New grant available for adult forensic mental health workforce development

An exciting new one-off workforce development grant is now available for non-clinical and cultural kaimahi (staff) working in regional adult forensic mental health services. The grant will help cover the costs to take part in a course or training programme that aligns with the Let’s get real framework and will help participants to improve health outcomes for Māori accessing forensic mental health services.

The grant is available to people who:

• work in a regional adult forensic mental health service (DHB or NGO)
• are employed a minimum of 0.4FTE
• are engaged in direct service provision that influences the experiences of the people accessing the service.
  

Applications are now open, and close at midday on Friday 4 February 2022. This is a one-time-only grant opportunity so we encourage applicants to apply early.

Why is the grant available?

The Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, He Ara Oranga indicates a need for greater investment and expansion of forensic mental health services. He Ara Oranga advocates for increased access for people to tailored support services that follow them through reintegration, that are easily accessible and culturally relevant. In the forensic setting, it is crucial these services are not just culturally competent but culturally led, relevant and safe. To support this kaupapa more work is required to support the development of the forensic mental health workforce.

Why is it important to develop this workforce?

It is estimated that 23 per cent of employees working in the adult forensic mental services are in non-clinical support worker and cultural designated positions (Te Pou, 2018). This significant proportion of the forensic mental health workforce requires access to high-quality training to ensure they are equipped to respond to the needs of people accessing these services. Limited courses are open to all forensic mental health workers, the majority of which focus on the clinical workforce.

The non-clinical forensic workforce has significant opportunities to elicit meaningful change for people, their whānau and communities. In addition to this workforce being culturally competent, relevant, and safe, there are unique and essential capabilities related to working with people who access forensic mental health services.

• Building and understanding relationships, the inherent power imbalance, boundaries, assumptions, and the impact of the relationship on the people they are supporting.
• Forensic mental health workers need to have knowledge beyond basic mental health to work effectively in a forensic setting, such as understanding interventions, trauma behaviour, stigma, addiction, and barriers to accessing support, regardless of role.
• A need to understand broader social determinants that impact people who are incarcerated, whānau and communities.
• Practical skills, such as ensuring how to best keep themselves and others safe.

This grant enables the non-clinical and cultural kaimahi workforce to go some way towards building their unique and crucial capabilities.

Additionally, the Let’s get real framework outlines the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes required to work alongside people with mental health and addiction needs, including forensic mental health settings. Let’s get real can guide this workforce in identifying a course or training programme to build knowledge and capabilities.

Possible course or training programmes

The grant will help cover the costs to take part in a course or training programme that aligns with the Let’s get real framework and will help participants to improve health outcomes for Māori accessing forensic mental health services. Here are several suggestions of courses or education programmes that may interest you. Applications are open to other courses that meet the eligibility criteria.

• Te Rau Ora delivers a selection of amazing courses.
• He Puna Whakaata under Te Rau Ora - Although some of these programmes are free, the grant could go towards travel and accommodation costs.
• Whitireia offers programmes in health and wellbeing, mental health, addiction, and peer support.
• Mahi a Atua offers a range of training options.

^{Te Pou & Ministry of Health. (2018). Let’s get real: Real skills for people working in mental health and addiction. Te Pou.}