Endorsement transition

Understanding area of practice endorsement transition provisions and when they ended

Area of practice endorsement did not exist in Australia before 1 July 2010, when the national scheme began.

Prior to the national scheme - only Western Australia (WA) had any mechanism for formally recognising advanced qualifications and practice (specialist title registration). This system had been in place for about 30 years. No other Australian regulator operated a similar system. In other states and territories, the only pathways for recognition of qualifications were via professional organisations such Colleges of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), or through industrial relations mechanisms where specific titles were used for senior practitioners (such as clinical psychologist in the health department), or via approval to provide clinical psychology Medicare services (clinical psychology only).

At the start of the national scheme in July 2010, the Board instituted several transitioning provisions for area of practice endorsement. The purpose of the transition provisions was to allow psychologists who had previously obtained recognition of their postgraduate qualifications and training (or equivalent), or were actively seeking such recognition, at the time the national scheme commenced in 2010 to become endorsed. This included the following provisions:

• registrants from WA were transitioned into the relevant area of practice endorsement under section 281 of the National Law
• members of the nine APS Colleges (at 1 June 2010) who gave the APS permission to give their details to the Board, were transitioned into the relevant area of practice endorsement
• members of the APS, who were undertaking an Individual Bridging Plan (IBP) for entry into one of their Colleges had more time to complete their IBP and apply for an area of practice endorsement
• psychologists recognised by Medicare as providing clinical psychology services were transitioned into the clinical area of practice endorsement, and
• specific transition provisions for students enrolled in a higher degree on 1 June 2010.

The transition period ended on 30 June 2013. Given that there was no area of practice endorsement registration category prior to the national scheme, and the transition period was over three years, these transition provisions were considered generous.

Since the end of the transition period, an area of practice endorsement in any of the nine areas of endorsement are only available to a person who applies to the Board and meets the qualifications and supervised practice standard of the Board outlined in the Area of practice endorsements registration standard.