Psychologists in schools: Position Statement

This Australian Psychological Society (APS) Position Statement outlines key recommendations based on psychological evidence about investing in the mental health of school-aged children via whole school approaches to universal mental health promotion and prevention and early intervention for mental ill-health. The APS recommends:

• Schools need access to multi-tiered, evidence-based, whole school mental health and wellbeing programs and a dedicated and highly skilled national psychology workforce to lead, coordinate and support school-based mental health and wellbeing programming and evaluation.

• Funding is required to achieve a minimum ratio of one full-time equivalent school psychologist for every 500 students. With just over 4 million students in Australian schools, at least 8,000 school psychologists are needed now.

• There is a critical need to grow the number of qualified psychologists through increased funding for postgraduate training, placements and supervision. Funding to increase the number of psychologists in schools will only work if we have enough trained psychologists.

• Dedicated training places and scholarships are urgently needed in rural and remote areas and to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in school psychologist roles.

View position statement