Playing an important part in implementation and refresh of the Choice and Partnership Approach (CAPA) is a group of ‘CAPA champions’. Representing each of the seven CAMHS teams across our districts, champions are clinicians who work closely with their respective team leaders to achieve greater adherence to CAPA.
CAPA is a service delivery model that, when used to its full potential, offers responsive and consistent care for tāngata whaiora and whānau. Benefits include more effective service delivery, and improved demand and capacity management.
“Champions are individuals who are committed to the success of the CAPA model,” says Clarissa Ventress, Operations Manager of Younger Persons Mental Health and Addiction at MHAIDS.
“They inspire and motivate peers and serve as role models. This encourages a sense of ownership and accountability among team members - making change more sustainable.”
Objectives of the CAPA champions include:
- Learning from each other
- Acting as advocates for CAPA
- Participation in decision-making
- Making sure their team is well-informed
- Supporting their team leader
- Helping create a culture of collaboration and inclusion in their team
- Encouraging dialogue to help the team better understand CAPA
- Working to create a partnership between service providers and stakeholders
- Being a sounding board for the team leader and offering advice on fostering an environment that supports CAPA
To achieve these goals, champions get together monthly, to share where their teams are on their CAPA journeys and discuss what they’ve learned.
Sharing knowledge is vital to realising the benefits of CAPA, and so in August, the champions organised an all-sector hui for CAMHS teams across MHAIDS, with a focus on local information-sharing and the opportunity to workshop different parts of CAPA.
Meet the champions
Each month we’ll be getting to know two of the champions and hearing a little more about what drives their passion for improvement.
 | Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Tautāwhi, ICAFS What have you enjoyed about being a CAPA champion? Supporting ideas for other teams to improve services. What's something you've learned since becoming a CAPA champion? How many ‘ingredients’ are involved, such as being client-centred, working collaboratively with our colleagues so that skill sets are being used at the right time and in the right manner, and empowering clients to live independently from services. And the ‘start to end’ nature of CAPA, from informing whānau at the triage process what to expect, and that their active involvement in and between sessions is essential for positive change, to regularly reviewing progress to make sure we are optimising engagement and progress to prepare for discharge. What do you see as being the biggest benefit of CAPA? Helping streamline how services function and creating better outcomes for our clients. |
 | Psychotherapist, Kaiarahi ICAFS What have you enjoyed about being a CAPA champion? Being part of something with colleagues from other CAMHS services, sharing ideas and ways of working, and planning events. What's something you've learned since becoming a CAPA champion? How other CAMHS services operate, their strengths and challenges and reflecting on and thinking strategically about specific aspects of the service I work in, which I wouldn’t have done normally as part of my day-to-day role as a clinician. What do you see as being the biggest benefit of CAPA? Building consistency across CAMHS services in the Wellington region. |
What's next for the champions?
“We are going to retain the champions in each team as they have made a significant contribution to the implementation of CAPA through the sharing of their expertise and knowledge,” says Clarissa.
“Champions will continue to actively identify areas for improvement. Their ongoing commitment ensures the model remains relevant and effective.”
Over the next couple of months, the champions will be working with the team leaders to evaluate fidelity to the model in each team.
“This is vital to ensure we don't have significant variations to the model across the sector, as this ultimately leads to compromised access and longer wait times,” says Clarissa.
