There is an emerging trend within healthcare to introduce competency-based approaches in the training, assessment, and development of the workforce. The trend is evident in various disciplines and specialty areas within the field of behavioral health. This article is designed to inform those efforts by presenting a step-by-step process for developing a competency model. An introductory overview of competencies, competency models, and the legal implications of competency development is followed by a description of the seven steps involved in creating a competency model for a specific function, role, or position. This modeling process is drawn from advanced work on competencies in business and industry.

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Increasing attention is being directed to the competency of those who deliver healthcare in the United States. In behavioral health, there is growing recognition of the need to define, teach, and assess essential competencies. Since attention to this issue in behavioral health is relatively recent, there is much to be gained by learning from the principles, definitions, and conceptual models of competency that have been developed in other fields. This article outlines the forces that drive the current focus on competency of the healthcare workforce. Relevant history, principles, definitions, and models that have evolved through research and application in business and industry are reviewed. From this analysis, recommendations are offered to guide future work on competencies in behavioral health.

Much research has demonstrated that employee engagement is significantly correlated with positive organizational outcomes such as productivity, customer satisfaction, and reduced absenteeism. This article focuses on the importance of effective performance management in driving engagement. The results of a government‐wide survey of federal employees are reported. Every one of the 37 positive performance management practices reviewed was employed more widely in the agencies with the highest percentages of engaged employees.

This eighth article in the Performance Technologist's Toolbox series introduces the data collection method of case studies. The article describes the decisions that need to be made in planning case study research and then presents examples of how case studies can be used in several performance technology applications. The advantages and disadvantages of case studies as a data collection method are discussed and guidelines for their use are given.