Consumer, peer support and lived experience workforce stocktake of available information
Available information, June 2022
This page outlines the available information describing the secondary mental health and addiction consumer, peer support, and lived experience workforce (CPSLE workforce). This relates to the workforce in non-government organisations (NGOs) and district health boards (DHBs). The information is gathered from policy and strategy documents and reports, workforce surveys, and other published information over the last 10 years. New information will be available from the 2022 NGO workforce survey later this year.
Peer workforce size and composition
Workforce surveys conducted in 2018 and 2020 estimate the CPSLE workforce is around 481 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Nearly all (96 percent) are employed in adult mental health and addiction services. Peer support workers are the largest role group. In 2020, the child and youth workforce included consumer advisors (4 FTEs) as well as 17 FTE peer support workers. Across services for all age groups, NGOs employ 87 percent of the workforce and DHBs 13 percent; alcohol and drug (AOD) services employ around 17 percent of the adult mental health and addiction CPSLE workforce, and mental health services 83 percent; see Table 1.
| NGO | DHB | AOD | MH | Total | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult services 2018 | ||||||
| Peer support worker | 315.9 | 14.2 | 58.8 | 271.3 | 330.1 | 68% |
| Whānau support worker | 45.1 | 5.2 | 39.9 | 45.1 | 9% | |
| Subtotal | 361.0 | 14.2 | 64.0 | 311.2 | 375.2 | 78% |
| Peer leader, consumer advisor | 27.0 | 42.5 | 13.3 | 56.1 | 69.4 | 14% |
| Peer leader, educator | 14.1 | 0.3 | 13.9 | 14.2 | 3% | |
| Other advanced peer roles | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 | ||
| Adult services workforce | 403.6 | 56.7 | 78.1 | 382.2 | 460.3 | 96% |
| Child and adolescent services (2020) | ||||||
| Peer support worker | 13.5 | 3.7 | 17.2 | <4% | ||
| Consumer advisor | 2.3 | 1.6 | 3.9 | <1% | ||
Total estimated FTE workforce |
419.4 |
62.0 |
481.4 |
100% |
||
Source: Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui (2015, 2018); Whāraurau (2021).
Note: DHB CPSLE roles include 21 FTE family and whānau advisors. The DHB workforce is likely under-reported due to a lack of information specific to CPSLE roles.
Between 2014 and 2018, the NGO CPSLE workforce in adult services grew by about 30 percent. This was the largest growth rate for all NGO workforce groups (Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui, 2018).
Development Challenges
Recruitment
The most recent information about peer workforce development challenges comes from the 2018 workforce survey of 231 NGOs (Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui, 2018). Most (61 to 80 percent) of 36 NGOs responding to a question about recruiting peer support and whānau support workers stated this is difficult; see Figure 1.
Adapted from Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui (2018).
Roles
From the same survey, among 57 NGOs reporting, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) had no advanced peer workforce roles (for example peer leader and consumer advisor). One-quarter of organisations had well established roles; see Figure 2.
Adapted from Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui (2018).
References
Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui. (2015). Adult mental health and addiction workforce: 2014 survey of Vote Health funded services. Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui. https://www.tepou.co.nz/initiatives/more-than-numbers-workforce-data
Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui. (2018). NGO adult mental health and addiction workforce: 2018 survey of secondary care health services. Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui. https://www.tepou.co.nz/initiatives/more-than-numbers-workforce-data
Whāraurau. (2021). 2020 Stocktake of Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Services in New Zealand. Whāraurau, The University of Auckland. https://wharaurau.org.nz/sites...
