Tools and Strategies

In your role as a mental health and addiction support worker, you will use different tools and strategies to support tangata to meet intended outcomes and achieve wellness.

Some of the ways you can help your tangata include:

• supporting their autonomy
• fostering their hope in recovery
• supporting them in their recovery
• helping them build resilience

Supporting autonomy

Autonomy means being independent and not relying on others. Depending on their circumstances, people may need differing degrees of support throughout their lives. The three degrees of support that everyone will experience at some time in their life are:

1. Dependence – a person relies on others for support for day-to-day tasks.
2. Interdependence – a person looks to another person for mutual support, usually from whānau or friends.
3. Independence – a person doesn’t need any support for day-to-day tasks.

Several key factors lead to independence, such as:

• supportive social networks
• choices
• stable health
• security and income
• good fitness levels
• informal supports
• timely packages of care
• community involvement
• goals
• preventative health measures in place
• responsiveness to changes in condition
• assessment and early intervention/treatment of conditions

In our lives, we aim to be as independent as possible, although we may sometimes be dependent/interdependent on others. When people feel they have some control over their lives and can exercise their rights, they are more likely to be independent/interdependent. Autonomy is achieved when there is a balance between interdependence and independence.

Factors hindering independence

Some factors can hinder a person’s progress towards independence.

Activity

Before you turn each card in the following activity, think about a tangata you have provided care for. Did they experience any of the factors which might have hindered their progress towards independence? How do you think this made them feel?

Fostering hope

Foster means to nurture or look after. Hope is the belief that challenges and conditions can be overcome in the future. Therefore, fostering hope is to support hope in recovery. In recovery from addiction, hope is often the force that motivates people enough to start making concrete changes. Mental illnesses such as depression may lead to feelings of hopelessness. However, having hope that the illness can be treated can be an important part of recovery.

Supporting recovery

Recovery is different for every person and refers to living a satisfying, hopeful and meaningful life as each person defines that for themselves. Regardless of whether you are supporting someone with mental illness or addiction issues, recovery will be a sometimes challenging process. You can support the tangata’s journey of recovery through physical and emotional support.

Building resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Building resilience requires taking care of yourself both physically and emotionally. To help your tangata build resilience, you can support them to build connections with friends and whānau and look after their physical health, e.g. with a good diet and exercise.

Advocacy

You may need to advocate for the tangata you are supporting. Advocacy is putting forward views or requests on behalf of another person to reach a desired outcome.

An issue requiring advocacy could be cultural, economic, social, legal, or related to support or care issues. It may involve whānau, communities affected by the issue, or other agencies or organisations providing support.

Tools

There are multiple tools that you can employ to support your clients. These include:

• personal plans
• legislation
• professional development and courses
• health models

What is a personal plan?

All people receiving support in a health and wellbeing setting will have a personal plan (sometimes referred to as a personal wellbeing or personal care plan). This plan will have been developed in consultation with the person and their whānau.

Personal plans outline how an organisation will support the person’s:

• treatment, rehabilitation, medications
• needs and goals
• activities of daily life
• independence
• quality of life and wellbeing

The personal plan will outline the tasks and activities with which the person needs support. Support may be:

• physical
• social
• emotional
• health-related

The plan will include details of the planned interventions and care and support practices. Creating and implementing a personal plan will likely involve an interdisciplinary team. The skills and knowledge of each team member will combine to provide coordinated and holistic support for a person.

As a member of that team and as someone who may frequently work with the tangata being supported, it is important that you understand the processes of developing personal plans and goals and the part you play in implementing the plan.

Developing a personal plan

Organisations have differing policies and procedures around developing personal plans. What follows is a generalised example.

Seeking help from a support organisation

The tangata may present themselves to a health or support organisation or be referred to one. Referrals can come from a number of sources, including a GP or hospital, whānau, or another agency already providing support.

Assessment

The assessment may be undertaken by a healthcare professional, an assessment unit within a healthcare provider or a Needs Assessment Service Coordination organisation (NASC). The assessor will determine the appropriate support and identify organisations that can provide that support.

Support provider plan development

Once the person has been referred to a support provider, that provider will perform its own assessment. This will identify the needs to be met and the best ways to provide that support. The personal plan is created based on this analysis.

Implementation

Implementation refers to putting the personal plan into action. It involves executing the strategies, interventions, and services outlined in the plan to address the person's identified needs. This phase requires collaboration among healthcare professionals, caregivers, and the care recipient to ensure the plan's components are properly executed. Implementation may involve:

• Providing medical treatments, therapies, and medications as prescribed.
• Assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
• Facilitating social interactions, engagement in hobbies, and community activities.
• Monitoring and recording progress, changes, or challenges.
• Adapting the care environment for safety and accessibility.
• Communicating and coordinating with all relevant parties to ensure seamless execution.

Review

Regular reviews are essential to assess the effectiveness of the implemented strategies and interventions. Reviews involve evaluating whether the personal plan's goals are being achieved and if any adjustments or modifications are necessary. The review process may include:

• Periodic assessments of the person's physical, emotional, cognitive, and social wellbeing.
• Gathering input from the tangata, whānau, and involved professionals.
• Analysing any changes in the person's condition, preferences, or circumstances.
• Identifying areas of success and areas requiring improvement.
• Considering feedback and insights from caregivers and healthcare providers.

Update

Updating the personal plan involves making necessary changes based on the review's findings. Plans should be flexible and adaptable to accommodate the person's changing needs. Updates may include:

• Modifying interventions or services to better align with the person's evolving requirements.
• Setting new goals or adjusting existing ones.
• Incorporating new medical information, treatments, or medications.
• Altering the care environment to address safety concerns or changing mobility needs.
• Revising the plan to reflect the person's preferences and choices.

Incorporating these stages ensures that care remains responsive, customised, and effective over time. Regularly implementing, reviewing, and updating personal plans improves the person's quality of life and demonstrates a commitment to providing compassionate and comprehensive care that evolves along with their needs.

Personal planning example

Legislation and professional development

Legislation and your own professional development are tools that can be leveraged to support tangata autonomy, foster hope and support recovery. Review the content on these topics and complete the activity below.

Activity

Review the content on these topics for a refresher and complete the activity below to create a useful resource.

Health models

Health models are a great addition to your toolkit. Review content from the course on the following health models and complete the activity that follows.

1. Te Whare Tapa Whā
2. Te Wheke
3. Fonofale

Activity

Examples of strategies

Strategies are approaches you can use to help tangata achieve autonomy, foster hope, and support them in their recovery while building resilience. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Using mentoring and facilitation
• Communication skills
• Working in a multidisciplinary team
• The Let’s get real framework and the seven real skills
• Natural supports of the tangata – e.g. friends and whānau
• Focusing on the tangata’s strengths
• Working to overcome barriers to engagement through community participation
• Pae Ora strategies

Some of these strategies have already been covered in this course. Complete the activity that follows to apply your existing knowledge to the question of how to promote tangata autonomy, foster hope, and provide support.

Activity

Community engagement

Staying engaged with friends, whānau, and the wider community can be an important step in recovery from mental health and addiction issues. You can help your client by identifying opportunities for community participation and social inclusion. A person-centred approach will help you work collaboratively with the person to identify and choose activities and opportunities for inclusion that match their interests.

There may be barriers to community engagement that you may be able to help address. These could include:

• Physical health issues: if the tangata feels tired or physically unwell, they may not want to engage. Let your supervisor know so that the tangata’s GP or health provider can be informed.
• Financial constraints: the tangaga may feel they cannot afford to engage in activities outside the house. Look out for ways to engage that do not cost money and are easily accessible. Ensure that your tangata is getting all the financial support that is due to them.
• Lack of confidence: the tangata may feel anxious about meeting new people. This can be addressed by accompanying the tangata or encouraging whānuau to attend.
• Feeling unskilled: the tangata may fear that they do not have the skills required to undertake the activity. This can be addressed through careful selection of suitable activities and encouragement to try new things.

Ref: Baxter, L., Burton, A. and Fancourt, D. Community and cultural engagement for people with lived experience of mental health conditions

Pae Ora strategies

The Pae Ora (Health Futures) Act was passed in 2022. From the Act, six strategies were developed to set the direction for how health services would meet the needs of New Zealanders. The strategies are:

• The New Zealand Health Strategy
• Pae Tū: Hauora Māori Strategy
• Te Mana Ola: The Pacific Health Strategy
• The Women's Health Strategy
• The Health of Disabled People Strategy
• The Rural Health Strategy

Pae Ora provides strategies that can be used to support tangata self-determination and autonomy. The strategy that you use will depend on the needs of the service user that you are supporting.

Click on the link to access the Ministry of Health page listing the six strategies. Click on the link for each strategy and read the information provided.

In many cases, whānau play a significant role in supporting the family member needing mental health and addiction care. However, most whānau members will not have medical or support training. They will want information about their family member’s mental health/addiction issues and support options.

Accessing resource materials for family members related to health issues can be challenging. However, you can guide whānau in their quest for information. If the tangata has a diagnosed mental illness or addiction, background information on this condition can be useful for whānau. They may also want information about how best to support their loved one and any specific services available to assist or improve the tangata’s wellbeing.

Remember always to evaluate the sources you're using. Stick to reliable and well-established sources to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the information you're accessing. If you want personalised information or advice, always talk to a healthcare professional in that field of experience.

Some potential sources of information include:

• GPs and health specialists
• Counsellors and other support staff
• Brochures – these are often found in GP offices
• Reputable websites such as government health sites
• Non-profit /charity organisations
• Health apps
• Books and ebooks – search the library
• Support groups
• Medical journals

You have already covered self-awareness and self-reflection earlier in this course. This serves as a reminder of the basics.

• Self-awareness begins with self-reflection.
• Self-reflection is about questioning positively what you do, and why you do it and deciding if there is a better or more efficient way of doing it in the future.
• It can be challenging, but you need to remain objective and honest when analysing your behaviour.
• Self-awareness means understanding how you think and behave. It also includes honestly describing what skills you have and what skills you are missing.
• Identify the self-reflection questions you want to ask yourself. Ask yourself ‘how’ questions rather than ‘why’ questions.

Watch: Examples of Reflective Practice (2:51 minutes)

Watch the following video, which provides examples of reflection in healthcare.

Reflection On your journey

Now that you've explored what it takes to become a mental health or addiction support worker, it's time for some self-reflection. Reflecting on your personal goals and aspirations is essential to your journey. This exercise will help you connect with your motivations and set a clear path forward.

Remember, your path to becoming a mental health or addiction support worker is a unique and personal journey. By reflecting on your aspirations and taking proactive steps towards your goals, you're well on your way to making a positive impact on the lives of others.