Hosted in partnership with Whāraurau, the national centre for Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ICAMH) workforce development, the conference brought together clinicians from across Aotearoa to learn, connect, and promote fidelity to the model.
The agenda included presentations on Cultural Identity, Youth Perspectives and an online session on Community Partnerships, delivered by co-founder of CAPA and Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Ann York.
Delegates enjoyed the opportunity to network and learn from each other. “I found the presentation from Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay about developing and maintaining community connections, useful,” says Clarissa Ventress. “It was inspiring to see how we might further develop CAPA in our district, and what we might replicate.”
MHAIDS representatives also delivered a presentation about the work in the CAMHS sector to increase fidelity to the model, as part of the Mental Health and Addiction Change Programme. “We’re ahead of other areas in some respects, as we’ve been really focused on fidelity.
“There is commitment to make sure this work is sustainable, to improve access and flow, and make things better for young people and whānau.”
Each month we’ll be getting to know two of MHAIDS' CAPA champions and hearing a little more about what drives their passion for improvement.
/megan-cda-400.png) | Clinical Psychologist, Porirua CAMHS What have you enjoyed about being a CAPA champion? I really enjoy the regular opportunities to connect in with clinicians from the other services. It’s lovely and useful to hear what everyone else is up to. What's something you've learned since becoming a CAPA champion? It is difficult to do CAPA well when teams are understaffed. Some challenges are shared with other services. What do you see as being the biggest benefit of CAPA? Ideally it will be a consistent approach across services, which will lead to equitable services regardless of where in the motu you live. |
 | Clinical Psychologist, Wellington CAMHS What have you enjoyed about being a CAPA champion? It has been nice to connect with likeminded people in other teams, and to learn about the ways in which we can deliver services more effectively. What's something you've learned since becoming a CAPA champion? Often, a secondary mental health service can seem a stressful and unpredictable environment for both service users and staff. Through my time as CAPA champion, I have learned that job plans are an effective way of managing this. When used well, they can lead to a predictable, sustainable workload for clinicians that take into account their competencies and interests, while balancing overall service demand. They also ensure that tāngata whaiora and their whānau are seen in a timely manner and provided effective and appropriate care. What do you see as being the biggest benefit of CAPA? That, if implemented well, it could lead to equitable and timely access to appropriate services, reducing both distress for tāngata whaiora and clinician burden. |
