International PD trips

APS PD Tour to Vietnam: February 2009Vietnam

The APS is pleased to announce that the 2009 International Professional Development Tour will be to Vietnam in February 2009. APS members will earn at least 20 PD points. For a detailed itinerary, please download the following document:

  

APS PD Tour to Italy: October 2008Venice by sunset

The APS is pleased to announce that the next International Professional Development Tour will be to Italy in October 2008. Highlights will include guided tours of Florence, Milan and Venice. APS members will earn at least 20 PD points. For a detailed itinerary, please download the following document:

 

 

The International PD Program has now been running for four years. The tours have been lead by people interested in the countries visited. The tours have been very successful, both professionally and personally, for our participants who have provided many written and verbal testimonials.

The APS PD Unit would like to invite members to submit proposals for future International PD activities. Members may consider country destination, organised PD visits, cost of flights, accommodation, meals etc., using the Vietnam itinerary as an example.

Past International PD Trips

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Latest news

Personal Professional Development (PPD) Plan

APS members are encouraged to complete a Personal Professional Development (PPD) plan which provides a process to consider learning objectives and then plan activities to meet these needs. This can be completed alone, with a colleague or supervisor, or in a supervision group. While it is not a requirement to submit the plan to the APS, members can claim one PD point for completing it.

What is a PPD plan?

A PPD plan is a means by which psychologists make decisions about and document their learning needs in respect of their professional work. It may include, but is not confined to skills, business management, research or teaching skills.

In a PPD plan, psychologists may document:

  • What they need to learn
  • Why they need to learn it
  • How they are going to learn it
  • Evidence that they have achieved their goal
  • The timeframe involved

What are the benefits of a PPD plan?

The use of a personal PPD plan is based on adult learning principles.

A personal PPD plan aims to:

  • Place psychologists in the centre of the learning process, and use their current practice as the basis of learning
  • Assist psychologists to make informed choices about their educational needs
  • Assist psychologists to integrate theory and practice into their work
  • Enhance psychologists' motivation to learn and to ask appropriate questions of themselves and others
  • Encourage psychologists to regularly review their learning needs
  • Encourage psychologists to share their learning experience with peers

How do we know that PPD plans are useful?

The rate of increase in psychological knowledge, and the resulting need for psychologists to become more efficient and effective and keep up-to-date, is a given. Learning contracts have played a significant role in improving learning outcomes at the undergraduate level around the world for the past 35 years.

How to undertake a PPD plan

Developing a PPD plan requires psychologists to reflect on individual experiences, workplace, training and skills. A personal plan enables psychologists to tailor their own PPD program to best meet their own learning needs, through a personal analysis of their current strengths and areas of potential development. These areas of need take into account:

  • Psychologists' prior knowledge and personal areas of expertise
  • Workplace performance measures
  • Psychologists' major referral questions
  • Business needs/issues
  • Community engagement
  • Personal constraints
  • Commitment

Once analysed, the PPD plan should provide psychologists with a focused path to concentrate on their PPD activities. This path takes into account the key competencies, the community needs and psychologists' own needs. 

 

  

APS College Members Professional Development Audit for 2005-2007

At the end of every PD cycle, a random audit is conducted. Last year 5% of College Members were involved. Thank you to those College Members involved for their cooperation. The process showed that a high standard of professional development activities were undertaken and  94.6% of those selected for the random audit had complied with the PD requirements. This figure is testament to the integrity and diligence of APS members and their commitment to maintaining professional standards.  

Professional Development: Reflecting on 2007 and looking forward to 2008

2007 

Below is a list of the 44 workshop dates, topics, presenters and locations held in 2007.

 

On average 39 people attended each workshop and they were in the following categories :

APS Members  Non-members  Student-members  Total 
1516  30  69  1615 


Feedback has been very positive overall for all presenters, many venues and dates:

  • Excellent presenter, thank you APS
  • APS staff, thank you
  • One of the best PD events I’ve ever attended. 
  • APS thank you so much for this quality training – I wish more of it had been revision but truly so much was forgotten, it seemed almost ‘New”
  • Thank you to the APS for the opportunity to attend this workshop
  • Congratulations to APS for including this in for PD program
  • The best presentation on this Topic – APS thank you!

310 endorsements have been processed to date this year, which is around 20% up on last year's numbers.

The APS website now offers members the opportunity to listen to the four keynote speakers from the 2007 APS Conference in Brisbane (Click here for more information). In 2007, 29 VHS tapes have been transferred to DVD and 6 audio tapes transferred to CD.

This year has been an audit year for College Members. Thank you all for participating and confirming that the PD process is a very efficient and comprehensive system.

2008

The PD Team is currently putting together a draft PD workshop calendar for the first half of  2008 which will be available soon. Topics include:

  • Psychopharmacology
  • CBT Advanced
  • Motivational interviewing
  • PPMS
  • Supervision
  • Stress management and self care
  • Grief and bereavement
  • Cultural competence for psychologists
  • Group work in therapy
  • Ethics
  • Expert witness and court reporting
  • Rural and remote natural disasters and the effects on families and communities

We are designing a program which will incorporate three levels of PD:

  • LEVEL 1
    Introductory – designed to introduce, refresh and update psychologists
  • LEVEL 2
    Advanced – designed to build on introductory skills and to bring the psychologist’s skills to a level of proficiency
  • LEVEL 3
     Master class – designed to offer psychologists with advanced skills an opportunity to explore real life cases with the benefit of expert panel or group input. Master class would possibly be offered as a “round table” discussion of case studies with a very experienced psychologist as a facilitator. 

Call for Expressions of Interest: Videoconferencing 2008

In order to organise a program of professional development activities offered via videoconferencing for 2008 (especially for rural and remote psychologists), the APS Professional Development Unit is seeking input from the membership.

We are asking whether you would:

  1. Be prepared to attend a videoconferencing event in your town?
  2. Be prepared to act as a contact person for the APS?
  3. Prefer a timeslot of:
    a. 3.30pm – 5.30pm
    b. 3.30pm – 6.30pm
  4. Prefer a Monday, Wednesday or Friday

Topics in the initial program will include:

  • Psychopharmacology
  • Supervision
  • Ethics
  • Private Practice Management Standards
  • Rural and remote natural disasters and their effects on families and the community

To ascertain whether there are videoconferencing facilities in your area, please go to the following website: 

  • Go to “Facilities and Resources” on the menu.
  • Then choose “Directory of Facilities”. You will be able to insert your town name in “Suburb” and then click search.

Interested members should please respond as soon as possible to the Professional Development Manager, Daiva Verbyla, at d.verbyla@psychology.org.au

What lies beneath! videoconference - A first for the 2007 APS PD

On 31st August, the APS National Office PD Unit organised a one hour session in Melbourne (as the host site) and beamed out to an captivated audience of psychologists in Wollongong, Bendigo, Kalgoorlie, Launceston, Orange, and Newcastle. The presenter was APS psychologist Bev Ernst who spoke about her experiences with the Beaconsfield mine rescue last year.

Bev was in private practice in Launceston, Tasmania, at the time of the Beaconsfield Mine collapse. Bev‘s presentation recounted that on 30th April 2006 at approximately 7pm it was announced that Brant Webb and Todd Russell had been found alive after five days of being trapped following the collapse of a tunnel at the mine. What followed was a monumental rescue effort, never before attempted, to free them. Over 250 individuals were involved in this effort, coming from a wide variety of backgrounds. Whilst many of these were miners, either at Beaconsfield or individuals with specialist knowledge in the mining industry, there was another aspect of the rescue effort and that was the work of the various health professionals on site.  Bev highlighted her role as part of a team involved with the rescue, which included social workers, paramedics and psychologists. Many issues arose during the rescue effort which highlighted some of the difficulties that had to be overcome by health professionals working within a culture that did not necessarily understand or value the knowledge that we as psychologists take for granted.

At the end of the PD address, Bev was presented with the Outstanding Rural Psychologist of the Year Award from the APS Rural and Remote Psychology Interest Group that honoured her contribution to the Beaconsfield mine rescue.

Congratulations go to Bev!

Congratulations to the APS National Office PD Unit.

Daiva Verbyla MAPS
Manager, Professional Development
National Office

What lies beneath! 2007 PD videoconferencing activity

On Friday 31 August at 1.00pm EST, the APS will be launching its first 2007 PD videoconferencing activity. The session will go for approximately 75 minutes and will cost $10.00 per viewer. This activity will be presented at a host site in Melbourne and will be beamed out to 10 regional and remote sites listed below.

Program:

What lies beneath!  

On 30 April 2006 at approximately 7 pm, it was announced that Brant Webb and Todd Russell had been found alive after five days of being trapped underground after a tunnel at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine collapsed. What followed was a monumental rescue effort, never before attempted, to free them. Over 250 individuals were involved in this effort, coming from a wide variety of backgrounds. Whilst many of these were miners, either at Beaconsfield or individuals with specialist knowledge in the mining industry, there was another aspect of the rescue effort and that was the work of the various health professionals on site. These included social workers, paramedics and psychologists.  Many issues arose during the rescue effort which highlighted some of the difficulties that had to be overcome by health professionals working within a culture that did not necessarily understand or value the knowledge that we take for granted.

Presented by Bev Ernst

At the time of the Beaconsfield Mine collapse, Bev was in full time private practice in Launceston, Tasmania.  She is currently in part time practice as well as currently working for the Australian Psychological Society as Private Practice Adviser.  She has previously been actively involved in the APS at a local Branch and State Committee level. 

 

 Videoconferencing sites tentatively booked:

  • Wollongong - TBA
  • Port Hedland - TBA
  • Bendigo - John Lindell Rehabilitation Centre
  • Broken Hill - VC room, Robinson Centre
  • Mount Isa - TBA
  • Kalgoorlie - Kalgoorlie Mental Health
  • Launceston - Telehealth Studio, Level 2 at Launceston Hospital
  • Orange - TBA
  • La Trobe Valley - TBA
  • John Hunter Hospital - TBA

Registration and further location details coming soon. Please contact Daiva Verbyla, Manager Professional Development, at d.verbyla@psychology.org.au to register your interest.

Professional Development now a requirement for all APS members

The APS Board of Directors recently determined that from 1 July 2007 all APS members holding the membership grade of Associate Member or above will complete Professional Development (PD) activities as a requirement of continuing APS membership. Although PD has been a requirement for APS College members since 1997, participation in the APS PD program for non-College Members and Associate Members was previously voluntary. The APS Board's recent decision was taken to bring the profession of psychology in line with other professions such as medicine, dentistry, engineering, teaching, accountancy and law that require their members to engage in PD or continuing education programs. The Psychologist Registration Boards around the Australia have also made it clear that there will be a requirement for all registered psychologists to complete the required PD in the near future.

The Society's PD program aims to promote the maintenance and improvement of quality psychological services offered by its members, in a manner that demonstrates the accountability of APS psychologists to themselves, their clients, professional colleagues and the community. Participation in professional development is an ethical requirement for psychologists. The APS has continued to promote, support and develop PD activities for all its members, including those in rural and remote areas.

Details of Professional Development requirements - New cycle beginning 1 July 2007

From 1 July 2007, all APS members will be required to accumulate a minimum of 60 PD points over a two-year period to maintain their membership of the APS. This will be a continuing PD requirement over subsequent two-year cycles following the completion of the first two-year period.

Full Members and Associate Members

To maintain membership of the APS, all full Members and Associate Members of the APS are required to engage in PD activities equivalent to 60 PD points over a two-year period. The first cycle of the new PD program begins on 1 July 2007 and ends on 30 June 2009.

APS full College members

For members who are College members, a minimum of 30 of the 60 PD points are required to be 'specialist' points to maintain membership of each APS College. Members of more than one College need to accrue an additional 30 specialist points for each College. For example, if a psychologist is a member of the APS College of Neuropsychologists and a member of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, the total PD point requirement over a two-year cycle is 90 points. Of the 90 points, at least 30 points should be specialist Neuropsychology points and 30 specialist Clinical points. The remaining 30 points (to reach a total of 90 over a PD cycle) can be obtained through participation in either generalist activities or specialist activities. The current cycle of the existing College PD program was completed on May 31 2007. The new cycle will commence on 1 July 2007 and end on 30 June 2009.

Generalist points

This term refers to PD points allocated to activities that are psychological in content but not necessarily in a specialist area. Generalist PD activities are classed as those which present information that would be appropriate for all psychologists.

Specialist points

This term refers to PD points related to activities that meet criteria for endorsement or have been endorsed by the relevant APS College as continuing education in that specialist area.

Recording PD activities

APS Members are required to maintain a record of their attendance and involvement in PD activities, including relevant documentation of PD activities, using the PD log sheet. Members are required to submit their signed and completed PD log sheet to the APS National Office at the end of each two-year PD cycle.

The APS National Office is developing a web-based PD logging system that will allow members to log their PD directly online. A preliminary version of this system is currently being trialled with APS College members who are already fully conversant with the current APS PD program.

APS supports for new PD requirement

The APS recently set up a separate Professional Development Unit within the National Office, which will oversee an expanded PD program for APS members. This will include the provision of high quality workshops around Australia and trialling of a variety of delivery modes to accommodate members in rural and remote locations.

To support the decision to implement the formal PD requirement for maintenance of membership, the APS Board has released funds to provide a $50 discount voucher to each member for use on any APS Professional Development activity that he or she chooses to attend (valid until 31 May 2008, and after subscription is paid). It is hoped that the discount voucher will assist members with a smooth transition to the new PD requirements. This decision has been made in the context of a better than expected financial result for the Society over the last two years and the desire to ensure that the benefits of this surplus are returned to the APS membership. The discount voucher is being posted with this year's membership renewal pack.

Daiva Verbyla
Manager, Professional Development
APS National Office

Call for expressions of interest in providing Professional Development

Expressions of interest are being sought from suitably qualified and experienced members to present workshops and seminars, and to provide training on topics initiated by the Australian Psychological Society National Office for the new Professional Development Unit.
Below is a list of APS Professional Development events for 2007. We are aiming to run workshops in rural and remote areas, as well as city-based workshops.

  • Ethics
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Professional Practice Management Standards
  • Expert witness & reporting
  • CBT Advanced
  • Motivational interviewing incorporating health promotion - illness prevention
  • Supervision
  • Group therapy - how to works with groups of clients
  • Rural and remote communities managing drought and disasters

What we are looking for are presenters who are very highly regarded in their field and are stimulating, interesting and aware of adult learning principles. Applicants who are selected will be offered a standard fee for a half day, one day or two day presentation, plus travel, accommodation and meal allowances as applicable.

Applications which do not include the following in detail will not be considered:

  1. Name address and contact details of presenter.
  2. Detail of history and adequacy of experience as a presenter and expertise in the presentation of Professional Development activities including the workshop being offered.
  3. The topic and detailed content of the presentation, clearly explaining the direct relevance, usefulness and importance for psychological practice, teaching and/or research.
  4. Definition of the target population (masters and above) and appropriate level (introductory, advanced), background and maximum number of participants.
  5. Clearly stated learning objectives in terms of what new skills or techniques the participants should be expected to acquire by the end of the activity.
  6. Details of the planning and organisation of activities to achieve educational objectives.
  7. Demonstration of appropriate participatory learning in the activity.
  8. Detail of the provision of handout materials.
  9. Detail on how assessment of learning will be evaluated at the conclusion of the workshop.
  10. Workshop to be conducted in a manner consistent with the APS Code of Ethics.

Please send your application to, or for further information contact:

  • Daiva Verbyla
    Manager of Professional Development
    Australian Psychological Society
    Level 11, 257 Collins Street
    Melbourne 3000
    d.verbyla@psychology.org.au

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