Australian Psychological Society

Australian Psychological Society
Name	Australian Psychological Society
Abbreviation	APS
Formation	1944
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Melbourne, Victoria
Region served	Australia
Membership	Psychologists, students, affiliates

Australian Psychological Society

The Australian Psychological Society is a national professional association representing practicing psychologists, clinical practitioners, academic researchers and student members across Australia. It interfaces with institutions such as Australian National University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of Sydney and University of Queensland while engaging with regulatory bodies including the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, the National Health and Medical Research Council and state health departments. The Society collaborates with international organizations like the American Psychological Association, the British Psychological Society, the Canadian Psychological Association, the International Association of Applied Psychology and the World Health Organization.

History

Founded during the mid-20th century, the Society emerged amid professional discussions involving figures from University of Queensland and practitioners influenced by wartime psychology in contexts such as the Second World War and postwar public health planning. Early leaders interacted with institutions like Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and policy makers connected to the Chifley Government. Over decades the Society has evolved alongside developments at universities including University of Western Australia and University of Adelaide, and major hospitals such as Royal Melbourne Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne. It has responded to national inquiries and legislative changes related to professional regulation like reforms tied to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and has interfaced with inquiries such as those led by parliamentary committees in the Parliament of Australia.

Structure and Governance

Governance has been conducted through elected Councils, Boards and Divisions, involving representatives from academic institutions including La Trobe University and Deakin University, members active in specialty groups connected to Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and allied organizations such as Mental Health Australia. The national office in Melbourne coordinates state branches in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Governance frameworks reference standards from bodies like the Australian Skills Quality Authority and liaise with tribunals including the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and state-based health complaints entities.

Membership and Accreditation

Membership categories encompass Registered Psychologists, Fellows, Associate Members and Student Members drawn from training programs at Griffith University, Macquarie University, University of Wollongong and Flinders University. Accreditation processes align with academic accreditation standards used by professional boards linked to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Psychology Board of Australia. Pathways to endorsement and specialty recognition intersect with training in clinical settings such as Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne and supervisory arrangements involving supervisors credentialed through university clinical programs and specialty colleges.

Professional Activities and Services

The Society runs continuing professional development events, workshops and conferences partnering with organizations including the Australian Psychological Society College of Clinical Psychologists, the Victorian Department of Health, the New South Wales Ministry of Health and large conferences hosted at venues like Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. It provides member services such as professional indemnity guidance, ethics consultation and practice resources used by practitioners in private practices, community health services, non-government organisations such as Beyond Blue, SANE Australia and Lifeline Australia and in government programs like those of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Publications and Research

The Society publishes peer-reviewed journals, practice handbooks and position papers that engage with research produced at research institutes such as the Black Dog Institute, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and university psychology departments. Publications link to international journals and draw on scholarship associated with researchers at Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and Stanford University through collaborative projects and citation networks. It has supported research grants, white papers and guidelines that reference systematic reviews and trials registered in databases maintained by organisations like the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Advocacy and Policy

The Society advocates on matters affecting psychological practice and public mental health, engaging with federal actors such as the Prime Minister of Australia's office and Ministers for Health, and liaising with state premiers and health ministers in jurisdictions including New South Wales Government and Victorian Government. It submits policy advice to parliamentary committees, contributes to national strategies alongside bodies like Headspace, Consumers Health Forum of Australia and Mental Health Commission of New South Wales, and responds to national emergencies and inquiries such as those following bushfire disasters in regions like New South Wales and Victoria.

Awards and Recognition

The Society confers awards and fellowships recognizing contributions from academics and practitioners affiliated with institutions such as University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, Monash University and research centres including the Black Dog Institute and Oxford University Press-published scholars. Awards celebrate achievements in clinical innovation, research excellence, and service in contexts like disaster response and community mental health, often highlighting collaborations involving organisations like Beyond Blue, Lifeline Australia and international partners including the American Psychological Association.

Category:Psychology organizations in Australia