Core Competencies: A common language for early psychosis practioners
Helen Osman1,2,5, Anthony Jorm3, Eoin Killackey2, Dianne Mulcahy4; 1Centre for Youth Mental Health, 2Orygen National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health, 3Melbourne School of Population Health, 4Melbourne Graduate School of Education, 5EPPIC Statewide, Orygen Youth Health
Background: Evidence for early intervention in psychosis has steadily grown over the last 20 years, leading to increased funding for service development and a rapidly expanding early psychosis workforce. This has raised issues regarding the capacity of the existing workforce to deliver high quality evidence-based early psychosis interventions and how fidelity to an early psychosis treatment model can be ensured. Simultaneously, there have been shifts in contemporary health practice and health workforce reform with a focus on collaborative inter-professional education and practice. The development of inter-professional competency standards has been identified as a useful tool to facilitate inter-professional education and practice Method: The Delphi method was used to establish expert consensus on the core competencies required of clinicians in the early psychosis field. An extensive literature search was conducted to generate competency items. An expert panel consisting of clinicians from around the world were formed. Panel members then rated each of the competency items on how essential they are to clinical practice. Results: The study generated a set of core competencies required of clinicians working in the early psychosis field. An overview of the core competencies will be presented. Implications: The core competencies identified provide a common language for early psychosis practitioners across professional disciplines and regardless of country of practice. They may also provide a useful resource in the design and development of curriculum and training programs, staff recruitment and retention and to individual practitioners in planning their professional development.
Topic Area: Service System Development and Reform