KEY ACHIEVEMENTS2016

I n a year of considerable achievement for our organisation coupled with opportunities for celebration, reflection and new initiatives, the APS

remained the premier organisation for psychologists in Australia as it celebrated its 50-year anniversary. With membership at over 22,400, the APS has worked hard to provide members with a range of information, advice and resources that support them in their various psychological roles. The vast array of continuing professional development offered this year by the APS Institute, APS Member Groups and the inaugural APS Congress has ensured considerable opportunities and support for our members.

The APS maintained its role as the voice of psychology through strong advocacy, using its experience and influence to inform government policy and regulators, and promote community access to psychological knowledge and services. A particular focus this year was on providing further responses to the Government’s National Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services and liaising with Primary Health Networks in light of the move to a stepped care model.

Throughout the year, the APS has contributed significantly to community wellbeing through submissions to a variety of inquiries, through important funded projects concerning Indigenous education, children’s mental health and forced adoption practitioner training, and through the Presidential Initiative on psychological contributions to Australian society’s major challenges.

In presenting this brochure, I would like to sincerely thank all those who have contributed to the considerable achievements of the APS in 2016 – members, office bearers and others who willingly volunteer their time on committees, APS National Office staff, and the Board of Directors.

Professor Lyn Littlefield OAM FAPS APS Executive Director

Our visionPsychology enhances all aspects of Australian life.

Our missionThe APS is dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of psychology for the benefit of members and the communities they serve.

Our valuesThe conduct, activities and decision making of the APS and its member groups are guided by these values:• Proactive and responsive• Making a difference• Integrity and professionalism• Respectful relationships.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE APS IN 2016

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KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE APS IN 2016

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Information, advice and resourcesComprehensive provision of informationMembers were kept informed of the latest information and psychology updates through the following communications:

• InPsych, the APS bulletin, featured updates on developments in professional practice, science and education, and topic-based reviews offering psychological perspectives on suicide prevention, psychology innovation in the public sector, chronic pain, ageing, and models of psychology practice, as well as an expanded feature on psychology education and training.

• APS Matters provided access to the latest developments in psychology, professional resources and CPD opportunities.

• The APS website served as the portal for all psychology news, research and member-only resources, including the President’s Podcasts, Board of Directors updates, and National Office podcasts, while e-newsletters from APS Branches, Colleges and Interest Groups delivered more specific updates.

Expert advisory servicesThe APS Professional Advisory Service and the Member Assistance Centre responded to over 12,000 queries about professional and ethical issues, membership matters and study information.

Enhanced ethics resourcesRevised ethical guidelines provided guidance in a range of complex professional contexts including managing professional boundaries and multiple relationships, psychological practice in rural and remote settings, teaching and use of hypnosis, and procedures or assessments that involve psychologist-client physical contact. A new ethical guideline on psychological practice with clients with an intellectual disability was developed.

New professional practice resourcesA wide range of new professional resources were developed or updated to support members, including practice guides on psychological testing and reporting, mandatory reporting, managing legal requests, contingency plans, guidelines on responding to tenders, a suite of ‘How to’ guides and ‘Comfortably compliant’ guidance, and school-specific resources.

APS Division ForumsThe forums of the three APS Divisions (APS Colleges, General Psychological Practice, and Psychological Research, Education and Training) gave APS members further opportunities to discuss issues with the President and Executive Director and to air their concerns and have their needs attended to through advocacy, tailored resource development, and policy responses.

Expansion of APS social media profileAPS’ social media profile increased further, with more than 34,000 people subscribed to five main platforms on LinkedIn, Facebook (two sites), Twitter and Instagram. Branches, Colleges and Interest Groups continued to expand their presence across the social media platforms.

Employment and business assistanceQuality professional indemnity insuranceAon, the APS approved insurance broker, continued to provide a high quality professional indemnity insurance product. For the first time, Aon provided free professional indemnity insurance for registrars and psychology postgraduate students who held provisional registration. Many members utilised Aon’s two hours of free legal advice per year, and information sessions were held at APS Branches across the country.

Extensive Find a Psychologist ServiceThe online Find a Psychologist service was recently expanded to include members who were previously on the Medicare Psychology Providers list, and now has listings for more than 8,000 APS psychologists in private practice. The service attracts more than 1,200 searches per day. Over 1,600 members customised their own profile to enhance recognition of their skills and services.

APS Advantage member discount programMembers benefited from the growing APS Advantage member discount program, with new additions including discounted accommodation at Accor Hotels, a Concierge Service and discounts through Avis and Amcal.

Employment opportunities through PsychXchangePsychXchange attracted 2,056 employment advertisements and 423 classifieds during 2016, attracting over 1.6 million page views.

VALUE FOR MEMBERS

The APS 50 year celebrations included an exhibition with a history video and timeline of events, a website and a book

detailing the APS history which will be released in 2017. Many

vibrant State and Branch events were held across Australia to mark

this significant milestone in the APS’ history.

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Empowering students and early career membersPsych Student HQThis online portal provided resources, events (including postgraduate information sessions, conference volunteering information and student mentoring initiatives), FAQs and news for those studying psychology.

Early career resource hubThe early career resource hub brought together a range of valuable resources and career development initiatives aimed at engaging, connecting and supporting members at this critical time in their careers.

Early career advisory group to the APS BoardThe early career advisory group to the APS Board provided feedback on the needs of early career members. An early career member survey was conducted and the results will assist in the development of tailored resources and supports for this group of members.

APS student Facebook pageThe APS student Facebook page attracted 4,582 ‘likes’ and provided an important source of information, networking and advice to psychology students.

Continuing professional development and supportAPS InstituteIn 2016, the APS Institute offered members, other psychologists and other health professionals around Australia a range of high quality CPD opportunities, including: 76 workshops across the country by experts in the field; 20 Psychology Board of Australia approved supervisor training courses; 3 APS Practice Certificate programs in Disaster Support, Sleep Psychology and Services for Older Adults; a range of self-paced online eLearning courses; specialised webinar series on Chronic Diseases and Family Violence; updated perinatal counselling and suicide prevention training programs; and a pilot PD program for secondary teachers of psychology.

The APS Institute also improved its profile through an increased presence at the Congress, offering selected videoed Congress On Demand sessions, introduction of a tailored, localised newsletter and a member survey.

Inaugural APS CongressThis year marked the first-ever APS Congress, which brought together all Divisions, Colleges and Interest Groups into a single conference. The event was an outstanding success with around 1,500 delegates and captured the diversity of the discipline and profession of psychology.

Member Group CPD eventsOver 328 Member Group CPD events on a range of psychological topics were presented throughout Australia by the 201 constituent APS Groups comprising Branches, Colleges and Interest Groups. These local and focused CPD workshops and seminars were attended by 12,807 delegates during 2016. Members also benefited from an improved registration system which linked event registrations to their APS membership details.

Access to scientific literature onlineMembers gained online access to scientific literature through the arrangements with Proquest for Proquest Psychology Journals and MEDLINE. This provided members with online access to full text publications and other resources to support their needs.

Peer consultation networksAPS peer consultation networks were facilitated through the APS Member Group Member Directories, with nearly 3,500 members from all 40 Branches across Australia indicating their interest to be involved.

Online CPD logging toolThe online CPD logging tool remained a highly valued and used method for members to log their completed CPD and track their individual progress towards meeting CPD requirements. Members selected for random audit by the Psychology Board of Australia used the report to generate detailed CPD logs for submission.

Facilitating high standards of education and practiceAPS AwardsThe APS recognised excellence in psychology with nine distinguished and early career psychologists receiving awards for valued contributions to the science, education, and practice of psychology, as well as public engagement with psychological science.

The APS Prize for the top student in accredited fourth year psychology programs in Australian higher education institutions was awarded to 39 students at the end of 2015, with the 2016 recipients due to be announced shortly.

The APS Bendi Lango bursaryThe 2016 Bendi Lango bursary, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in their postgraduate professional psychology studies, was awarded to an Indigenous student undertaking a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology) at the University of Queensland.

Course development and approvalApproval of postgraduate professional psychology courses was undertaken by APS College course approval assessors for 39 programs across Australia.

APS is a member of APAC and APS nominees sit on the Board.

VALUE FOR MEMBERS cont.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE APS IN 2016

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Advocacy regarding psychology practice, education and researchNational Review of Mental Health Programmes and ServicesThe APS made further submissions in relation to the Government’s response to the National Mental Health Commission’s Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services, including meetings with the Health Minister, her advisors and senior Department of Health bureaucrats, to highlight the vital role of psychological knowledge and treatment within Australia’s mental health system. The APS was invited to be part of the Mental Health Reform Stakeholders Group, which provides ongoing advice to the Government regarding the implementation of the mental health reforms, particularly in the primary health care sector.

Pre-Election call for stance on major issuesIn the lead up to the Federal election, the APS called on the major political parties to articulate their stance on key issues of relevance to psychology and the community. Key priorities included Better Access, psychological services in regional, rural and remote Australia, chronic disease management, aged care, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, institutionalised child sexual abuse, domestic violence, asylum seekers, climate change and disaster response funding.

Psychology Board of AustraliaRegular advocacy was undertaken with the Psychology Board of Australia through representation and submissions in a number of areas, including responses to consultation papers on the review of Area of Practice Endorsements, the proposed guideline for transitional programs for overseas trained psychologists, and specialist registration.

Submissions on key topicsThe APS prepared more than 50 submissions to a large range of Senate Inquiries, government reviews and taskforces, including the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The APS also facilitated member experts to provide evidence-based input into various health guidelines and policies on the management of chronic diseases, mood disorders, suicide prevention, physical health of people living with mental illness, and accommodation for people with disabilities. Submissions were also made to public inquiries in a range of public interest areas, including family violence, impacts of immigration detention (particularly on children) and aged care.

Strategic partnerships and representationStrategic partnerships with influential entities such as Mental Health Australia, Allied Health Professionals Australia and the Mental Health Professions Association enabled the APS to be involved in coordinated advocacy efforts to inform government decisions in mental health and primary health service delivery. Psychology was also represented on over 40 influential committees on government policy and services development.

State and Territory-based advocacyState and Territory-based advocacy was undertaken in collaboration with various APS Committees to provide input on a range of local issues across health and human services, justice, mental health and education.

Psychology in the international communityThe APS participated in psychology at an international level through membership of the Board and Executive Committee of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) and through coordination of the Divisions of IAAP. The APS also participated in the inaugural Asia-Pacific Forum of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) and APS is now represented on the IUPsyS Board.

Psychology education, training and researchAdvocacy for psychology education and training included ongoing work arising from the national summit on psychology education, which resulted in an agreement to change training models and move towards the retirement of the 4+2 program as a pathway to registration.

Submissions were also made on the proposed APAC Standards for accreditation of psychology courses, the ARC Engagement and Impact Assessment paper, the mapping of professional accreditation in the context of higher education regulatory and standards frameworks, Medical Research Future Fund priorities and strategies, as well as research priorities and innovation.

Presidential InitiativeAs part of the Presidential Initiative on psychological contributions to Australian society’s major challenges, a Roundtable was convened to canvass diverse perspectives on social cohesion in a multicultural society in times of heightened fear and anxiety. A series of booklets and online resources were subsequently developed addressing the three identified ‘big issues’ – community wellbeing, social cohesion and climate change.

VOICE OF PSYCHOLOGY

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE APS IN 2016

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Promotion of psychology through the mediaPromotion of psychology and the APS through the media generated 1,100 media items on topics related to mental health services and funding, family and domestic violence, sexual abuse, marriage equality, disasters and Indigenous and refugee issues. The APS facilitated over 240 media referrals to APS ‘topic experts’ across a range of areas affecting community wellbeing. The Better Minds, Better Lives promotional video was used to communicate what psychologists do and the role of the APS, whilst the podcast Talking Psychology broadened the range of audio and video technologies used to communicate with key audiences.

APS Workplace Excellence AwardsThe 2nd APS Workplace Excellence Awards attracted 67 entries from companies across Australia. Thirty one companies qualified as finalists across seven categories with the awards presented at a Gala Dinner held in conjunction with the APS Congress.

Psychology WeekPsychology Week 2016 focused on measuring and improving wellbeing, with the Compass for Life – Ways to Thrive survey which measured flourishing across five key domains that are related to psychological wellbeing – positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment.

Key findings were that Australians generally have a positive sense of wellbeing, with particular fulfilment in relationships and meaning in life. Adults aged older than 65 years scored significantly higher across the five domains. Interestingly, high social media usage appeared to have a negative impact on relationships and wellbeing, with those who are constantly connected reporting significantly higher levels of negative emotions and loneliness.

The survey findings led the media campaign, which encouraged Australians to complete the survey and find out the level of sense of wellbeing and life satisfaction.

Forced adoption practitioner trainingThe forced adoption practitioner training was launched in March 2016 and provides resources and online training for health professionals working with people affected by forced adoption policies and practices in Australia.

Support for Indigenous IssuesThe APS remained active on Indigenous issues in 2016 including:• Issuing the APS Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Peoples• Provision of Cultural Competency training to APS Board

members and staff• Completion of the Australian Indigenous Psychology

Education Project (AIPEP) and launching three outcomes documents at the APS Congress

• Receiving advice from the newly convened Indigenous Psychology Advisory Group (IPAG) to the Board

• Providing the Secretariat for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Advisory Group, on behalf of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association.

KidsMatter and MindMattersThe APS remained actively involved in the development of resources and communications for KidsMatter particularly in relation to the expansion of health and community partnerships. The APS provided further input into the revamped MindMatters through the development of content for new online modules that aim to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

Disaster responseSupport and resources were provided to APS Branches in response to major disasters including Cyclone Marcia and bushfires in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. The APS also participated in an international collaboration to develop a protocol for individuals with sub-clinical psychological problems following exposure to a disaster.

VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY

The Australian Psychological Society LimitedLevel 13, 257 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000Ph: 03 8662 3300 | Fax: 03 9663 6177psychology.org.au

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APS Member Groups The large array of State Committees, Branches, Colleges and Interest Groups worked hard to meet the local and national needs of APS members across Australia during 2016: 328 CPD events, 990 (approx.) Member Group Committee Update emails, 160 (approx.) Member Group Chairs and Convenors forums and 101 Member Group Awards.

APS member contributions Many APS members provided their knowledge, expertise and time to inform APS policy and activities in a range of ways including contributing across 14 Board Advisory Groups and Committees, 6 APS Reference Groups, 9 APS Committees and Working Groups, 3 APS Division Forums and 6 Editors for APS journals.

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