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Locals Resource Hub

This space provides a catalogue of Locals resources relevant to both Early Career learners and Educators. 

Resources

Implemention Guide

This series of documents is intended to provide detailed yet flexible scaffolding for services establishing or reviewing a mental health early career program. 

Appendices

Capability to Competency Guide

Coming soon. This document aims to support the translation of the ‘Our Workforce, Our Future: A Capability Framework for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce’ into an early career context.

Our Workforce, Our Future

The ‘Our Workforce, Our Future’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Capability Framework provides a shared foundation for practice across Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system. It outlines the core capabilities expected of the workforce, alongside guiding principles that reflect recovery-oriented, person-centred, culturally safe and inclusive care. Together, the principles and capabilities support a consistent approach to practice while allowing flexibility across different roles, disciplines and service contexts.  
 
Within the Locals Early Career Program, the Framework is used to guide learning, support development, and help early career practitioners build the knowledge, skills and values needed to work safely and effectively in contemporary mental health and wellbeing services. 
 
Building on the principles from the Framework and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission have released a series of guiding documents to support mental health and wellbeing services to apply the principles across all levels of service design  -https://www.mhwc.vic.gov.au/guidance 

Principles

These seven principles were created within the Our Workforce, Our future framework and provide a view of the values and approaches that underpin all interactions between professionals and consumers, carers and families.

This Guidance Summary provides an overview of how clinicans can ensure their practice follows the principles.

Capabilities

These fifteen capabilities were created within the Our Workforce, Our Future framework, improving the delivery of quality care, support and treatment. Consumers, carers, family and supporters are centred in this model to remain adaptable and accurate.

Mental Health Victoria recognises that the intersectionality of these capabilities shapes and reflects the lived experiences of people with mental health conditions. While efforts have been made to ensure resources are matched to the capabilities there will be many which support learning across multiple areas of the framework.

1 - Embedding responsible, safe and ethical practice

MHPOD

“Embedding responsible, safe and ethical practice,”
“Privacy, Confidentiality and Effective Documentation,”
“Legislation and Human Rights,”
“Building the Therapeutic Relationship,”
“Human Rights and Mental Health,”
“Advocacy in Mental Health” 
“Human Rights and Mental Health”
“Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles”


2 - Working with Aboriginal consumers, families, and communities

MHPOD topics include:

"Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, families, supporters and communities"
"Improving the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children"
"Using Aboriginal cultural knowledge systems to strengthen families resiliance"
"Honouring Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander voices in healing family violence"
"Social Emotional and Cultural Wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples"
"Working with First Nations families and children: A framework for understanding"
"Healing through voice, culture and Country"


3 - Working with diverse consumers, families, and communities

MHPOD

“Diversity and Cultural Awareness”

“Culturally Safe, Trauma-aware and Healing-informed Practice”

 “Working with Diverse Consumers, Families and Communities”

“Mental Health and Transgender and Gender Diverse People”

“Neurodiversity and Mental Health”


General Resources


Multicultural Resources


Disability Resources


LGBTIQA+ Resources

4 - Understanding and responding to trauma

MHPOD

"Understanding and Responding to Trauma"

"Trauma and Mental Health"

"Culturally Safe, Trauma-Aware and Healing-Informed Practice"

"The Impact of Trauma on the Child"


  • Blueknot – Empowering Recovery from Complex Trauma
  • Foundation House – Trauma informed learning working with people from refugee backgrounds
  • Elevate – Introduction to Trauma Informed Care – E-Learning
  • MHCC – Mental Health Coordinating Council – Trauma-Informed Language Tips
  • MHPN – Mental Health Professionals Network – Webinar Library – Topic: Trauma
  • National BPD Training Strategy
  • Phoenix Australia – Enhancing Trauma Informed Practice in Victoria’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Services
  • Spectrum – Education and Training Calendar

5 - Understanding and responding to mental health crisis and suicide

MHPOD

“Suicide Prevention and Response in Healthcare Settings”

“Working With People Who Are Experiencing Suicidal Ideation or Behaviours”

“Understanding and Responding to Mental Health Crisis and Suicide”


6 - Understanding and responding to substance use and addiction

MHPOD

Understanding and responding to substance use and addiction”

“The Impacts of parental substance use on the child”


7 - Understanding and responding to family violence

MHPOD

“Understanding and Responding to Family Violence”

“The impact of family and domestic violence on the child”

“Honouring Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander voices in healing family violence”


8 - Working effectively with families, carers and supporters

MHPOD

“Working Effectively with Families Carers and Supporters”

“Working with First Nations families and children: A framework for understanding”

“Working with diverse consumers, families and communities”


9 - Delivering holistic and collaborative assessment and care planning

MHPOD

"Delivering holistic and collaborative assessment and care planning”

“The national framework for recovery-orientated mental health services”

“Social Determinant of Mental Health”

“Psychosocial interventions and supports for recovery”

“Formulation”

“Diagnostic systems and the impact of diagnosis”

“Mental Health Assessment and Mental Status Examination”


There is also a series on NDIS including Understanding the NDIS & NDIS for Mental Health Clinicians


10 - Delivering compassionate care, support and treatment

MHPOD

“Delivering compassionate care, support and treatment”

“Recovery-Orientated Practice”


11 - Promoting prevention, early intervention and help-seeking

MHPOD

“Promoting prevention, early intervention and help-seeking”

“Mental health promotion, illness prevention and early intervention” 

“Supporting system navigation, partnerships and collaborative care”


12 - Supporting system navigation, partnerships and collaborative care

MHPOD

“Supporting system navigation, partnerships and collaborative care”


13 - Enabling reflective and supportive ways of working

MHPOD

“Reflective practice, professional supervision, self-care and wellbeing”

“Enabling reflective and supportive ways of working”


14 - Embedding evidence-informed continuous improvement

MHPOD 

“Embedding evidence-informed continuous improvement”

“Quality, outcomes and evidence-based practice”


15 - Working effectively with digital technologies

MHPOD

“Working effectively with digital technologies”