The Get Together FaST initiative is the comprehensive basic FaST program which helps your service create an over-arching family sensitive framework that is relevant to all staff; clinical and non clinical. The Get Together FaST initiative can provide an integrated family sensitive approach across your entire mental health service or network.
Each training course usually comprises six modules delivered over six half day or three full day sessions. However, the mode of delivery can be varied to suit local needs. The training involves carers, consumers and service providers learning with, and from, each other. Participants work together in small syndicates to create innovative service development projects, which are presented to management for consideration at the end of the training.
Rigorous evaluation (see Evaluation Report) has proved the Get Together FaST training results in significant practical improvements to service provision and to greater confidence in working with families and other carers. Our training consultants provide feedback to managers including the results of formal evaluation and any recommendations for ongoing service improvement. Initiatives which arise out of the Get Together FaST program can be supported and developed further by advanced FaST services or ongoing consultations.
Get Together FaST will provide:
- A proven structure and expert support from FaST consultants to assist your service to plan and implement practical goals in the area of family and carer sensitive policy and procedures.
- A training framework which allows carers, (usually two representatives) consumers, (usually 2 representatives) and workers to learn along side each other.
- Practical service development projects generated by carers, consumers and front-line staff during the training and presented to management for consideration.
- High quality training for 20-25 key staff that will represent your service and be able to develop skills and ideas that will assist your service to implement family sensitive policy and procedures.
- A substantial training experience consisting of 6 half day modules conducted over a six week period.
- A professionally produced work-book designed to be an ongoing resource for participants and therefore your agency.
- FaST Video Kits made available for ongoing use in your agency. The Kit contains 4 professionally produced videos and accompanying manuals. The Kit can be used for ongoing work with families and carers and for staff development. Your staff involved in the training will become skilled in using the FaST Video Series Kit.
- Ongoing Support in developing a 12 month plan (and beyond) for continuing the promotion of effective work with families and other carers. The plan will benefit from participant feedback and rigorous formal evaluation (which was conducted by an external researcher) of the Get Together FaST training across Victoria.
- The Get Together FaST project will give your service an advantage in working towards achieving National Mental Health Standards and implementing state carer policy.
Component 1: Consultation process
- To secure management's commitment and support for the FaST Strategy.
- To help clarify the local goals in the area of working with carers & other family members.
- To negotiate how the FaST training strategy can help each particular service to obtain their goals.
Component 2: FaST methodology
- Managers invite or nominate staff to participate in the FaST training as representatives of their services. Staff completing Get Together FaST then become an asset (i.e. knowledgeable & skilful in family sensitive attitudes, models and practices) for management to produce effective family work within their service.
- Action Learning: participants will put their weekly training into practice in the form of experiments/trials/practice research with in their agencies. Thus theory will be put into practice (T.I.P.s) and tested for suitability and compatibility with local and organisational conditions.
Component 3: FaST training & service development
Get Together FaST provides quality training to a carefully selected core group of staff, consumers, and carers using the latest research and training technologies. Participants in the training will provide knowledge, leadership and modelling for their colleagues. Working in small syndicate groups, participants are invited to develop proposals that translate family sensitive theory into practice. Proposals are written up in the form of project briefs. Project briefs are then presented to team leaders and management at the end of the training. In Victoria, syndicate groups developed over 200 project briefs, of which 162 were recorded in the formal evaluation. A more rigorous account of the projects is available in the formal evaluation of the Get Together FaST initiative.
Component 4: Follow-up to assist ongoing family sensitive planning
Once the Get Together FaST training is complete the FaST project team will provide feedback, advice and suggestions regarding how each service can continue making their services more family sensitive. The FaST team can assist services to develop a 12 month plan for facilitating family sensitivity practice. FaST consultants draw on their knowledge of the family sensitive projects developed across Victoria and experience gained from local and state-wide evaluation of the training. A range of advanced FaST training and consultation services are available.
