Challenge: Funded by the Victrorian Department of Health, RANZCP were charged to lead a project to develop a framework and leadership development program/s that facilitate and support the aspirations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System Final Report Recommendations. The framework was to be created by and for psychiatrists, in collaboration with people with a lived and living experience (LLE) of mental ill health and recovery, including consumers, carers, families and supporters.

Solution: Leading the project in support of the Working Group we developed a practical, hands-on co-design capability program where they learnt the principals of co-design alongside scoping the project, utilising stakeholder input to guide and shape the project from the beginning. Stakeholders, and particular those with LLE were engaged all throughout the project and two LLE representatives were later added to the Working Group. In addition to the framework, competencies, self-assessment tool and resources, there is a pilot of three online learning modules and podcast episodes.

Results: The framework has been incredibly well received across a variety of stakeholders from psychiatrists, key education and CPD committees, internal education and specialist teams and LLE contributors. The outcome is a comprehensive and inclusive framework that was only possible due to the generous sharing and coming together of rich and diverse experiences, expertise, knowledge and skills. It's being seen as the first of its kind and although currently Victorian based, there is great capacity and interest to roll the framework out bi-nationally. You can find the framework here.