Seven Real Skills

There are seven Real Skills for working with people and whānau with mental health and addiction needs in health that support a range of outcomes.

Working with people experiencing mental health and addiction needs

Expected outcome: People accessing health care have their mana protected and enhanced, experience respect, engage in shared decision-making and receive support to achieve their health and wellbeing goals.

Working with Māori

Expected outcome: Māori people accessing health care experience respect, engage in shared decision-making and receive support to achieve hauora (tinana, hinengaro, whānau and wairua) goals.

Working with whānau

Expected outcome: Whānau receive support to achieve their health and wellbeing goals.

Working within communities

Expected outcome: People accessing health care have meaningful connections to communities to support and enhance their wellbeing.

Challenging discrimination

Expected outcome: People working in health are strong advocates for the elimination of discrimination relating to mental health and addiction.

Applying law, policy and standards

Expected outcome: Human rights, autonomy and self-determination of people and whānau accessing health care are promoted and upheld.

Maintaining professional and personal development

Expected outcome: People working in health are resilient and respond effectively to people accessing health care.

Each skill has three levels:

• Essential – for everyone working in health regardless of role, profession or organisation. 
• Enhanced – for everyone working in mental health and addiction roles.
• Leadership – for everyone who is leading, guiding, educating and resourcing the work of others in health.

Resources for individual learning

Click on each of the seven Real Skills on the leaves below, to access a wide range of new and existing resources at the essential, enhanced and leadership levels.

These resources will increase your knowledge and skills in the Let’s get real values, attitudes and seven Real Skills at the essential, enhanced and leadership levels.

Use your Real Skills Online assessment results to choose the level that applies to you. Alternatively, align your learning with the level that applies to your role as described in Let’s get real.

We will continue to update and develop further resources to enhance your capability across Let’s get real.

Real Skills

• Working with people experiencing mental health and addiction needs
• Working with Māori
• Working with whānau
• Working with communities
• Challenging discrimination
• Applying law, policy and standards
• Maintaining professional and personal development

Values

• Respect
• Manaaki
• Hope
• Partnership
• Wellbeing
• Whanaungatanga

Attitudes

• Compassionate
• Genuine
• Honest
• Open-minded
• Optimistic