Stories of change

Counties Manukau mental health innovation and excellence award

The profile

Celebrate Innovation & Excellence in mental health and addictions is a yearly event where staff of mental health and addiction services, service users and their family/whanau and members of the public share and celebrate new, exciting and successful developments in the Counties Manukau region. Awards are presented for verbal presentations and posters.

The beginnings

In response to a lack of visibility of new ideas, approaches and positive outcomes in work within the mental health and addiction sector a mini-fest was established in 2007. The 2008 event was sponsored by Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB), Counties Manukau Mental Health and Addiction Partnership (CHAMPS) and the Manukau City Council.

Positive results in mental health practices are frequently under-reported and under-represented. Forums such as the CMDHB Science Fest exhibit more physical health related projects, leaving mental health successes under exposed to the wider medical and public audience. Consequently some mental health services can appear conservative, inflexible and lacking in significant achievements.

The award aims to encourage a culture of learning and research, showcase new work and celebrate improved outcomes for service users through innovation and excellence.

Participants are required to evaluate, demonstrate and collate evidence of successes in their initiatives.

Submissions are drawn from social and community support projects, clinical interventions, health service innovations and quality practice improvements among non-government organisations (NGOs), the CMDHB provider arm and service users.

The main driving force behind the innovation and excellence award is Counties Manukau Mental Health Service, along with strong support from the General Manager of Mental Health, Ian McKenzie; regional NGO services; funding and planning bodies; management of clinical services provider arm and the advisory group from DHB and NGOs.

The process

1. The annual event is organised by an advisory committee comprising staff from CMDHB provider arm and NGOs and consumers. It is funded by the CMDHB provider arm and CHAMP and sponsored by Manukau City Council.
2. Advertising and a call for award applications are sent out at least three months prior to the event. Projects competing for an award can include posters or verbal presentations about research, audit or evaluations within a team, new services on offer, novel practices, barriers overcome and outstanding achievements.
3. Workshops are offered to help prepare presentations and posters.
4. A selection panel chooses a maximum of eight oral presentations from submitted abstracts. All posters are accepted.
5. The judging panel includes academic, service user, NGO and service leadership representatives.
6. An awards presentation date (previously in March) and venue, MC and musician are confirmed, and guest speakers are invited to take part.
7. At the event participants exhibit posters and make oral presentations. Entertainment and light refreshments are provided while the panel of judges evaluate the entries. The audience also vote for their favourites for the People's Choice award.

In 2008, Len Brown, Mayor of Manukau City presented the poster awards and Professor Rob Kydd (Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland) presented the awards for the oral presentations. A carved trophy, provided by CHAMP, was presented to the overall People's Choice award winners. A total of $5000 was awarded towards work related travel, study grants or resources for services.

The unique approach

• Mental health providers (provider arm, NGO, and consumer-led) within Counties Manukau geographical area and their staff are the sole target group for this award.
• It is an interactive showcase for interesting and new activities in the region to encourage greater exposure of work by the DHB, NGOs and consumer-led organisations.
• Emphasis is on building a research and evaluation culture.
• Service users are represented throughout the process, from the judging panel to the ceremony entertainment.

The results

• The 2008 event was a great success with over 180 people attending, sending a strong message that mental health services are client-centred and constantly evolving and improving.
• The event encouraged increased participation by mental health and addiction service providers in other awards and conferences. Representation at the annual CMDHB Science Fest increased from one poster in 2006 to four mental health presentations and 10 posters in 2007.
• The role of evaluation is a key ingredient in demonstrating improvements to quality of mental health care service.
• The award provides positive support for professionals working in the field and leads to impressive team building relationships.

The lessons learnt

• Strong leadership and generous management and funding support are essential to stage such an event.
• Give plenty of notice and advertise widely. Stimulate participation in other professional forums.
• A forum like this is necessary to show the vast potential of the work done in mental health care, to acknowledge effort, and edify professionals working in this field.
• Some people need personal encouragement to recognise the importance and merits of their work, and may need guidance in preparing conference presentations.

"Innovation alone is not enough: good ideas have to be properly evaluated"
Professor Rod Kydd at the prize giving.

  

More information

Contact Stuart Moyle (Chair) moyles@middlemore.co.nz or Liz Stewart StewarL1@middlemore.co.nz.

Download this story in PDF format

The information on this page is also available for download in PDF format.

Counties Manukau mental health innovation and excellence award story (PDF)

Documents/links

• CMDHB Mental Health Services website
• Celebrate Innovation and Excellence Programme 2008 (PDF)
• "Connect”, bi-monthly newsletter of CMDHB, April 2008, page 8 (PDF)
  

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Page last updated: 7 November 2008