You are here
About Us
The Salvation Army is an International Christian and social services organisation that has worked in New Zealand for over one hundred and thirty years with a mission of 'Caring for People, Transforming Lives and Reforming Society'.
The Army provides a wide range of practical health, social, community and faith-based services, particularly for those who are suffering, facing injustice or those who have been forgotten and marginalised by mainstream society.
The Salvation Army Oasis centres were formally established in June 1997 in Auckland in response to growing evidence that the proliferation of gambling opportunities was having a negative impact on society. The name Oasis was inspired by a flourishing phoenix palm tree at the original Auckland Oasis premise, which became a powerful symbol of hope, sanctuary, resilience and personal growth for everyone involved in the service.
Prior to this, in 1992, the first service to reduce the harm from gambling was established in Wellington and following the opening of Christchurch Casino, an additional service began in that city in 1995. Since then, the number of clients seeking help for gambling related harm has increased dramatically.
Consequently, the Army’s reducing gambling harm services, Oasis, have offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wairarapa, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, with additional satellite clinics in a range of regions. In addition to our centres, we also provide outreach services via phone, text and video calls.
We are funded by the Ministry of Health to provide preventing and minimising gambling harm clinical and public health services.
The Oasis Team
The Salvation Army Oasis have a team of clinically qualified and registered professionals from a diverse range of disciplines, who are flexible in their approaches to suit people and their life situations. Our practices utilise cultural models. See a sample of how we work.
Our team support and encourage wellbeing and reduce petipeti whakararu (gambling harm) through education, self reflection and the use of creative and research based therapies. Read more about our services and types of therapies.
The team also includes public health workers who provide accurate information to raise awareness on reducing gambling harm to community groups, professional groups and services and Government.
The wrap-around support offered by The Salvation Army Oasis includes support from those who have lived experience of overcoming adversity and gambling harm in their lives. This team are passionate about improving the services that Oasis have to offer. The consumer advisory team operate at the level of systemic change to reduce the harm of gambling in people's lives. You can contact your local consumer advisor through the Oasis centre.
Find out more about how Oasis works in our frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Mission: Caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society.
We support a public health approach. In other words, we work across the whole population - with communities, health and social service professionals, families and whānau as well as individuals - to promote wellbeing, social justice and reduce inequities, particularly for vulnerable groups of people.
Supportive: We start from where you need to start.
Caring: We walk alongside people and support them to improve their overall wellbeing and live free from gambling harm.
Non-judgemental: We provide our services in a non-judgemental manner, and deliver our support with empathy and compassion.
Respectful: We treat all of our clients with complete respect.
Inclusive: We help individuals, families and whānau irrespective of their religion, gender, sexual preference or ethnicity.
Person-centred: We support people to identify their own needs through a screening and assessment process and together create a plan to improve wellbeing and reduce gambling harm, uniquely tailored for each person who comes through our doors.
Holistic: We understand the importance of holistic health. We are guided by the perspectives of tinana (physical health) whānau (family health and wellbeing) wairua (spiritual wellbeing) and hinengaro (mental health).
.