Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competency Framework

What is the Framework Manual?

The Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competency Framework: A Manual for Mental Health Professionals describes the specific skills and attributes required by mental health professionals for the provision of quality services to people with an intellectual disability. It outlines the necessary approaches to clinical practice when working with people with an intellectual disability and identifies the core competencies that mental health professionals require to work in this area. The Framework also includes a self-assessment tool to help professionals determine their current skill set and guides readers to resources that support professional development in intellectual disability mental health.

The Framework was developed in consultation with key stakeholders, and was funded by Mental Health-Children and Young People, NSW Ministry of Health.

Click here to download the Framework Manual.

Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competency Framework Toolkit

What is the Framework Toolkit?

The Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competency Framework: A Practical Toolkit for Mental Health Professionals has been developed to accompany the Framework Manual. It provides practical information, assessment tools and links to resources to assist in the development of the core attributes described in the Framework Manual. The mental health workforce can use the resources to continue to support their professional development in the area of intellectual disability mental health. A section also outlines how service managers can help to implement the Framework and Toolkit in their mainstream mental health services.

Click here to download the Framework Toolkit.

Who is the Framework Manual and Toolkit for?

The Framework Manual and Toolkit have been developed for mainstream mental health professionals. They are beneficial for professionals who provide mental health services within hospitals, government and non-government community services, and private practices. The Manual and Toolkit are also useful for people who work in service management, service development, education of mental health professionals and quality improvement.

Aims of the Framework Manual and Toolkit

By supporting professionals within mainstream mental health services to develop core competencies in intellectual disability mental health, the Framework Manual and Toolkit aims to:

increase the capacity of mental health services to meet the needs of people with an intellectual disability,
ensure the provision of high quality mental health assessment and treatment to people with an intellectual disability, and
increase access to services and reduce service barriers for people with an intellectual disability.

How to use the Framework Manual and Toolkit

Mental health professionals can use these documents to:

make reasonable adjustments to clinical practice to assist in better assessment and management of mental health problems in people with an intellectual disability
assist in undertaking a self-assessment of current skills and knowledge
inform a professional development plan, or
guide you to available relevant resources, education, training materials and assessment tools.

Service managers, service developers and people responsible for quality improvement could use the Framework documents:

to review current capacity of services and workforce in the area of intellectual disability mental health,
for the professional development of staff,
to inform education and training plans, and
to guide recruitment of appropriately skilled mental health professionals.

Online resources that support use of the Framework

The Hon. Pru Goward is NSW Minister for Mental Health.

In this film, the Hon. Pru Goward discusses why the health system needs to be equipped to provide services to people with an intellectual disability. She highlights the NSW government’s commitment to improving outcomes for people with an intellectual disability and explains how the Framework will contribute to improved mental health services. The presentation finishes with a call to action.

Professor Julian Trollor is the Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health at UNSW Australia and Head of the Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), UNSW Medicine.

In this film, Professor Julian Trollor discusses mental ill health in people with an intellectual disability, including risk factors, rates of access to services and barriers faced. He introduces the Framework and its place within a wider research and workforce development strategy.

Mr Jim Simpson is a Senior Advocate at NSW Council for Intellectual Disability.

In this film, Mr Jim Simpson discusses current issues in service provision for people with intellectual disability and identifies the policies that are driving the way forward. He further highlights why mental health services should include people with an intellectual disability and discusses the future of disability support.

Mr David Coyne has recently finished his role as Director of Clinical Innovation and Governance at Ageing Disability and Home Care in the NSW Department Family and Community Services.

In this film, Mr David Coyne describes the disability services programs led by ADHC, how far intellectual disability services have come in the past 10 years and the successful MoU between ADHC and the NSW Health department. He finishes by identifying the challenges ahead.

Associate Professor David Dossetor is Director of Mental Health at Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Clinical Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the Children’s Hospital Westmead, a Child Psychiatrist with a special interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability, and Team Leader of the Developmental Psychiatry Team at the Children’s Hospital Westmead.

In this film, Associate Professor David Dossetor explains some differences in the psychiatric disorders experienced by the children and young people in the general population compared to children and young people with an intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He further describes treatment evidence and how to work with children and young people with an intellectual disability, their parents, carers, families and schools.

Ms Selina Thomas is a Clinical Co-ordinator and Senior Clinician at St George Mental Health Service in South East Sydney. Ms Billie Dong a Senior Occupational Therapist at St George Mental Health Service in South East Sydney.

In this video Ms Selina Thompson and Ms Billie Dong discuss how mainstream mental health professionals and mental health services can implement the Framework.

Ms Arahni Sont is a Carer to her son Shai, Carer representative at Carers NSW and Member of the NDIA National Mental Health Sector Reference Group.

In this film, Ms Arahni Sont describes some of the positive and negative experiences her and Shai, have had with mental health services. This film also includes Twelve Goals, a short documentary by Steve McGrath starring Shai de Vletter-Sont. Twelve Goals, which is about living with autism, was entered into the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival in 2014.

For further information, contact 3DN directly via IDMHcompetencies@unsw.edu.au or phone (02) 9065 8076.

Studio ARTES is an independent, not for profit organisation that provides creative programs to adults with disability

http://www.studioartes.com.au/

Please visit our project page here for further details on how we developed the Framework and associate research output.