Mental health peer work
qualification development
project
How a
collective
consumer and
carer voice
shaped a
national
qualification for
peer work
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Background to the Cert IV in
Mental Health Peer Work
• Community Services & Health ISC Mental
Health Peer Workforce Competency
Development project - 2010
• NMHCCF meeting - 2011
• Mental Health Peer Work Qualification
Development project funded by National
Mental Health Commission and
coordinated by MHCC on behalf of
CMHA - 2013
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Project aims
• To develop training and assessment resources
for the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work
• Ensure the Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work is
available to consumer and carer peer workers
across Australia
• Improve peer worker service delivery
• Enhance management and support of peer
workforce
• A knowledge base for peer work
• Cement the peer workforce as an
occupational group in mental health
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The impact for peer work
Consistent delivery
Validate lived experience
Raising the standard
Increasing staff confidence
Reinforce peer worker as part of the
team
• Influence a culture of hope
• Resources for life!
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A process driven by peer values
• Respect
• Value of lived
experience
• Shared
responsibility
• Mutual agreement
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Reflections..
“This is a watershed
project and one of
the most exciting,
ground breaking
advancements for
peer work in
decades. These
resources are world
class and will assist
in increasing the
credibility and
profile of peer
workers across
Australia.”
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Reflections..
“What I love is that no one organisation owns
this. This is a collaborative thing that came
from shared knowledge and collaboration, we
can all be proud of it.”
“.. after seeing the resource book and
reflecting on the experiences I had at work in
the past, I can appreciate the breadth of
content in the book could have solved a lot of
the heartache I had along the way. This is
going to propel the workforce forward.”
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Shaped by a collective voice
National
Management
Steering
Committee
NMHC
National
Consumer &
Carer Peer Work
Qualification
Reference Group
National
Technical
Reference
Group
CMHA
SQPS
CMO Peaks
National consultation via stakeholder survey
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Foundations of Peer Work: Days 1-8
• Apply peer work practices in the mental
health sector
• Contribute to the continuous improvement
of mental health services
• Apply lived experience in mental health
peer work
• Work effectively in consumer mental health
peer work
• Work effectively in carer mental health peer
work
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Applied Peer work: days 9-14
• Promote and facilitate self-advocacy
(1 day)
• Work effectively in trauma informed
care (2 days)
• Support self-directed physical health
and wellbeing (1 day)
• Work effectively with carers (1 day)
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The training is designed for:
• Lived experience of ‘mental illness’ as a
consumer or carer
• Employed in the mental health sector in
government, private or community
managed services
• Working in a role that supports consumer
or carer peers
• About to commence work
• To ensure readiness, other courses may
be undertaken prior to commencing
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Consumer & carers train together
• Resources are developed to train
consumers and carers together in the
training room
• Units specific to either group have
been written to cater to both roles
• Workshop activities allow for working
together in own peer group
• Assessments allow to complete from
specific role
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Who can deliver the training?
• Specific peer work units to be
delivered by people with lived
experience as a consumer or carer
• Experience in working as peer workers
• Qualified trainer and assessor (hold
current Cert IV TAE)
• Completed the Cert IV in Mental
Health Peer Work
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Delivery approach
• Blocks of 2-3 days with break of 6-8
weeks
• Highly interactive and experience
based
• Face to face rather than online
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How to enrol
• Not all Registered Training Organisations
(RTOs) offer the qualification
• To find an RTO who offers the
qualification in your area go to
www.training.gov.au
• Different RTOs will deliver the training in
different ways so contact them directly
for details
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What next?
• RTOs across Australia to access the
resources and commence training delivery
• Jan 2015 the Peer Managers Skill Set is
available from the NMHC
• Pilot commences in September to inform
revised materials – June 2015
• National Champions scheme for peer
trainers and assessors
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Reflections..
“The diversity and depth of lived experience
perspectives involved in developing this
qualification was outstanding and has come
together into a program that will give our next
generation of peer workers a brilliant edge.”
“We battled and strove to produce
documents to support a workforce not to
professionalise, but legitimise.”
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For a copy of the Cert IV in Mental
Health Peer Work resources
Contact the National Mental Health
Commission
(02) 8229 7550
enquiries@mentalhealthcommission.gov.au
www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au
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