Abstract
We were pleased to see articles in the Journal on leadership, management and team roles for psychiatrists in mental health services [1, 2]. Concurrent with what we found to be the issues for psychiatrists at the Werribee Mercy Mental Health Program (WMMHP), Tobin and Edwards commented that ‘… most of the psychiatrists (surveyed) currently in leadership and management roles perceive they are inadequately prepared for the task and poorly supported by their colleagues’ [1].
According to Herrman and colleagues, ‘the way that psychiatrists and other mental health professionals work together has an impact on standards of clinical care and professional satisfaction’ [2]. Czander [3] describes how organizational structures and leadership, and the quality of the relationships that people experience in working together, have a significant impact on how well people in the organization carry out their tasks. Applied to mental health organizations, it could be said that the delivery of mental health services will be enhanced where staff understand their roles, work well with each other, and have effective leadership.
The role of psychiatrists in the WMMHP was redefined to enable them to provide leadership in addition to fulfilling clinical responsibilities. As a result each program is headed by a manager and a psychiatrist and while they have different roles they are expected to work collaboratively in providing leadership. Most psychiatrists entering the service have varying degrees of clinical leadership experience but are not adequately equipped to take up a broader leadership and management role.
In order to facilitate the development of these skills we commenced a Psychiatrists' Leadership Development Program in January 2002. The group-based program aims to:
– Increase knowledge and understanding about organizational leadership; – Develop a shared understanding of the scope of the psychiatrist; – Provide a mutually supportive forum where psychiatrists can explore how to take up and develop leadership roles within the organization, and how to address the personal and organizational challenges in doing this. – Assist psychiatrists from predominantly non-Australian backgrounds to explore and learn about cultural issues that may impact on taking up a leadership role in the organization.
The program has been well utilized by psychiatrists and feedback has indicated that it is achieving its aims. We believe it essential to recognize that leadership and management roles require a specific skill set, and that programs are required to develop those skills. We anticipate that this will have a positive impact on the work environment for psychiatrists, managers and other staff, and improve delivery of clinical services.