Holistic Assessment and Support

Holistic assessment and support means looking at the whole person, not just their immediate money issues. Financial mentors recognise that a client’s financial situation is influenced by many interconnected factors that include housing, health, relationships, employment, culture, and whānau responsibilities. Because of this, effective support considers the broader context of a person’s life.

Holistic Assessment

From a financial mentor perspective, holistic assessment means taking time to understand the client’s story, their goals, pressures, values, and lived experiences. It also involves recognising their strengths and resources such as whānau support, cultural identity, community networks, and personal skills.

Mentors explore current challenges like debt, unstable income, housing concerns, health issues, or relationship pressures, while also considering cultural context and the influence of Māori, Pasifika, and other worldviews on financial behaviour. The process includes identifying risks or priority areas, such as safety concerns or urgent hardship, and recognising the wider systems involved like Work and Income, creditors, housing, healthcare, education, legal services etc.

To see the client as a whole person means the mentor can provide support that is relevant, respectful, and effective.

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