Development and dissemination of a core competency framework
| Date | 10 July 2017 |
| Pages | 237-248 |
| Published date | 10 July 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-04-2017-0028 |
| Author | Julian N. Trollor,Claire Eagleson,Janelle Weise,Roderick McKay |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
Development and dissemination of a
core competency framework
Julian N. Trollor, Claire Eagleson, Janelle Weise and Roderick McKay
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to describe and critique the methodology used to develop a core
competency framework for mental health professionals working with people with an intellectual disability and
co-occurring mental ill health.
Design/methodology/approach –A multi-phase, multi-method design was used to collect qualitative and
quantitative data, including a scoping survey, modified online Delphi, and consultation with multiple stakeholders.
The implementation phase involved a launch forum and workshop, toolkit development, and evaluation strategy.
Findings –Results from the scoping survey and consultation process informed the development of a core
competency framework with 11 domains. An accompanying toolkit was also developed with practical
guidance to assist with the implementation of the core competencies. In total, 93 professionals attended the
launch forum, and the framework has been downloaded 998 times during the first year it has been available.
Research limitations/implications –Detailed information specific to each profession cannot be included
when a whole of workforce approach is used. The ways in which to use the framework in conjunction with
other core competency frameworks is discussed.
Practical implications –This framework can be utilised by mental health workers including clinicians,
managers, service developers, and educators, from multiple professional backgrounds. The approach taken
can also be used by others to develop similar frameworks.
Originality/value –This is the first core competency framework, to the authors’knowledge, specifically
designed for public mental health professionals from varied backgrounds working with people with an
intellectual disability. Consulting with multiple stakeholders, not just experts, elicitednew information that may
otherwise have been overlooked.
Keywords Intellectual disability, Workforce development, Mental health, Attributes,
Core competency framework, Workforce capacity
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Approximately1-3 per cent of the population has an intellectual disability (Maulik et al., 2011),with
this group experiencing higher rates of mental health disorders than the general population
(Cooper et al., 2007). The transition from institutional to community-based care for people with
disabilitiesin Australia in the 1980s resultedin the administrative separationof health and disability
services and the degradation of workforce capacity in the area ofintellectual disability and mental
health (The NSW Council for Intellectual Disability, 2005). One of the main barriers to receiving
mental health care is a lack of workforce capacity in generalist mental health services (Jess et al.,
2008), which comprise multiple professions including nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry,
psychology, and social work. This is compounded by the limited coverage of specialist mental
health services for people with an intellectual disability in Australia (Evans et al.,2012).
In Australia there is a shortage of education and support for mental health professionals in the
area of intellectual disability (Jess et al., 2008; Trollor, Eagleson, Turner, Salomon, Cashin,
Iacono, Goddard and Lennox, 2016; Trollor, Ruffell, Tracy, Torr, Durvasula, Iacono, Eagleson
and Lennox, 2016). The mental health workforce describe a lack of confidence, and negative
attitudes regarding the existence of, and treatment for mental illness when working with people
Received 13 April 2017
Revised 1 June 2017
Accepted 1 June 2017
The authors thank members of the
Project Advisory Group for their
input and advice throughout the
project. This project was funded
by MH-Children and Young
People, Mental Health Branch,
NSW Ministry of Health (Core
competency framework
development and implementation);
NHMRC Partnerships (consultation
with people with an intellectual
disability); and the work of the
Chair, Intellectual Disability Mental
Health, which is supported by core
funding from NSW Government
Family and Community Services,
Ageing, Disability and Home Care
and the Mental Health Branch,
NSW Ministry of Health
(consultation with family and
support people). Julian N. Trollor
receives external funding from the
National Health and Medical
Research Council; South Eastern
Sydney Local Health District,
Mental Health Branch and MH-
Children and Young People, NSW
Ministry of Health; and NSW
Government Family and
Community Services, Ageing,
Disability and Home Care. Claire
Eagleson, Julian N. Trollor and
Roderick McKay do not receive
external funding.
Julian N. Trollor,
Claire Eagleson and Janelle
Weise are all based at the
Department of Developmental
Disability Neuropsychiatry, The
University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia.
Roderick McKay is based at
the Health Education and
Training Institute (HETI) Higher
Education, Sydney, Australia
and the School of Psychiatry,
The University of New South
Wales, Sydney, Australia.
DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-04-2017-0028 VOL. 12 NO. 4 2017, pp. 237-248, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
j
THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
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