In this report, the authors show that lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can help support the mental health and wellbeing of communities recovering from other crises, like Cyclone Gabrielle.

The report shows the following:

• Help provided will need to target people who already experience disadvantage, including people and whānau with lived experience of distress or addiction, and priority populations.
• Immediate support should be provided to community groups, especially marae, as these entities are integral to supporting wellbeing.
• It is crucial to re-establish infrastructure that supports connection and communities, ensuring local social hubs, such as marae and libraries, are up and running, putting face-to-face support in place such as carer and social worker visits, opening schools, and ensuring the community services and volunteers that are reaching into communities are supported. 
• Supports, including access to mental health services, will be needed for some time, and should not have a real or implied time-limit on their provision.

To help some of our most at-risk communities stay safe and secure during and beyond the recovery, the New Zealand Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission calls on the government to work with iwi and community organisations; to prioritise investment in re-building social infrastructure and digital connectivity; to build service capability and capacity with a focus on long-term primary and community options; and to keep watch on the most disadvantaged and impacted communities over the short, medium, and long term.