in their addiction and substance use, because they had a purpose and a meaningful career.”
Tracy wanted to help even more, and started to look at challenging the entrenched view in the health sector – the idea that the addiction must be dealt with before mental health can be addressed. “That’s an old way of thinking,” she says. “If we deal with the addiction and the mental health together, we’re seeing a better result. I want to be part of that change.”
The degree’s practical placement took her to a child and adolescent mental health service in Whakatāne, where she completed 200 hours working with young people aged five to 18 experiencing mental health issues, addiction and trauma. As a first point of contact, she carried out initial assessments before presenting cases to the clinical teams. It’s exactly the work she wants to continue. She says, “For myself growing up, there was very little support, and I want to change that for our future generations.”
The grant, awarded for her Bachelor’s degree, eased the financial pressure at a crucial stage. “It’s allowed me to focus more fully on my academic and work practicum commitments without needing to increase my work hours,” she says. “It’s enabled me to continue pursuing my professional goals with less stress and greater confidence.”
And Tracy isn’t stopping there. She’s now been accepted to study a Master of Applied Social Work at Massey University. This, she hopes, will broaden her practice and her ability to give the next generation the support she once went without.
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