The document outlines the various pathways to registration as a psychologist in Australia, including completing a 4-year accredited psychology degree followed by a 2-year internship (4+2 pathway), a 5-year degree plus 1-year internship (5+1 pathway), or obtaining a higher degree such as a Masters or PhD in psychology. It also discusses the requirements for registration, including English language competence, criminal history checks, supervision during internships, and gaining endorsement in specialized areas of practice. The Psychology Board of Australia oversees the registration process according to the National Law.
Pathways to registration as a psychologist psychology board of australia
1. Pathways to registration
as a Psychologist
Simon Milton
Professional Officer
Psychology Board of Australia
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
2. Today
• Why are psychologists registered?
• Why should you be registered?
• National Law
• Pathways to registration
▫ Prerequisites
▫ 4+2 pathway
▫ 5+1 pathway
▫ Higher degree
▫ Endorsement
• Questions
3. Why are psychologists registered?
• Psychologists are dangerous
• Risk to the public warrants legislative oversight
• Clientele are:
▫ Vulnerable, easily exploited
▫ Can be at significant risk to self and others
▫ Have serious mental health problems that should
receive evidence-based interventions
4. Why register as a psychologist?
• Use of title
• Most employers require registration
• Access to government funded schemes –
Medicare, Work Cover, Veteran Affairs
• Protects the public
5. Health Practitioner Regulation
National Law
• “to provide for the protection of the public by ensuring
that only health practitioners who are suitably trained
and qualified to practise in a competent and ethical
manner are registered”
• Ministerial Council appoints the Psychology Board of
Australia
• PsyBA approve registration standards and Code of Ethics
– MinCo can veto if impact on workforce
• AHPRA the administrative body for the national scheme
6. Prerequisites to registration – 4 year degree
• Successful completion of a four year accredited sequence of study in psychology
▫ Australian Psychology Accreditation Council
▫ www.apac.psychology.org.au
• Four year degree at UNSW
▫ Bachelor of Psychology
▫ Bachelor of Science (Advanced Science)
▫ Bachelor of Science (Advanced Science)/Bachelor of Arts
▫ Bachelor of Science (Advanced Science)/Bachelor of Social Science
• Three year degree plus a fourth year at UNSW
▫ Bachelor of Arts + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Science + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Science (Media and Communications) + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Commerce + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Engineering + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Social Science + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Law + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
▫ Bachelor of Social Science + Bachelor of Science (Honours)
7. Prerequisites to registration – suitable person
• Any impairment that would detrimentally affect capacity to practice
• English language competence
▫ IELTS, or
▫ Both tertiary and secondary education in Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom, USA
• Registration history in this or any other jurisdictions
• Recency of practice
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Continuing Profession Development
8. Criminal history
• The nature and gravity of the offence or alleged offence and its relevance to health
practice.
• The period of time since the health practitioner committed, or allegedly committed,
the offence.
• Whether a finding of guilt or a conviction was recorded for the offence or a charge for
the offence is still pending.
• The sentence imposed for the offence.
• The ages of the health practitioner and of any victim at the time the health
practitioner committed, or allegedly committed, the offence.
• Whether or not the conduct that constituted the offence or to which the charge
relates has been decriminalised since the health practitioner committed, or allegedly
committed, the offence.
• The health practitioner’s behaviour since he or she committed, or allegedly
committed, the offence.
• The likelihood of future threat to a patient of the health practitioner.
9. 4+2 Pathway
• Four year accredited sequence of study in Psychology followed by two year Board-approved
internship
▫ S53.2.d
▫ Future of pathway
• Must hold provisional registration during internship
• Complete between 2 and 5 years
• Placement
▫ 3080 hours overall
▫ minimum 17.5 hours per week
▫ Minimum two years, maximum five years
▫ 1232 hours direct client contact
• Professional development
▫ 60 hours per year – regardless of how many hours met to date
▫ 120 hours overall
10. Potential employers
• NSW Health
• Centrelink
• Department of Defence
• DADHC
• CRS
• PRA
• Centacare
• DET, Catholic schools, private schools
• Drug and alcohol services
• Gambling services
• Rehabilitation providers
• Employment agencies
• Large private practices
• Autism
• Organisational psychology
11. 4+2 Pathway (cont)
• Supervision
▫ 176 hours overall
▫ 117 hours individual supervision
▫ One hour per 17.5 hours of practice
▫ One hour per week of supervision
▫ One hour per fortnight of individual supervision
▫ Appoint principal and secondary supervisor
▫ Maximum group supervision 33%, maximum
secondary supervisor supervision 25%
12. 4+2 Pathway (cont)
• Core capabilities
▫ knowledge of the discipline
▫ ethical, legal and professional matters
▫ psychological assessment and measurement
▫ intervention strategies
▫ research and evaluation
▫ communication and interpersonal relationships
▫ working within a cross-cultural context
▫ practice across the lifespan
• Core capabilities must be observed in the workplace by the supervisor
• Case studies
▫ Write six, submit three – all three must pass
▫ Note, 50% of case studies are failed
• Examination
13. 5+1 Pathway
• Four year accredited sequence of study in Psychology + Graduate
Diploma of Professional Psychology + One year Board-approved
internship
• Graduate Diploma of Professional Psychology
▫ One year full-time
▫ General training in core capabilities required for professional practice –
not specialist
▫ Coursework
▫ 300 hours of practica and skills training
• One year Board-approved internship
▫ Details to be determined in next month or so
▫ Likely to be 50% of 4+2 requirements
• Must hold provisional registration during GDPP and internship
14. Examination
• Exam is being developed
• Assess applied psychological knowledge and
competencies
• Multiple choice
• To be taken by:
▫ Applicants for general registration on completion
of 4+2 internship or 5+1 internship
▫ Overseas qualified applicants
▫ Those not meeting recency of practice standard
▫ ? Higher degree pathway
15. Higher degree pathway
• Professional accredited degrees - coursework, placement, applied research
• No research only degrees are recognised by the Board via this pathway
• At UNSW:
▫ Master of Psychology (Clinical)
▫ Master of Psychology (Forensic)
▫ Master of Psychology (Organisational)
▫ PhD / Master of Psychology (Clinical)
▫ PhD / Master of Psychology (Forensic)
▫ PhD / Master of Psychology (Organisational)
• Apply for provisional registration using application form on Board’s website
▫ Letter from Head of Department or transcript confirming enrolment
▫ Undergraduate transcripts must be sent by University
• Apply for full registration when complete degree
16. Area of practice endorsement
• Endorsement allows the public and employers to identify those
psychologists who have qualifications and supervised experience in an
advanced area of practice, in addition to the minimum level of training
required for General registration.
• Protects title, not practice
• Psychologists may apply for endorsement of their general registration in the
following areas:
▫ clinical psychology
▫ counselling psychology
▫ forensic psychology
▫ clinical neuropsychology
▫ organisational psychology
▫ sport and exercise psychology
▫ educational and developmental psychology
▫ health psychology
▫ community psychology.
17. Endorsement requirements
• An accredited Doctorate in one of the approved
areas of practice, followed by a one year Board-
approved registrar program, or
• An accredited Masters in one of the approved
areas of practice, followed by a two year Board-
approved registrar program
18. Registrar program
• Program must be approved by Board
▫ Psychological work in area in which seeking
endorsement
▫ Board-approved supervisor who holds
endorsement in area
▫ 40 hours of supervision and 40 hours of PD per
year
▫ Submit 6 months progress reports
19. Higher degree v 4+2 internship
• Higher degree
▫ + specialist
▫ + university usually provides training, placement, supervision
▫ + status
▫ + leads to endorsement in specialist areas
▫ + portability
▫ - competitive entry
▫ - cost
• 4+2 internship
▫ + generalist???
▫ + earn money
▫ - can be difficult to organise
▫ - cannot be endorsed
▫ - examination
▫ - lacks portability
• 5+1 internship
▫ + generalist???
▫ + earn money
▫ + may have equivalence with EuroPsy
▫ - can be difficult to organise
▫ - cannot be endorsed
▫ - examination
