Department of Health

Alignment with other frameworks and standards

The framework sits alongside professional discipline and service-specific requirements and capability frameworks.

It seeks to support multidisciplinary and collaborative practice across roles and settings, by supporting knowledge and skills to be developed in more consistent ways from a single point of reference.

The principles of the capability framework align with those in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 and provide the workforce with practical guidance on how to enact the principles in their work.

It does not replace existing profession or discipline-specific standards, guidelines or training protocols. Table 1 shows the documentation for some of the relevant mental health and wellbeing workforces.

Alignment with other frameworks and professional standards

WorkforceFrameworks and standards
Aboriginal health and/or mental health practitioners
  • Registration standards
  • Code of conduct
AOD workers
  • Code of ethics
  • Specialist competencies
Carer or family peer workers
  • Scope of practice
  • Practice standards and frameworks
  • Practice guidelines and policies
Case managers
  • Code of ethics
  • Standards of practice
Consumer peer workers
  • Scope of practice
  • Practice standards and frameworks
  • Practice guidelines and policies
Counsellors
  • Training standards
  • Code of ethics and practice
  • Specialist competencies
Emergency services
  • Education and accreditation standards
  • Training standards
  • Code of ethics and practice
  • Specialist competencies
Lived experience workers
  • Practice standards and frameworks
  • Practice guidelines and policies
Medical practitioners
  • Registration standards
  • Advanced training standards
  • Codes of ethics and conduct
  • Professional practice framework
  • Practice guidelines and policies
Occupational therapists
  • Registration standards
  • Code of conduct
  • Practice standards
  • Competency standards
Nurses
  • Registration standards
  • Codes of ethics and conduct
  • Practice standards
  • Practice guidelines and policies
  • Specialist competencies
Psychiatrists
  • Education and accreditation standards
  • Code of ethics
  • Practice standards and guidelines
Psychologists
  • Registration standards
  • Code of ethics
  • Practice guidelines and policies
Social workers
  • Education and accreditation standards
  • Code of ethics
  • Scope of practice
  • Practice standards and frameworks
  • Practice guidelines and policies

While the framework focuses on shared capabilities across the entire workforce, we know that certain service settings and consumer cohorts will need tailored approaches.

We also understand that the people who use the mental health and wellbeing system also engage with other parts of the broader healthcare and social services system – including but not limited to disability, children and families, justice, family violence and education. Members of these other workforces, particularly those working as part of multidisciplinary teams, will draw on the capabilities set out in this framework.

Reviewed 24 June 2024

Our workforce, our future

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