AAPi Update

Posted on 18 July 2022

With so many new members recently, I thought it would be a good opportunity to briefly reiterate who we are as an association and why we exist. AAPi was founded in 2010 by a group of passionate psychologists to provide a united voice for all psychologists in the face of systemic bias toward psychologists with clinical endorsement. We believe that the two-tier system, which not only affects remuneration and client rebates but also restricts job opportunities and career progression, is destroying the diversity and collegiality of the psychology profession in Australia. We believe that all areas of psychology should be valued equally and that the worth of a psychologist is not linked to endorsement status. We believe that clients should not be disadvantaged by a reductive and flawed endorsement system.

Over the last 12 years, we have become a thriving professional association and supportive community providing an ever-growing array of services and member benefits. We provide strong advocacy for the issues that matter while ensuring that AAPi is a safe place to turn to when we are needed most. We are on this journey together and we thank you all for your support and membership.

We have a number of BIG issues we are currently working on. These include:

  • Advocacy campaigns to the new government for a one-tier psychology profession
  • State-based campaigns in the lead-up to elections and budgets
  • Better Access evaluation and advocacy to increase the rebate to $150 for all psychologists and reduce some of the administrative red tape and client barriers
  • Extensive NDIS advocacy for increased access to psychologists
  • Rebates and paid pathways for provisional psychologists
  • Progression of our legal challenges to the two-tier system- a full update on this coming soon
  • DVA and veterans' mental health
  • Telehealth advocacy
  • The retirement of the 4+2 pathway
  • Opposition to the proposed changes to the Health Practitioner National Law that would allow Ahpra to publicly 'name and shame' health practitioners before an investigation
  • Work regarding the reduction and elimination of seclusion and restraints in healthcare settings.

If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns, please reach out. AAPi is your association.