Values, attitudes and the seven Real Skills
Real Skills is the shorthand name for the set of essential knowledge, skills and attitudes in the Let’s get real framework. The framework has seven Real Skills which are underpinned by the following values and attitudes.
Values
Respect
Service users are the focus of our practice. We respect the diversity of values of service users. The values of each service user and of their community are the starting point for all our work.
Human rights
We strive to uphold the human rights of service users and their families. Human rights include, but are not limited to, the right to autonomy and self-determination, the right to be free from coercion, the right to be treated in a non-discriminatory way, the right to informed consent, and the right to receive care and support that responds to the physical, psychological, spiritual, intellectual and cultural needs of the service user.
Service
We are committed to delivering an excellent service for all service users. This includes service user partnerships at all levels and phases of service delivery, including the choice of services available as well as the actual delivery of service.
Recovery
We believe and hope that every service user can live a full and meaningful life in the presence or absence of their mental illness and /or addiction. We also understand that recovery is not only related to the mental illness and/or addiction itself, but also to all of the losses associated with it.
Communities
We value communities – the many places in which we all live, move and have our being – as pivotal resources for the effective delivery of services and support for service users and their families/whānau.
Relationships
We seek to foster positive and authentic relationships in all spheres of activity, including relationships with all people who work within mental health and addiction, wider communities and service users and their families/whānau.
Attitudes
People working in mental health and addiction treatment services are:
- compassionate and caring: sensitive, empathetic
- genuine: warm, friendly, fun and have aroha and a sense of humour
- honest: have integrity
- non-judgemental: non-discriminatory
- open-minded: culturally aware, self-aware, innovative, creative, positive risk takers
- optimistic: positive, encouraging, enthusiastic
- patient: tolerant, flexible
- professional: accountable, reliable and responsible
- resilient
- supportive: validating, empowering, accepting
- understanding.
The seven Real Skills
Working with service users
Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service uses strategies to engage meaningfully and work in partnership with service users, and focuses on service users’ strengths to support recovery.
Working with Māori
Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service contributes to whānau ora for Māori.
Working with families/whānau
Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service encourages and supports families/whānau to participate in the recovery of service users and ensures that families/whānau, including the children of service users, have access to information, education and support.
Working within communities
Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service recognises that service users and their families/whānau are part of a wider community.
Challenging stigma and discrimination
Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service uses strategies to challenge stigma and discrimination, and provides and promotes a valued place for service users.
Law, policy and practice
Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service implements legislation, regulations, standards, codes and policies relevant to their role in a way that supports service users and their families/whānau.
Professional and personal development
Every person working in a mental health and addiction treatment service actively reflects on their work and practice and works in ways that enhance the team to support the recovery of service users.
Work in mental health and addiction services is complex and involves using more than one Real Skill at any one time. These skills are interrelated and cannot be read in isolation. For example, the working with Māori Real Skill relates to all the Real Skills, reflecting the fact that working with Māori is relevant to everyone who works in mental health and addiction services.
Each of the seven Real Skills has a broad definition and three levels of performance indicators:
- essential
- practitioner
- leader.
The levels have been structured to recognise the requirements of different roles at the different times a person may enter the workforce. The levels can be cumulative - in other words, a person could aim to progress from essential to practitioner and then to leader - but they can also be used in other ways. As the Real Skills are gradually implemented, the ways in which the levels work in practice can be evaluated.
Also read about the Real Skills plus series.
