Safety and Quality in Victoria's Specialist Public Mental Health System

Practice Standards

National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce

In August 2000, the National Mental Health Education and Training Advisory Group was established by the Commonwealth to develop practice standards for the mental health workforce.

The National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce are the result of consultations with:

• State and Territory Directors of Mental Health
• Mental Health Council of Australia
• Professional disciplines representing the majority of the mental health workforce:
  • Psychiatry
  • Nursing
  • Social Work
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Psychology

There are twelve practice standards intended for these five professional disciplines. However, other professionals who work with mental health consumers, their families and/or carers may wish to adopt all or part of the standards in their practice.

The twelve practice standards are:
1. Rights, responsibility, safety and privacy
2. Consumer and carer participation
3. Awareness of diversity
4. Mental health problems and mental disorders
5. Promotion and prevention
6. Early detection and intervention
7. Assessment, treatment, relapse prevention and support
8. Integration and partnership
9. Service planning, development and management
10. Documentation and information systems
11. Evaluation and research
12. Ethical practice and professional responsibilities.

The Practice Standards aim to provide benchmarks for mental health professionals and their employers. They provide a guide for education and training curricula, as well as other professional development programs in mental health.

Copies of the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce are available from: http://www.mentalhealth.gov.au

For further information, please contact Bill MacDonald on ph: 03 9616 7971 or email: Bill.MacDonald@dhs.vic.gov.au