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29 Jan 2024
The Psychology Board of Australia (the Board) has updated how psychologists’ applications for endorsement are assessed and released a new application form.
Area of practice endorsement identifies psychologists who have completed an approved postgraduate qualification (or a postgraduate qualification that is substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification), and supervised training in an area of practice.
The Board has updated its approach to the assessment of applications for endorsement, particularly when considering applications from individuals with Australian postgraduate qualifications.
Psychologists applying for area of practice endorsement must hold postgraduate qualifications. The Board will not accept continuing personal development activities, incomplete qualifications or work experience as being substantially equivalent to a Board-approved qualification.
This updated approach allows for the assessment of postgraduate qualifications against the professional competencies for areas of practice endorsement outlined in the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) Accreditation Standards for Psychology Programs.
Psychologists with general registration who hold postgraduate qualifications that may be substantially equivalent or based on similar competences to an approved qualification can apply for endorsement using the new application form AEAE-76.
Because these applications will be considered by the Board’s Registration and Compliance Committee as part of the assessment of postgraduate qualifications against the APAC accreditation standards, it will take longer to determine an outcome on the application than it does for a standard application for endorsement.
The AEAE-76 application fee of $640 reflects the time and effort that will be required to assess every application for endorsement.
Individuals who hold approved qualifications will continue to apply for endorsement on completion of an approved registrar program using the AECR-76 form. There is no fee change for these applicants.
Psychologists with general registration can apply to be endorsed in one or more of the following approved areas of practice:
The Board’s updated approach to assessing applications for endorsements follows a 2022 tribunal decision involving Australian qualifications where the tribunal set aside the Board’s decision to refuse an application for endorsement on the basis that the applicant did not hold an approved qualification or another qualification that, in the Board’s opinion, was substantially equivalent to, or based on similar competences to an approved qualification.
The tribunal accepted expert evidence following an analysis that the standard, extent and learning objectives of the courses completed consecutively by the practitioner to gain two qualifications were substantially equivalent to those of the Board-approved qualification. The tribunal directed the Board to endorse the applicant’s general registration for the area of practice endorsement.