Connected Minds - Mental Health & Neurodiversity Specialists

10/09/2026

Welcome Connected Minds - Mental Health & Neurodiversity Specialists to KidsLink

We're delighted to welcome Connected Minds to the KidsLink community.

Connected Minds is a Nurse Practitioner-led clinic providing ADHD, neurodevelopmental, and mental health assessment and treatment for children aged 6+, teenagers, adults, and families.

Led by Jam Jones, MN, NP, Connected Minds brings more than 15 years of experience, including working across child, youth, family, adult, and specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Jam's approach is neuroaffirming, whānau-centred, trauma-informed, and evidence-based. She takes the time to understand the whole person, recognising the important role of relationships, whānau, culture, strengths, and lived experience.

Connected Minds provides assessment, diagnosis, prescribing, medication management, and ongoing support, helping individuals and families make sense of their experiences and feel more confident about what comes next.

Based in Warkworth, Connected Minds offers in-person appointments in Warkworth and Orewa, as well as secure telehealth appointments throughout Auckland and New Zealand.

We're excited to have Connected Minds as part of the KidsLink community and look forward to helping more families find the understanding and support they need.

Welcome to the KidsLink family, https://kidslink.co.nz/services-view/connected-minds/

26/08/2026

Research request 📣

We're sharing a research opportunity from Alana Metz, a Master's student at the University of Canterbury.

Alana is researching Autistic Joy and wants to better understand Autistic people’s lived experiences and perspectives of joy.

Participants are invited to take part in a 60 to 90 minute interview, either online or in person in Christchurch.

Participants need to:
• Be aged 18 or older
• Identify as Autistic
• Have experienced Autistic Joy

For more information, please see the link in the comments or contact Alana Metz at [email protected].

26/08/2026

Update: 18th August. Post-Broadcast.

21/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/197hynL5wF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Did you know Online GP Care is now free for tamariki aged 13 and under?

If your child is feeling unwell, and you can’t see your usual GP, Health New Zealand's Online GP Care service can help families access healthcare advice from home.

What it offers ⬇️
- Online GP consultations by video or phone
- Available 24/7 through participating providers
- Intended for non-urgent health concerns.

If you're enrolled with a GP, consultation notes can be shared with your regular doctor to help maintain continuity of care.

Learn more and book on the Health NZ website: healthnz.govt.nz/onlineGP

If you're unsure whether your child should attend school, stay home, or if you need to seek health advice, visit: https://www.education.govt.nz/news/how-decide-if-child-well-enough-be-school-or-early-learning

18/08/2026

18/08/2026

We’re so proud to see Connected Minds featured in Mahurangi Matters! ✨

Our vision is simple: to make specialist mental health and neurodevelopmental care more accessible for children, adolescents, adults and families across Rodney and beyond.

Assessment. Diagnosis. Prescribing. Coaching. Comprehensive care — all in one place.

Grounded in connection. Guided by clinical excellence.

Thank you to our local community for supporting Connected Minds and helping us grow.

10/08/2026

A study has found diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in New Zealand have more than tripled in 15 years.

10/08/2026

A tidy desk becomes "OCD". Bored in a meeting? "ADHD". A disappointing exam result? "That was traumatising." It's part of the idea behind "concept creep".

24/07/2026

We highly recommend this course - check them out - they run them all over NZ!

Want to better understand autism and make a real difference?

Whether you're a parent, whānau member, educator, support worker or simply want to build your understanding, FANZ (Framework for Autism in New Zealand) is the ideal place to start.

Over two engaging days, you'll gain practical, evidence-based knowledge and leave with strategies you can use straight away to better support autistic children, young people and adults.

You'll learn:

✨ How autism can impact a person's everyday experiences
✨ Practical tools including visual supports, teaching new skills, and writing social stories
✨ A framework for supporting autistic people across home, school, work and the community
✨ How to recognise and respond to distress in respectful, person-centred ways while reducing potential triggers

📍 Rotorua
📅 Wednesday 26 August (10.00am) – Thursday 27 August (4.00pm)
📍 Ministry of Education, 1144 Pukaki Street, Rotorua

📩 Register now to secure your place, right here: https://book.autismnz.org.nz/event?id=940

If you’re interested in this course but located elsewhere, you can see all our dates and locations here: https://autismnz.org.nz/programmes/?_programmes_category=family-whanau