He Tirohanga I te Oranga o ngā Tāngata Whai Ora o te Hapori Haumanu o Te Whare Moana (Māori Men’s Perspectives of Rehabilitation in the Moana House Therapeutic Community: A Qualitative Enquiry)

Abstract

In New Zealand/Aotearoa, there are various rehabilitation programmes that aim specifically to reduce criminal offending among Māori. Currently, there is a lack of research investigating the experiences of rehabilitation from clients’ perspectives. The aim of this present study was to enhance our understanding of the lived experiences of Māori men who were participating in the Moana House residential therapeutic community (TC) rehabilitation programme in New Zealand. Semi-structured open- ended interviews were conducted one-on-one by a Master’s student studying psychology who is a Moana House staff member and also of Māori decent. Seven residents of the Moana House TC aged 22-48 who all identified as Māori were interviewed on topics relating to life in a TC, barriers to recovery, education, and the relevance of culture in the TC. Thematic analysis of the interview data yielded four themes. The first theme, ‘The importance of healing family relationships’, addresses the positive and negative aspects of involving family in the recovery process. The second theme, ‘The relevance of Māori culture in rehabilitation’, emphasizes the relevance of Māori culture and providing culturally relevant treatment in rehabilitation. The third theme, ‘Increased self-awareness’, explores motivations for change and describes how the group therapy based approach of the TC facilitated learning about the self and influenced behavioural change. The fourth theme, ‘Aspirations for education’, describes participants’ educational desires and needs in their future recovery. The findings suggest that culturally relevant rehabilitation programmes that allow for the inclusion of family in the rehabilitation process are valuable for individuals in recovery. Furthermore, the holistic approach of the TC model may be particularly relevant for Māori men. This thesis concludes with recommendations for service delivery and suggests lines of inquiry for future research.