A diverse, skilled and multidisciplinary workforce is at the heart of the Royal Commission’s vision for a reformed mental health and wellbeing system – a system that supports better outcomes for consumers, families, carers and supporters.
The workforce will play a vital role in driving continuous improvement of the system as we seek to work in new ways across different settings.
The reformed mental health and wellbeing system will bring together our workforce’s expertise to deliver evidence-informed care, support and treatment in collaborative ways, within and across services. All forms of expertise will be valued and respected, including lived experience expertise, as well as other unique contributions from different disciplines.
To realise the full potential of genuine multidisciplinary, integrated and collaborative practice, we need to work in new ways. We need to transform our workforce’s cultures, and create more nuanced, holistic and person-centred approaches and capabilities across the system.
These system-wide reforms, including commencement of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 will involve new and integrated models of care and service design that respond to the needs of consumers, families, carers and supporters. This will entail creating new roles and changing workforce composition.
The framework values and recognises all forms of expertise, experience, knowledge and skills that already exist within the mental health and wellbeing system. It will support the workforce to evolve and expand upon existing capabilities to realise the vision of an integrated and collaborative system. It will support a common understanding of the knowledge and skills needed to achieve positive outcomes for all consumers, families, carers and supporters.
This first iteration of the framework is the beginning of a conversation. It represents a point in time in the early stages of a 10-year reform journey towards the future integrated and responsive mental health and wellbeing system. We will revise and review it to keep pace with the emerging and evolving needs of a complex and diverse system.
Ultimately, the framework aims to support the transformation of the mental health and wellbeing system. It seeks to harness the passion of the workforce to create better outcomes for all by building collaborative, compassionate relationships with consumers, families, carers and supporters.
Reviewed 04 December 2023