Meet our Kaimahi
We have lived through the harmful effects of substance abuse. We know that with awhi and aroha, change is possible. We draw on our experiences to inspire and support whānau to heal and to thrive.
I
METH DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE AND NOR DO WE!
Trevor Lamb - Reintegration Coordinator - Dapaanz Newcomer to Addiction Practice Award 2025
E kore te pātiki, e hoki ki tōna puehu - The flounder does not return to its dust
Ko Tāinui tōku waka
Ko Tararua tōku maunga
Ko Manawatū toku awa
Ko Ngāti Ruakawa tōku iwi
Ko Ngāti Huia tokū hapū
Ko Matau ko Huia ngā marae
Ko Trevor Lamb tōku ingoa.
I specialise in supporting individuals as they transition from prison back into the community. My approach is grounded in tikanga Māori focused on building resilience, restoring connections to whānau and empowering individuals to achieve their goals.
While attending the Mana Enhancing STOP community rōpū group, I was inspired by the kaimahi to use my lived experience to support others on their journey. I was told I am Qualified By Experience (QBE) in addiction and offending and I could use my past as a powerful tool to help uplift others. The encouragement motivated me to pursue further education and develop the skills needed to gain meaningful employment in the health care sector.
I am proud to have graduated from Wintec where I completed the New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) specialising in Mental Health and Addiction, Social and Community Services. I am currently studying towards a bachelors degree in applied counselling. I aspire to become a qualified Addiction Practitioner dedicated to supporting individuals and whānau on their journey to healing and wellbeing.
Rhian McCrae - Kaiāwhina - Reintegration AOD Support Navigator
Tuwhitia te hopo - Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Ko Ranginui e tu nei
Ko Papatuanuku e takoto nei
Ko Tangata Tiriti ahau
I tipu ake au i Tamaki Makaurau
E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o nene, e Rotorua e noho nei au
Ko Ngongotaha te maunga e ru nei taku ngakau
Rotoruanui a Kahumatamoemoe e mahea nei aku maharahara
Ko Nita raua ko Alan oku kaumatua
Toku wha aku tamariki
Ko Rhian McCrae toku ingoa
I am a Kaiāwhina Reintegration AOD Support Navigator, walking alongside tangata whaiora as they navigate their recovery journeys and supporting positive change, reconnection, and reintegration into their whānau and communities. I facilitate Mana Enhancing STOP Rōpū spaces, provide individual support and advocacy, and work collaboratively with colleagues and community services to ensure tangata whaiora can access the support they need.
My passion for this mahi comes from my own lived experience. Having experienced addiction, disconnection, and offending, I understand many of the challenges that can accompany recovery. These experiences have shaped my commitment to supporting others from a place of understanding, empathy, and hope.
Since joining Mana Enhancing STOP in 2024, I have continued to grow both personally and professionally while learning alongside our Pou, colleagues, and tangata whaiora. I hold a Certificate in Whānau Ora and am currently studying towards the Paetahi Tumu Kōrero Bachelor of Counselling through Wintec. Education and lifelong learning remain important parts of my recovery and my commitment to supporting whānau and communities.
Meretaka Brown - Bail Support Coordinator
Tuia ki te Rangi, Tuia ki te Whenua, Tuia ki te Moana,
Tuia ki te herenga Tangata Ka Rongo te Po, Ka Rongo te Ao,
Tihei Mauri Ora
‘Mai i Maketu ki Tongariro’
Ko Matawhaura te maunga
Ko Te Rotoiti-i-kite-a-Ihenga te moana
Ko Te Ohau-Potaka-tawhiti me Okere nga awa
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Rangitihi te upoko whakahirahira
Ko Ngā Pū Manawa e Waru
Ko Ngāti Hinerangi-Hinekiri te hapu, Ko Ngāti Pikiao te iwi.
Ko Meretaka Paora Brown-Houghton toku ingoa.
At Bail Support, we walk alongside tāngata whaiora and their whānau to navigate the justice system with care, dignity, and purpose. Our Kaupapa is grounded in manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, supporting individuals to meet bail conditions while connecting them to wraparound services that enhance wellbeing.
I have completed the Certificate in Whānau Ora (Level 4) and my Diploma in Whānau Ora (Level 5), deepening my knowledge to better support whānau wellbeing and transformation. I aspire to attain more knowledge and apply for the Postgraduate in Mental Health and Addiction (Level 8) at Te Awanuiarangi in 2026.
Mark Anderson - Reintegration Coordinator
Ko Maungakotukutuku te Maunga
Ko Waikane te awa
Ko Paraparaumu te moana
Ko Freya Andersen toku Mama
Ko Mack Anderson toku ingoa
Ko McKinnion Anderson te toku ingoa whanau
Ko Mark Anderson ahau
From Tangata Whaiora to Kaimahi Hauora Mana Enhancing STOP
I first came to Mana Enhancing as a participant in their recovery rōpū, seeking support to overcome my addiction to methamphetamine, methadone, morphine, and heroin. The kaupapa Māori approach, genuine care, and strong whānau environment helped me find hope, healing, and a pathway forward. Today, I’m proud to be part of the Mana Enhancing team, working alongside others to support tāngata whaiora on their own recovery journeys. I know first-hand that change is possible — and that with the right awhi and support, we can reclaim our mana and build better futures.
Since joining Mana Enhancing STOP I have completed my Level 4 Certificate and now completing my Diploma. Next year I am aiming to pursue a bachelor's in counselling degree.
Kayla Emery - Kaihāpai Administration Community Reintegration Navigator
Ko Moehau te maunga
Ko Tikapa te moana
Ko Waihau te Awa
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Ngāti Maru te Iwi
Ko Ngāti te Aute te hapū
Ko Matai Whetu tōku Marae
Ko Kayla Emery tōku ingoa.
I support and uplift the team wherever possible, from helping to co-facilitate
rōpū groups, to working with our Tangata Whaiora on our Bail Support
waitlist, and starting a new Mana Enhancing STOP Coffee
rōpū.
I bring my lived experience and background of addiction to walk alongside my team and our tangata whaiora to support and advocate. The support and aroha that I have received from the team when I first walked in the door of Mana Enhancing rōpū has given me the courage to follow my dreams and goals of being a better person and this brings me to what it means to be a Kaimahi at Mana Enhancing STOP: the love I have in helping whānau, to walk alongside them, to uplift and support them to a better life.
Kapua Hollings - Kaihāpai Reintegration Navigator
Ko Tūturu te maunga
Ko Puarenga te awa
Ko Ngāti Wāhiao te hapū
Ko Te Pākira te marae
Ko Te Arawa te iwi
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Working at Mana Enhancing has been more than just a job for me — it’s been a part of my healing. Supporting tangata whaiora who are walking paths I once walked myself has reminded me of the strength in vulnerability and the power of connection. Every story I hear, every step forward I witness, helps to heal parts of me too.
What makes this mahi so special is the way it centres our own ways of being. I deeply appreciate the Māori holistic approach — seeing each person as a whole, through the lens of wairua, hinengaro, tinana, and whānau. This framework allows me to support tangata whaiora in a way that honours their journey, their whakapapa, and their potential.
The responsibilities I carry are not always light, but they are uplifting. They give me purpose. Knowing that my presence, my words, or simply holding space can make a difference is something I never take for granted.
The environment at Mana Enhancing is one of encouragement, joy, and cultural richness. It’s a place where you can laugh, reflect, and grow — all in the same day. I’m proud to be part of this kaupapa and to offer tautoko in a way that feels authentic, grounded, and transformative — for others, and for myself.
Tyron McKenzie - Mana Enhancing STOP Tu Taua Rōpū facilitator on Thursday evenings in Whakatāne
Dapaanz Excellent Contribution to Peer Support Award 2025
Ko Putauaki te maunga. Ko Ohinemataroa te awa. Ko Mataatua te waka.
Ko Ngāti Awa te iwi. Ko Ngāti Hokopū te hapū. Ko Te Whare o Toroa te marae. Ko Wairaka te whare tipuna.
Ko Neil McKenzie tōku koro kua hoki ki te pō.
Ko Tangiwha te maunga. Ko Ngaruawahine te awa. Ko Mataatua te waka.
Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi. Ko Ngāti Hau te hapū. Ko Akerama te marae. Ko Tamatea ki te Huatahi rāua ko Toihau ngā tāngata nō mua.
Ko Kathleen Dorothy Ngahuia Rudolph tōku nanna kua hoki ki te pō.
He tama taku mātāmua, tokotoru āku kōtiro, ā, e rua āku mokopuna hei pou o tōku ao.
Ko Tyron tōku ingoa.
From a life once shaped by addiction and incarceration, I have walked a long and transformative path toward healing, purpose, and service. My journey through methamphetamine addiction and the criminal justice system forged in me a deep understanding of struggle and an even deeper commitment to change. Choosing to rebuild my life was an act of courage. Choosing to uplift others along the way became my calling. Today, I am a qualified Peer Support Specialist and hold a bicultural social services certification. I use my lived experience as a bridge, connecting authentically with individuals affected by substance use, trauma, and marginalisation.
My approach is grounded in empathy, cultural awareness, and the belief that every person holds the potential for transformation. I facilitate methamphetamine recovery groups and Mana Enhancing programmes within the community, creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces where healing, accountability, and connection can thrive.
A passionate advocate for harm reduction, restorative justice, and the value of lived experience in social services, I continue to turn my pain into purpose, walking alongside others as they reclaim their own stories. My journey is a testament to resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of connection. Because the opposite of addiction is connection.