Waikato Youth INtact
Youth INtact works with rangatahi (12-19 years) across the Waikato, offering alcohol or other drug (AOD) support and education in the community and at schools.
We are there for rangatahi wherever they may want to connect with us. We offer mobile outreach and walk-in services, and we work with community, sports, church and cultural groups to ensure rangatahi are supported in places that work best for them.
Odyssey is the lead provider of Youth INTACT and works with two regional partners delivering the service across the Waikato.
In our service delivery area, we work with 13 Waikato high schools (including six in Hamilton) and serve a wide geographical area from our base in Hamilton City. We travel to Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, Morrinsville, Matamata, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Cambridge, and Raglan.
At each school, we work in partnership with the school guidance and pastoral care teams and offer individual and group support for young people. In each area, a practitioner can also meet with young people not attending school in community clinic settings.
The Youth INtact model of care was co-designed with rangatahi. With a focus on collaboration between everyone involved (rangatahi, whānau, health and education professionals), the service offers easily accessible community-based assessment and treatment services that are wraparound, holistic and culturally responsive.
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The service is for young people aged 12-19 years old, whether they are currently enrolled at a school or not. To be eligible for Odyssey Youth INtact support, you just need to reside within the Waikato area where we work. That is, in Hamilton City, Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, Morrinsville, Matamata, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Cambridge, and Raglan. Our Youth INtact partners deliver services in the follow areas:
CareNZ in Tokoroa and Putaruru.
Taumarunui Community Kokiri in Otorohanga, Taumarunui and Te Kuiti.
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If you are 12-19 years old and live in the Waikato, you can contact us directly: at school, by calling us on 0800 468 228, or popping into our office. We are located at Youth INtact, Level 2, 11 Garden Place, Hamilton.
Whānau can contact us directly, by phone or email.
If you are supporting young people in a professional capacity, you can call us directly on 0800 468 228, email us at youthintactreferrals@odyssey.org.nz or you can also fill in an online referral form.
In all cases, once you have contacted us, one of our team will be in touch as soon as possible.
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Youth INtact is mainly delivered in one on one weekly meetings with our youth practitioners. Group work is also offered.
Practitioners will spend time getting to know you, understanding your goals and supporting you to develop plans to achieve them.
We also offer support in the community and encourage rangatahi to participate in youth focused community events and wellbeing initiatives.
For more information, read our guide, ‘What Can I Expect From Youth INtact?’
Let’s move forward together
To get in touch, call us on 0800 468 228 or visit our Instagram. You can also fill in an online referral form.
