FIELD                 HEALTH

 

Review of Mental Health qualification

 

National Certificate in Mental Health (Mental Health Support Work) (Level 4) [Ref: 0431]

 

Careerforce (Community Support Services Industry Training Organisation Limited) has completed the review of the qualification listed above.

 

Replacement qualification

 

National Certificate in Mental Health and Addiction Support (Level 4) with optional strands in Addiction, Family/Whānau, and Kaupapa Māori [Ref: 1678]

 

Date new versions published                                                          July 2011

 

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2014.

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

The review began in April 2009 as part of a contract that Careerforce held with the Ministry of Health.  Careerforce networked with mental health and addiction service providers, the Ministry of Health, and peak bodies.

 

This networking led to the formation of an external reference group in August 2009 and subsequently a sector panel, tasked with reviewing current Support of Mental Health Consumers/Tangata Whai Ora unit standards in order to design a Level 4 National Certificate in Mental Health and Addiction Support, to replace the current National Certificate in Mental Health (Mental Health Support Work)(Level 4), which no longer met the needs of the sector.

 

Subsequently, a number of specialist panels were formed to develop unit standards that would provide the basis for optional strands in the replacement qualification.

 

National Certificate in Mental Health (Mental Health Support Work) (Level 4) [Ref: 0431]

Replaced by

National Certificate in Mental Health and Addiction Support (Level 4) with optional strands in Addiction, Family/Whānau, and Kaupapa Māori [Ref: 1678]

 

Review category

C

See Key to Review Categories at the end of this report

 

Differences between qualifications

·      The title and classification have changed.

·      New standards 26971-26973 and 26983-26991 relating to both mental health and addiction support have been added to the compulsory section.

·      Standards 13424, 13426, 13429, 13431-13433, 13441, and 21920-21928 in the lapsing domain Support of Mental Health Consumers/Tangata Whai Ora have been removed from the compulsory section.

·      Two elective sections have been added. Elective 1 focuses on cultural issues relevant to mental health and addiction support. Elective 2 contains two standards relating to the care of persons with dementia; one standard introducing Kaupapa Hauora; and a choice of standards from the Mental Health and Addiction Support domain.

·      Three optional internal strands are available through Elective 2 that recognise areas of specialisation within mental health and addiction support.

·      The total credit requirement has been reduced from 122 credits to 105 credits.

 

Transition Arrangements

 

Candidates working towards version 4 or 5 of the replaced qualification can either complete that version or transfer to the new qualification.  The last date for assessments to take place for versions 4 or 5 of the replaced qualification is December 2014.

 

Programmes or courses leading to this qualification can start from the date the qualification is registered.

 

This qualification contains standards that replace earlier standards.  For the purposes of this qualification, people who have gained credit for the expiring standards are exempt from the requirement to gain credit for the replacement standards - see table below.

 

Credit for	Exempt from
17029	23920
23381	25987

 

It is not intended that anyone be disadvantaged by this review.  However, anyone who feels they have been disadvantaged may appeal to Careerforce at the address below.

 

Community Support Services ITO Limited

PO Box 25255

Christchurch 8144

 

Telephone       03 371 9295 or 0800 277 486

Facsimile         03 371 9285

Email                info@careerforce.org.nz

Website            http://www.careerforce.org.nz/

Key to Qualification Review Categories

 

Category A The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID	Changes are made to SSB name, contact details or purpose statement
	No change is made to title, rules or components of the qualification
	No transition arrangements are required
Category B The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID	Changes are made to title, rules or components
	The new version of the qualification recognises a similar skill set to that recognised by the previous version
	The SSB is confident that people awarded the new or previous version are comparable in terms of competence
	Transition arrangements are required if candidates must gain additional/different credits for the new version
Category C A new (replacement) qualification is published with new NQF ID	Significant changes are made to the qualification in terms of components, structure, type or level
	The SSB views people with the replacement qualification as being significantly different in terms of competence from those with the replaced qualification
	Transition arrangements are required
	Transition may be limited to phase-out dates
Category D Qualification will expire. There is no replacement qualification	Qualification is no longer required by industry
	The qualification is designated as expiring and a last date for meeting the qualification requirements is set