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22 November 2007
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
The Australian Psychological Society is encouraging its members to support the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Sunday November 25, also known as White Ribbon Day. The day marks the beginning each year of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign.
“The APS is gravely concerned about the level of violence against women in the community. Many of our members find themselves picking up the pieces from family violence and sexual assault, while others are involved in advocacy and prevention projects. It is an issue that deserves special attention from government and the community at large,” says APS President Amanda Gordon.
One third of Australian women who have been partnered would have experienced some form of violence in their life time. One third of women would have experienced some form of sexual assault by the time they are eighteen.
APS President-elect Professor Bob Montgomery is inviting his fellow male psychologists to support White Ribbon Day. “I will be wearing a white ribbon on Sunday. What we need is a culture change that sees men standing against violence in all its forms. Just as it’s no longer cool to drink alcohol and drive, it’s no longer ok to behave like a bully in your own home. Do you really want your partner and children to be constantly fearful of what you’ll do next?”
For more information, see the White Ribbon Day website
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The APS Women and Psychology Interest Group will highlight family violence as one of the themes for its residential conference in Sunbury from December 6-8. There will be a panel on family violence, papers on women’s experience of mediation and family law, and keynote speakers including Tania Jones, Indigenous Family Violence Program Coordinator, South Western Victoria. For more information, please contact RaeLynn Alvarez Wicklein at Raelynn.Wicklein@rmit.edu.au or see |
31 October 2007
Mark your diaries! 43rd APS Annual Conference 2008
The 43rd APS Annual Conference will be held:
| Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 September 2008 Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
25 October 2007
APS Declaration on Torture
The APS Board of Directors passed the following resolution on 24 September 2007:
The Australian Psychological Society, as a member of the International Union of Psychological Science, fully endorses the United Nations Declaration and Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 1997.
The Australian Psychological Society regards all forms of torture, as defined in Article 1 of the United Nations Declaration and Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 1997, as breaches of the Society’s Code of Ethics (2003) General Principle III Propriety.
| DECLARATION |
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Psychologists shall at all times comply with the Society’s Code of Ethics. Psychologists shall not countenance, condone or participate in the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading procedures, in any situation, including armed conflict and civil strife. Psychologists shall not provide any premises, instruments, substances or knowledge to facilitate the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or to diminish the ability of the victim to resist such treatment. Psychologists shall not be present during any procedure in which torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment is used or threatened. Psychologists must have complete professional independence in deciding upon the care of a person for whom they are responsible. |
2 October 2007
Submissions to the International Congress of Psychology 2008
The International Congress of Psychology is the largest international conference in psychology and covers all areas of psychological science. The conference takes place only once every four years in a different country under the auspices of the International Union of Psychological Science (www.iupsys.org). From July 20 to 25 2008, more than 6.000 psychologists from over 70 countries will meet in Berlin, Germany, for ICP 2008.
Submission of Abstracts
Please submit your abstract for an oral presentation, a symposium, or a poster via the congress website at www.icp2008.org. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is October 31, 2007.
Invited Program
The Invited Program of ICP 2008 has already been finalised and contains Invited Addresses and Invited Symposia from more than 300 renowned international colleagues. The Invited Program can be obtained from the congress website.
Controversial Debates
One of the many highlights of ICP 2008 will be the Controversial Debates. Controversial Debates are a new presentation format that will be introduced in Berlin, and will stimulate discussion during the meeting. Controversial Debates will focus on topics that are both inherently important and interesting to all psychologists, and are intended to capture exciting recent developments in the field. The debates will take place once a day at a prominent time slot and will be chaired by some of the best psychological scientists in the world (for more information, please see www.icp2008.org).
Final Announcement
The Final Announcement and Call for Abstracts for ICP 2008 can also be obtained as pdf files from the congress website. If you would like to receive printed copies of the announcement or ICP 2008 posters, please send a short message with your postal address.
If you have any questions about ICP 2008, please contact:
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Barbara Schauenburg (Secretary General)
barbara.schauenburg@psychologie.hu-berlin.de
31 August 2007
Chronic Conditions Prevention and Self-Management Project
The APS, in partnership with Flinders University, is currently involved in a Government-funded review of Chronic Conditions Prevention and Self-Management (CCSM) skills in the current workforce of health professions. The project is aimed at investigating the continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities of health professions to develop skills in CCSM client support.
As part of the project, allied health professionals are being invited to complete an online survey. The aims of the survey are to investigate chronic condition prevention and self-management in relation to:
- the professional’s perceived skills
- their use of their skills in their work with clients
- the current training opportunities for their profession
- the future training needs.
The online survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The survey will be available to complete online from Monday 3 September and can be accessed via the following link:
If you have colleagues that do not have access to the electronic survey, please make them aware of the survey by printing it off for them. Likewise, if you do not wish to complete this survey online you can print it off and send the completed survey to: c/o PHC Survey, FHBHRU, PO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001.
We look forward to receiving your response. Please note that the final date for return of the survey is 3 October 2007.
The results will be available from the unit at the completion of the project. If you would like further details of the ethics guidelines for this project you may find them by following the link in the survey website.
Your time and involvement is greatly appreciated.
30 August 2007
Notice of APS Colleges Annual General Meetings
The Annual General Meeting of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists will be held on 22 September 2007 at Mantra Mooloolaba Beach (formerly Outrigger), Sunshine Coast, Mooloolaba, QLD.
The following College Annual General Meetings will be held during the 42nd APS Annual Conference, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia.
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APS College of Forensic Psychologists
Tuesday, 25 September 2007, 1 – 2pm -
APS College of Community Psychologists
Tuesday, 25 September 2007, 1 – 2pm -
APS College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists
Wednesday, 26 September 2007, 1 - 2pm -
APS College of Health Psychologists
Thursday, 27 September 2007, 1 - 2pm -
APS College of Counselling Psychologists
Thursday, 27 September 2007, 1 - 2pm -
APS College of Clinical Psychologists
Friday, 28 September 2007, 1 - 2pm
The agenda for each AGM will be:
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Welcome
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Apologies
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Proxies
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Confirmation of the Minutes of the 2006 AGM
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Business Arising from the Minutes
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Reports from Office Bearers of the National Executive
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Reports from State Sections
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General Business
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Close
In addition to the above agenda, the College of Clinical Neuropsychologists, the College of Community Psychologists, the College of Counselling Psychologists, the APS College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists and the APS College of Forensic Psychologists will have the following item:
- Declaration of Elections for Office Bearers for 2007-2009 (National Executive)
24 August 2007
Call for editorial contributors: InPsych December 2007 cover feature
The fallout of family breakdown
The December 2007 InPsych cover feature will focus on 'the fallout of family breakdown'. The APS invites all members with expertise in this area to submit a 200-word abstract of a proposed article on this theme for consideration by the InPsych editorial committee. The committee will then select abstracts and invite those authors to submit a full article for publication.
Articles proposed by members should have a practical, 'on-the-ground' focus OR provide current research relevant to the theme. Articles will be selected to complement the lead article, which will provide a state-of-the-art overview of the area. In addition, selected abstracts will be chosen to appear as articles in the cover feature based on suitability (e.g., if a number of abstracts are received proposing similar articles, only one can be chosen).
The word length of final articles will be confirmed upon selection. However, no selected article will have a word length in excess of 1,500 words in length (including references, in APA format). All articles must be written specifically for APS members, but in a non-technical and easy-to-read style. A 'conversational' tone of writing is appropriate for InPsych (similar to what you would expect to read in a weekend broadsheet newspaper magazine supplement but, of course, written specifically for psychologists).
The deadline for all abstracts is Wednesday, 12 September 2007. Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified soon after the abstract deadline and final articles will be required by Friday, 26 October 2007.
| For more information or to submit an abstract for the December 2007 issue, please contact InPsych production editor Roslyn Crosswell: r.crosswell@psychology.org.au. |
24 August 2007
Professionals Income Protection Plan 
APS members will be pleased to hear about the Professionals Income Protection Plan* which has been developed in alliance with ING Life, exclusively for our members.
The Professionals Income Protection Plan can pay up to 75% of your monthly income (up to $20,000 per month) if you are unable to work due to illness or injury for up to 2 years. On top of the income benefit, the Plan also includes a special rehabilitation benefit of up to $50,000, and a special care benefit – designed to help members with the cost of home care.
Where would you be without your income?
Considering that we spend more than half of our income on necessities such as food, transport, and housing it’s easy to appreciate that the loss of income due to illness or injury could be financially devastating.
Protect for your income – just as you would protect your home and car
This exclusive plan has been designed to be as easy as organising insurance for your home or car. In fact, current APS members who have been employed full-time for at least 12 months and are working at least 30 hours per week can get immediate cover on the phone, without a medical and without the need to complete a time consuming health questionnaire. The Plan also requires that you are aged between 21 and 55 years of age and a permanent resident of Australia.
Please note that this insurance is not for everyone as claims relating to pre-existing medical conditions occurring in the last 5 years will not be covered.
Plus your opportunity to be the lucky winner of a Renault Mégane
APS members considering this cover, or the Professionals Life and Living Benefit Plan, shouldn’t delay as there is an opportunity to be the lucky winner of a fabulous Renault Mégane Cabriolet Coupé Dynamique valued at over $50,000. Your entry will go into the draw as soon as ING receive your acceptance this important cover†, but acceptance must be received by the 26th October.
Go to www.ing.com.au/mail/aps.html to find out more or call 1800 658 679.
* The Professionals Income Protection Plan is issued by ING Life Limited (ABN 33 009 657 176, AFSL 238341) (ING). Any advice provided by ING in this letter or the accompanying material is of a general nature and is not based on any consideration of your objectives, financial situation and needs. Please read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to make sure the product is right for you and call ING if you have any questions.
† The competition is open to new approved policies only, not renewals. Terms and conditions of entry apply and are available at www.ing.com.au. The promoter is ING Australia Limited ABN 60 000 000 779. Licensed under NSW Permit No. TPL07/01758, ACT Permit No. TP07/00673, SA Licence No. T07/781, VIC Permit No. 07/677.
23 August 2007
Survey of psychologists providing services under new MBS items
In response to questions regarding the new COAG Mental Health initiative and its uptake by the community, the Australian Psychological Society sought the input of its members who are delivering the new Medicare Benefit Schedule items. The APS received responses from 623 Clinical Psychologists to a range of questions. Additionally, two separate groups of Registered Psychologists (not Clinical Psychologists) were surveyed through email-based questions and an on-line survey, respectively, gaining 812 responses. These responses from the samples of Clinical Psychologists and Registered Psychologists are presented and explained in the following document. Members can access the full report at the link indicated below:
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17 August 2007
Proposed APS Code of Ethics
Members will be asked to adopt the proposed revised APS Code of Ethics by way of vote at next month's 2007 Annual General Meeting at the APS Annual Conference in Brisbane.
The proposed Code has had several revisions incorporated in response to feedback from members and external bodies such as university Departments of Psychology and Psychologist Registration Boards. As a consequence, the proposed revised Code is a more ordered, coherent and robust document. A summary of the substantive changes from the 1997 Code of Ethics will be included in the AGM papers, and the proposed Code of Ethics will be available on the APS website.
Members of the APS responded in high numbers to the opportunity to give feedback about the draft revised Code of Ethics. The Society received more than 65 submissions, several of which were from Branches, Colleges and Interest Groups, meaning that even more members had offered their comments and improvements to the document. Comments ranged from brief general feedback to an almost line-by-line critique of the draft. The Code Review Committee wishes to express its deep appreciation for the way in which members engaged with the revision process. The Committee feels confident that it is not acting in isolation when compiling this significant document that greatly affects the field of psychology.
The feedback on the draft Code was predominantly positive, and, of the requests for amendments, most focused on specific subsections of the Code. The Committee accepted the bulk of suggestions, which at times prompted related changes elsewhere in the document.
The Society wishes to acknowledge the contribution of members, university Psychology Departments and Psychologist Registration Boards to the review of the APS Code of Ethics. The Society also wishes to thank the members of the Code Review Committee for the countless hours they volunteered over the 18 month review period. The combination of the above has generated a thorough, effective and valuable resource to guide the profession and practice of
psychology.
6 July 2007
APS Statement - Federal Government intervention on safety in NT Indigenous communities
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) wishes to lend support to the concerns expressed by a number of Aboriginal community leaders in response to the Federal Government’s intervention on safety in Northern Territory Indigenous communities.
The APS believes that child-safe and child-friendly communities must be built on a basis of partnership and trust with those most affected. We welcome the Government’s attention to the urgency of the problems of child abuse, violence, poverty and demoralization that exist in many remote communities. We are concerned, however, that insistence on an interventionist short-term approach risks reinforcing these very problems by promoting widespread fear and distrust. Indigenous people have had too many experiences of harmful intervention on one hand and unfulfilled promises on the other, by a succession of governments and well-intentioned professionals over the years. We are also alarmed by the dominant media images of Indigenous people as problematic – psychological research on racism and prejudice warns of the negative effects of loaded representations of already marginalised groups.
We need to focus on prevention as well as crisis responses. We need to learn from those communities that are currently working well, and support them in their efforts to care for themselves. In addition to policing and medical teams, other professionals such as psychologists have the expertise to assist in community level education and prevention as well as service delivery. Where communities are struggling with the effects of historical and ongoing dispossession and cultural trauma, psychologists can be part of a process of empowerment, asking community leaders what they need most, and providing the supplementary services to promote healing, repair the damage and prepare for the next generation.
Psychologists who work in indigenous communities have found that utilizing resources such as traditional healing practices that exist within those communities can promote the most long-lasting healing and collective self-esteem. The Government’s focus on policing highlights an important part of community safety and child protection, but it is only part of the picture, especially when relationships between police and local communities have been problematic for so long. To really protect the children and ensure that they grow up in the optimal environment, major long-term investment is needed to develop the resources that any community needs, such as health, education, housing and basic infrastructure. Most Indigenous communities lack these fundamental social resources and middle-level structures and services that most Australians take for granted.
Our members would like to be part of solutions rather than problems. There is immense goodwill in the psychology profession, as in the wider community, but we also acknowledge our limitations. Current training models are not well geared to developing a culturally competent professional workforce. Professionals must have an understanding of working appropriately with the communities they seek to serve. They need adequate context-specific training, support and remuneration, whether as visiting professionals or on a live-in basis; or via a connected referral service. All of this requires resources that go beyond bandaid solutions. The APS has taken steps over the past 15 years to lift its game where its responsibilities to Indigenous Australians are concerned. We recognize that we have to listen to communities to hear what they need and want. We want to offer what we can and learn what we can, by working with, not on, communities via sustainably funded programs.
The drastic emergency response to the commissioned report on child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities has ignored the recommendations of that report. The Government actions to date risk further traumatizing significantly traumatized people. Creating fear will be counterproductive to any measures that might be implemented. The APS believes that the short and long-term focus needs to be on addressing the infrastructure gaps, funding shortages, and limited resources for living that characterise Aboriginal communities, to our national shame.
21 June 2007
Review of National Standards for Mental Health Services
The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) is currently reviewing the National Standards for Mental Health Services (NSMHS), under contract with the Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing.
Dr Peter McGeorge, Chair of the NSMHS Steering Group commented that “that it is vital that the consultation is as broad as possible and we welcome comments from consumers, the community, the industry and other interested groups and individuals.” He also said that “the mental health sector must not only be able to align with the standards but have a sense of ownership of them. For this reason as many clinicians, consumers, carers and administrators as possible across the public, private and NGO sectors need to be involved in shaping them”.
Dr McGeorge said “that an extensive consultation process will be undertaken over the next six to nine months to test and further develop a revised draft set of standards.” He urged all those who wanted to participate in the ongoing process to take part in the current web-based survey.
Initial comments are sought under nine topic areas. The online survey requests comments on the issues that will shape the framework of the standards.
Taking into account these initial comments, the first draft of the revised standards and criteria will be available for review in July 2007. At this time another survey will be conducted seeking comment on the draft standards. Using feedback received, a second draft of the standards will be developed and will be available for comment in late September 2007. Thorough piloting testing of the standards will also occur during this period.
To ensure the revised standards are appropriate for mental health services and beneficial to improving the quality of care and service, the ACHS has undertaken a scoping study involving consultation with:
- state and territory health departments
- consumers and carers and their associations
- private hospitals
- mental health service providers from a range of settings
- professional bodies
- relevant peak bodies.
| To contribute to the review, click here for the online survey |
If you or your colleagues would like to receive further updates on the review of the national standards for mental health services, please contact:
ACHS Development Unit
Phone: +61 2 9281 9955
email: achs@achs.org.au
website: http://www.achs.org.au/StndsMentalHealth/
25 May 2007
Australian Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Guidelines launched
Australian guidelines are now available to help people with acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (ASD and PTSD).
The Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (ASD and PTSD) were launched on 23 May by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Honourable Bruce Billson, MP, at Parliament House, Canberra.
Endorsed by the National Medical Health and Research Council, these new Guidelines assist all health practitioners to determine when is the right time for professional intervention and what's the best approach for helping people affected by trauma.
The Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health developed the Guidelines in consultation with trauma experts from a range of disciplines, as well as people affected by trauma.
APS was part of the Guidelines development group and the Board of Directors has endorsed the final product.
Further information is available in the Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder brochure 
(397kb).
How do you get a copy?
There are four versions of the Guidelines to suit different needs:
- The full guidelines
- A brief practitioner guide for easy use
- A summary of the key treatment recommendations for practitioners
- A guide to treatment for people diagnosed with ASD or PTSD, their families and carers
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The Guidelines are available to download at: www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au. |
Putting the Guidelines into practice
ACPMH is collaborating with APS on the potential for delivering information and skills development workshops to ensure that practitioners' practices are consistent with those recommended in the Guidelines.
25 May 2007
Historic agreement signed with key professional bodies in mental health
The APS, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses this week signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding committing our organisations to work together on programs that aim to promote the mental health and welfare of people with mental health issues.
The MoU is particularly timely given the recent Australian Government reforms in mental health and the increasing trends towards team-based care. The MoU will help to strengthen existing relationships between the signatories, and the APS looks forward to working even more closely with the key professional bodies and colleagues in psychiatry, general practice and mental health nursing.
— Executive Director, Australian Psychological Society
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.JPG "Group photo of Memorandum of Understanding signing") |
Photos of the Memorandum of Understanding signing
10 May 2007
Pregnancy Counselling Services - be informed and aware!
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is keen to address the damage that can be done to vulnerable women, and to the reputation of the counselling professions, as a result of the confusion surrounding the various levels of 'pregnancy counselling' currently available. We wish to clarify the nature of the four kinds of services that are the focus of discussion, and to ensure that women seeking support in relation to any aspect of pregnancy are fully aware of their options.
(i) Currently in Australia, the Australian Federation of Pregnancy Support Services (AFPSS) has 27 agencies Australia-wide which advertise as providers of 'pregnancy counselling services'. These volunteer-operated services have been accused many times of deceptive advertising in refusing to state that they do not provide information or referrals on the full range of pregnancy options (broadly, continuation, adoption, termination), and in promoting highly judgemental positions in the guise of 'non-directive' counselling. These 'helplines' are the target of the Stott-Despoja 'Pregnancy Counselling (Truth in Advertising) Bill 2006'.
(ii) The newly-launched Federal Government telephone counselling National Pregnancy Support Helpline, run by Centacare, is staffed by paid counsellors whose brief is to offer 'non-directive counselling' but not to provide concrete information or referrals - for example, some callers were told to look up adoption services in the phone book if considering that option; and another counsellor was unable to tell a caller the likely cost of a termination, or the Centrelink benefits available to single mothers.
(iii) The new Medicare item for face-to-face Pregnancy Counselling, for which the APS provides compulsory online training before a provider can accept GP referrals, is available to women expressing concerns about any aspect of a current or recent pregnancy. Accredited providers can be psychologists, social workers or mental health nurses.
(iv) A number of other family planning and pregnancy advice services run by hospitals and community health agencies have been operating reputable professional training programs and information/counselling services for many years and continue to do so.
We are concerned that the considerable confusion surrounding these service options risks bringing the counselling/psychology profession into disrepute, and more importantly, places at risk the mental and physical health and welfare of members of the public towards whom we have a duty of care. APS psychologists are bound by a Code of Ethics and related Guidelines that apply to members' conduct when offering services in both their regular professional and any pro bono/voluntary contexts. These standards are consistent with those proposed by the Truth in Advertising Bill, in that members are always expected to carefully explain the terms and conditions of the services they provide, and/or issues that will not be dealt with.
The guidelines make it clear that a psychologist/counsellor should recognise a woman's right to development as an autonomous and psychologically healthy person, and recognise and support a woman's capacity to define her own problems. 'Non-directive' counselling does not preclude provision of comprehensive information about available options. Regardless of a service provider's personal views about reproductive choices, ethical service provision requires both informed consent to what is involved in the counselling process itself, and accurate information about the ranges of services available that are relevant to the problem being addressed.
— President, Australian Psychological Society
3 April 2007
Code of Ethics review - Feedback due by 11 May 2007
The Code Review committee has reviewed the APS Code of Ethics and compiled a draft Code which is available on the APS website. The Society welcomes members' feedback so please take the time to consider the document and send your comments by Friday 11 May 2007, preferably in electronic format, to codefeedback@psychology.org.au. When providing feedback, please include your name and the number of the ethical standard you wish to comment on.
*Feedback submissions have now closed.
23 March 2007
43rd APS Annual Conference
Please note in your diaries that the 43rd APS Annual Conference will be held:
Date: Wednesday 24 to Sunday 28 September 2008
Venue: Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
