Background
Let's get real was launched by the Ministry of Health in September 2008. Its launch fulfilled an objective in Tauawhitia te Wero - Embracing the Challenge: National mental health and addiction workforce development plan 2006-2009 to develop a national mental health and addiction competency framework.
Development of Let's get real was carried out from 2006-2008 and included:
- initial meetings with key stakeholders, including service users, families/whanau, district health board (DHB) and non-government organisation (NGO) staff, and education providers to name but a few
- an environmental scan of existing frameworks in the sector
- a literature review of methodologies to develop capability and competency frameworks
- establishment of an expert advisory group and a drafting group.
Let’s get real brings together work undertaken over the past decade on competency and capability frameworks specific to mental health and addiction services. It identifies the minimum requirements of an effective service. This is achieved through building the knowledge and skills of the workforce and at the same time adapting systems to improve organisational performance.
Let's get real and the Nationwide Service Specification Framework
Let’s get real assists services to meet the requirements of the Nationwide Service Specification Framework. Service specifications from the framework are an essential component of the contracting process, stating the types of contracted services, both mandatory and recommended, and the lines of accountability for service delivery.
Service specifications revised in 2008-2009 were made available for use in the non-government organisation (NGO) sector from 1 July 2009 and were in place in district health board (DHB) provider arms from 1 July 2011. It is expected that DHBs will be transitioning to the revised service specifications (all three phases) over the next two to three years and embracing the service objectives that are outlined.
The Tier One service specification, a mandatory document, includes reference to Let’s get real. Developing workforce is one of the Tier One service specification objectives and Let’s get real is a framework that will assist DHBs to achieve the objective.
Health and Disability Service Standards
Implementing Let’s get real within your organisation and/or service will assist with meeting a number of audit targets. Let’s get real was developed with reference to the Health and Disability Services Standards and the recovery competencies. Let’s get real supports the intent of the standards as well as assists organisations to demonstrate a number of the core standards.
Te Pou has developed a position paper on Let's get real and the Health and Disability Services Standards. The paper provides examples on how using Let's get real will assist in demonstrating a number of the standards.
Ministry of Health implementation phases
The Ministry of Health Let's get real implementation plan describes how Let's get real will be used over two phases.
Transition phase 2009-2011
The goals of the transition phase are:
- everyone working in services is aware of and understands the Let’s get real framework
- managers understand how to integrate Let’s get real into their organisational policies, processes and systems
- education providers delivering mental health and addiction education and training are enabled to review and develop their course content and teaching methods
- mental health and addiction professional organisations are encouraged to review and understand how to integrate Let’s get real into their policies, processes and systems.
Consolidation phase 2011-2013
The goals of this phase are:
- managers are integrating Let’s get real into their organisational policies, processes and systems
- current and new workers have learning opportunities to upskill as necessary
- organisations are being supported to enable the development of individual and team Real Skills
- education providers delivering mental health and addiction education and training are being enabled to align the Let’s get real framework into their course content and teaching methods
- mental health and addiction professional organisations are integrating Let’s get real into their policies, processes and systems.
Te Pou’s role is to assist services in their implementation of Let’s get real. Activities have been designed to reflect the goals of the transition and consolidation phases.
