Seitapu - Engaging Pasifika

Enhancing the Pacific cultural competency of the mental health and addiction workforce

The name derives from the Pacific words sei – a flower, feathers or similar adornment worn behind the ear or in the hair to bring out and enhance the beauty of a person – and tapu, meaning sacred.

Real Skills plus Seitapu 

Real Skills plus Seitapu is a Pacific cultural competency framework that people working with Pacific service users and their families can aspire to. It is part of the Ministry of Health’s Let’s get real framework, which describes the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes required to deliver effective mental health and addictions services in New Zealand. This is important particularly given the findings of Te Rau Hinengaro.

Real Skills plus Seitapu was adapted from the original Seitapu Pacific Mental Health and Addictions Clinical and Cultural Competencies Framework. 

Real Skills plus Seitapu was launched at the Inaugural Pacific Consumer & Family Conference in May 2009. A presentation was delivered at the conference by Vito Nonumalo, with the assistance of Fuimaono Karl-Pulotu Endemann, one of the key authors for the original Seitapu document.

A workbook is currently being developed together with other workbooks being developed for Let's get real. Both Seitapu and Let's get real are included in the current draft National Service Framework specifications. This will help to ensure that support services provided to Pacific people in New Zealand are appropriate and effective.

Implementation has begun, with an Engaging Pasifika training pilot delivered in April 2010 and the national roll out now underway.

Download in PDF format

Real Skills plus Seitapu PDF (614kb)

Further information

For all enquiries please contact Manase Lua.

Page last updated: 4 August 2010