Tū Mana provides specialist addiction, mental health, trauma, psychosocial, cultural, and risk assessments for people before the Court.

These assessments are designed for cases where a narrow report is unlikely to be enough. Many people before the Court present with overlapping issues, including substance use, trauma, mental health distress, grief, family harm, unstable housing, cultural disconnection, poverty, neurodevelopmental difficulties, whānau stress, or long histories of system involvement.

When these issues are assessed separately, important patterns can be missed. People may be asked to retell difficult histories to multiple services, counsel may be left trying to coordinate information from different providers, and courts may be asked to make decisions without a clear picture of risk, need, treatment readiness, or rehabilitation options.

Tū Mana provides one integrated assessment that brings the relevant information together. Our reports are clinically grounded, culturally responsive, practical, and written in clear language for court and treatment use.

The purpose of an assessment is not to excuse harmful behaviour or replace the role of the Court. The purpose is to provide clear information about the person’s needs, risks, strengths, treatment options, and realistic rehabilitation pathway.

A comprehensive assessment may be useful when:

• addiction or substance use appears connected to offending
• there are concerns about mental health or emotional distress
• trauma, grief, family harm, or adverse life events may be relevant
• the person has repeated justice involvement
• there are concerns about risk, relapse, violence, self-harm, or instability
• residential rehabilitation or community treatment is being considered
• the person is in custody or on remand, and treatment options need exploring
• previous support has not worked or has not been well matched
• whānau, cultural identity, or disconnection are part of the wider picture
• counsel requires a clear assessment to support bail, sentence indication, sentencing, or treatment planning

Each assessment is tailored to the person and the referral question. Depending on the scope, the assessment may consider:

• alcohol and other drug history
• current substance use and relapse patterns
• mental health history and current symptoms
• trauma history and adverse life experiences
• family and whānau background
• developmental and educational history
• grief, loss, and relationship patterns
• physical health and brain injury concerns, where relevant
• housing, employment, finances, and social supports
• cultural identity, belonging, and connection
• previous treatment or rehabilitation attempts
• motivation, readiness, and protective factors
• current risks and safety concerns
• treatment and rehabilitation options

The assessment brings these areas together into a clear formulation that explains what appears to be driving the current difficulties and what support is most likely to be useful.

In justice-facing work, it is not enough to simply list problems.

The report needs to explain how addiction, mental health distress, trauma, whānau disruption, cultural disconnection, or other psychosocial factors may relate to the person’s offending, risk, behaviour, decision-making, treatment needs, and capacity for change.

Tū Mana assessments consider:

• the relationship between substance use and offending
• the timing of relapse, instability, or crisis
• the person’s level of insight and accountability
• risk and protective factors
• previous treatment engagement
• readiness for rehabilitation
• what supports are likely to reduce future harm
• what pathway is realistic and available

This helps counsel and relevant services understand the person’s situation without minimising harm or removing personal responsibility.

A Tū Mana report may help answer:

• What are the main clinical, addiction, trauma, and psychosocial issues?
• How do these issues relate to offending, risk, or repeated justice involvement?
• Is there evidence of addiction, mental health distress, trauma, or co-existing problems?
• What are the person’s strengths and protective factors?
• What risks need to be managed?
• What treatment or rehabilitation pathway is most appropriate?
• Is residential rehabilitation suitable, or would community-based support be more appropriate?
• What support is needed for the person to engage and remain connected?
• What further information or referrals may be needed?

A key part of the assessment is identifying the right pathway.

Not every person needs the same type of support. A generic referral can miss important needs, especially where addiction, trauma, mental health, family harm, cultural disconnection, or high-risk circumstances overlap.

Depending on the assessment findings, recommendations may include:

• residential addiction treatment
• kaupapa Māori or culturally grounded support
• community-based alcohol and drug treatment
• trauma therapy or ACC Sensitive Claims referral
• mental health review or psychiatric input
• whānau support
• relapse prevention planning
• violence or family harm intervention
• peer support or navigation
• supported accommodation
• staged treatment planning
• probation or reintegration support

Where appropriate and consent is provided, Tū Mana may also assist with treatment referrals and communication with services.

Tū Mana can complete assessments with people in custody or on remand, subject to access, consent, and prison availability.

This may involve:

• professional AVL interviews
• telephone contact where appropriate
• liaison with counsel
• requests for relevant records
• collateral contact where consent is provided
• treatment pathway exploration
• referral preparation for residential or community services

Custody-based assessments can take longer when AVL access, prison scheduling, consent forms, or records are delayed. Timeframes are discussed with counsel at the beginning of the process.

Enquiries may come from:

• defence counsel
• Public Defence Service
• private lawyers
• tangata whaiora / clients
• whānau members
• case managers
• probation or support workers
• treatment providers
• community services

Where the enquiry comes from whānau or a client directly, Tū Mana can have an initial discussion about the situation. If legal proceedings are active, and with consent, Tū Mana may then contact counsel to discuss assessment options, scope, funding, and next steps.

We clarify the reason for the assessment, key Court dates, current legal status, custody or bail situation, and the questions the report needs to answer.

The person must provide informed consent before information is collected or shared. Relevant information may include legal documents, health records, treatment history, whānau or collateral input, and previous assessments.

Assessment interviews are completed in a structured and trauma-informed way. The number of interviews depends on the case's complexity and the information required.

Information is brought together into a clear formulation covering addiction, mental health, trauma, psychosocial factors, risk, protective factors, and treatment needs.

A written report is provided to counsel or the agreed referrer. The report is written in clear, practical language and focuses on assessment findings, forensic relevance, risk, treatment needs, and recommended next steps.

Where appropriate and with consent, Tū Mana may assist with referral pathways to treatment, rehabilitation, counselling, or other supports.

Standard assessments are usually completed within 5–10 working days once consent, access, and key information are available.

More complex assessments may take 10–15 working days, particularly where there are multiple interviews, custody access issues, collateral contacts, or delayed records.

Urgent requests can be discussed, but availability depends on the current workload, the person's access, and the amount of information required.