Mental Health Commission
The Mental Health Commission (Commission) developed the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Strategic Framework 2020-2025 to guide the growth and development of an appropriately qualified and skilled workforce that would deliver individualised, high quality mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD) services and programs for the Western Australian community.
The Workforce Strategic Framework was developed following extensive consultation and engagement with key stakeholders including consumers, families and carers; government departments; key non-government organisations; peak mental health and AOD bodies; and clinicians and their representative bodies.
An external Workforce Strategy Advisory Group, which included representatives from the mental health and AOD sectors, guided its development.
The sector peak bodies, the Western Australian Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (WANADA) and the Western Australian Association for Mental Health (WAAMH), were also commissioned to map the existing mental health and AOD sector workforce, and to develop key recommendations for workforce development and planning.
Priority areas and principles
The Workforce Strategic Framework includes example strategies and actions that can be undertaken to support the growth and development of an appropriately qualified and skilled mental health and AOD workforce. These have been categorised into the following priority areas:
- Support the current and future workforce to deliver high-quality, modern, culturally appropriate and secure, services and programs.
- Ensure the specialist workforce is adequately configured and supported to meet the requirements of the Western Australian community.
- Promote innovation in service delivery and encourage the uptake of best practice and evidence informed practices, including the integration of services and delivery of holistic, whole of person support.
- Support relevant health and human service agencies outside of the mental health and AOD specialist providers, and their staff, to deliver appropriate mental health and AOD services.
- Improve workforce data collection and continually monitor and evaluate.
The following principles underpin the Workforce Strategic Framework and align to the Plan and key workforce development concepts:
- the preferences of consumers, families, carers and communities are appropriately reflected
- workforce planning and development occurs across the service spectrum
- equity, respect for diversity, cultural inclusivity and cultural security are of paramount importance
- all staff within the mental health and AOD workforce, are actively involved in workforce planning and development issues
- recovery-oriented practice underpins service delivery
- holistic, whole-of-person services are common practice
- trauma-informed and family-inclusive methods are common practice
- workforce configuration is flexible and responsive
- changes within the workforce are sustainable.
Workforce Strategic Framework Implementation
In consultation with WAAMH, WANADA and Consumers of Mental Health WA, the Commission developed four initial packages of initiatives to support the priority areas of the Workforce Strategic Framework. They focused on:
- Aboriginal workforce development
- peer workforce capacity building
- employment pathways and organisational capacity building
- training in trauma-informed care and practice.
To support implementation of the Workforce Strategic Framework across public sector mental health services, the Department of Health developed the Mental Health Clinical Workforce Action Plan. The Commission is working closely with the Department of Health to deliver and monitor actions identified in this plan.
Page last updated3 May 2025
