Pre-employment Training Program (Mental Health)

This pre-employment program is a Western Australian Association for Mental Health Initiative (WAAMH).

WAAMH is committed to supporting new workers to come into the community mental health sector.  Our pre-employment training program is designed to provide sector-specific information, skill training and opportunities to connect with employers.  The program also enhances services’ opportunities to find the ‘right people for the right jobs’.

This initiative supports people with the right values-fit and ‘soft-skills’ such as empathy, communication skills, flexibility and a willingness to learn to understand what is involved in support/carer roles and to develop skills that will support the theory and/or life experience that they also bring.

The program includes candidate selection processes (application-based), intensive training that integrates organisational, support worker, peer worker and lived experience perspectives into content delivery that covers topics such as person-centred and recovery approaches and planning, confidentiality, writing case notes and maintaining safe and professional boundaries.

The Pre-Employment Training program is a 12-month pilot program funded by the Mental Health Commission as part of its initial allocation of funds that accompanied the release of the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Strategic Framework 2020-2025.  The Framework aims to guide the growth and development of an appropriately qualified and skilled workforce that will provide individualised, high quality mental health and AOD services and programs for the Western Australian Community.

The expected outcomes for the Pre-employment Training program are:

• Enhanced worker skills, competence, and confidence
• Improved recruitment and retention – attracting and keeping the right people
• Reduced costs due to staffing shortages
• Improved quality of services for consumers as workers skill sets are enhanced
• Improved support for regional service providers as they can access via WAAMH’s online interactive learning stream.