Developing a Culturally Competent Workforce that Meets the Needs of Pacific People Living in New Zealand

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of innovative Pacific workforce development initiatives. Pacific people have higher rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, as well as lower rates of service access compared to New Zealand's general population. Pacific families also tend to have high and complex mental health needs, traditional cultural worldviews that are different from the dominant western mental health paradigms, and a workforce with severe under-representation of Pacific people. National non-government organization (NGO) Le Va, was established to reduce ethnic disparities in the access to, and quality of mental health and addictions services, through a targeted workforce development strategy to achieve better outcomes for Pacific people. This chapter specifically describes three of Le Va's programmes designed to increase Pacific workforce capacity and capability, and cultural competency of the “mainstream” workforce. These include cultural competency training, effective upskilling and growth through scholarships and support, and leadership development.