Board Update - Area of Practice Endorsements

16 Jul 2010

Transitional arrangements

Under the National Law, seven area of practice endorsements have been granted in psychology. The area of practice endorsements are a legal mechanism that establishes regulated areas of practice for the psychology profession.

After a consultation period, the Psychology Board of Australia has recently released revised transitional arrangements – with identified grace periods for the phased introduction of area of practice endorsements. These arrangements affect practitioners who did not transition to the national scheme with an area of practice endorsement, who now seek such an endorsement. More information about endorsements is published on this website.

The Board has been made aware that some higher degree students (currently studying for masters and doctorate degrees) are outside the scope of the revised transition arrangements. As a result of feedback provided, the Board is reviewing these arrangements and analyzing the impact of them on this important group of provisional registrants. The Board will consider this issue in detail at its next meeting on 30 July and publish an update to the profession soon afterwards.

Forms

The Board recognises that a number of psychologists are keen to submit an application for an area of practice endorsement. Due to these recent changes to the transitional arrangements and grace periods for endorsements, the application form to support endorsements has not yet been finalised. The Board and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is aware of this issue and will publish the relevant application forms on the website as soon as possible.

The Board has previously advised that a transitional implementation period is now in place. This enables psychologists who have submitted an application for endorsement for an area of practice to use titles associated with area of practice endorsements, while their endorsement application is pending. The Board will apply the same principle to psychologists who intend to apply for an area of practice endorsement, but who have not yet been able to do so.

The Board would appreciate the profession’s understanding during the transition to the national registration scheme.