Mental health peer workqualification development project

How a collective consumer and carer voice shaped a national qualification for peer work

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Background to the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work

• Community Services & Health ISC Mental Health Peer Workforce Competency Development project - 2010

• NMHCCF meeting - 2011• Mental Health Peer Work Qualification

Development project funded by National Mental Health Commission and coordinated by MHCC on behalf of CMHA - 2013

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Project aims• To develop training and assessment resources

for the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work• Ensure the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work

is available to consumer and carer peer workers across Australia

• Improve peer worker service delivery• Enhance management and support of peer

workforce• A knowledge base for peer work• Cement the peer workforce as an

occupational group in mental health

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The impact for peer work

• Consistent delivery• Validate lived experience• Raising the standard • Increasing staff confidence • Reinforce peer worker as part of the

team• Influence a culture of hope• Resources for life!

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A process driven by peer values

• Respect• Value of lived

experience• Shared

responsibility• Mutual agreement

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Reflections.. “This is a watershed project and one of the most exciting, ground breaking advancements for peer work in decades. These resources are world class and will assist in increasing the credibility and profile of peer workers across Australia.”

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Reflections..“What I love is that no one organisation owns this. This is a collaborative thing that came from shared knowledge and collaboration, we can all be proud of it.”

“.. after seeing the resource book and reflecting on the experiences I had at work in the past, I can appreciate the breadth of content in the book could have solved a lot of the heartache I had along the way. This is going to propel the workforce forward.”

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Shaped by a collective voice

National Management Steering Committee

National Technical Reference Group

National Consumer & Carer Peer Work Qualification Reference Group

National consultation via stakeholder survey

NMHC CMHA SQPS CMO Peaks

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Foundations of Peer Work: Days 1-8• Apply peer work practices in the mental

health sector• Contribute to the continuous improvement

of mental health services • Apply lived experience in mental health

peer work • Work effectively in consumer mental

health peer work • Work effectively in carer mental health

peer work

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Applied Peer work: days 9-14

• Promote and facilitate self-advocacy (1 day)

• Work effectively in trauma informed care (2 days)

• Support self-directed physical health and wellbeing (1 day)

• Work effectively with carers (1 day)

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The training is designed for:• Lived experience of ‘mental illness’ as a

consumer or carer • Employed in the mental health sector in

government, private or community managed services

• Working in a role that supports consumer or carer peers

• About to commence work• To ensure readiness, other courses may

be undertaken prior to commencing

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Consumer & carers train together

• Resources are developed to train consumers and carers together in the training room

• Units specific to either group have been written to cater to both roles

• Workshop activities allow for working together in own peer group

• Assessments allow to complete from specific role

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Who can deliver the training?

• Specific peer work units to be delivered by people with lived experience as a consumer or carer

• Experience in working as peer workers

• Qualified trainer and assessor (hold current Cert IV TAE)

• Completed the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work

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Delivery approach

• Blocks of 2-3 days with break of 6-8 weeks

• Highly interactive and experience based

• Face to face rather than online

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How to enrol

• Not all Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) offer the qualification

• To find an RTO who offers the qualification in your area go to www.training.gov.au

• Different RTOs will deliver the training in different ways so contact them directly for details

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What next?

• RTOs across Australia to access the resources and commence training delivery

• Jan 2015 the Peer Managers Skill Set is available from the NMHC

• Pilot commences in September to inform revised materials – June 2015

• National Champions scheme for peer trainers and assessors

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Reflections..

“The diversity and depth of lived experience perspectives involved in developing this qualification was outstanding and has come together into a program that will give our next generation of peer workers a brilliant edge.”  “We battled and strove to produce documents to support a workforce not to professionalise, but legitimise.”

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For a copy of the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work resources

Contact the National Mental Health Commission

(02) 8229 7550

enquiries@mentalhealthcommission.gov.au

www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au

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