APS Mentor Program

A member of the team will be in touch with you shortly to confirm next steps. Please allow up to 2 weeks to secure a match and be notified. If you have not heard anything after two weeks, please feel free to get back in touch with the team by emailing [email protected].

Once you are matched and the agreement is signed by both the mentor and mentee, we will put you directly in touch with each other. From here, it is up to the mentor and mentee to commence and continue the relationship. The APS also has clear guidance in the agreement and FAQs on when and how you can get back in touch with APS if there are any questions, concerns or feedback on the mentorship or you would like further support from APS on the mentorship. 

While this mentor program is only available to members once they have completed their studies, the APS is committed to supporting its student members by providing access to resources, professional development, networking, career support, ethical guidelines, all for a significantly reduced membership fee. Learn more over at StudentHQ. In addition to this, students are encouraged to reach out for guidance on PsyCommunity, or ask our Professional Advisory Service (PAS). Plus, stay tuned for an exciting update about students and PsyCommunity coming soon.

Yes, you don’t have to be currently working to become a mentor. We understand the value our members across the spectrum of their career can offer and greatly value the insights, experience and skills you can share with members earlier on in their career journey. Likewise, mentorship should be a two-way relationship and we want to ensure this program and the opportunity to give back and share your knowledge is as rewarding to you as it is to our mentees. 

Mentorship is a valuable tool for professional development at any level of experience. A mentor can provide advice in professional development strategies, planning career goals, establishing contacts in the field of interest, feedback and exchange of ideas. They can also provide informal coaching and advice, share their own experiences and act as a sounding board for the mentee. This is not a compulsory requirement of becoming a psychologist, nor does it require specific competency-based training. However, it is a valuable tool for any professional as they progress in their career. 

Supervision is distinct from mentorship as it tends to be focused more on the specific skills required to operate effectively within a defined work role. Specific to the psychology profession, the Psychology Board of Australia require all training programs leading to registration and endorsement of registration be supervised by Board-approved supervisors who have undertaken Board-approved training in competency-based supervision. For more information on supervision specifically, please visit Psychology Board Australia.  

Mentoring is typically provided by someone with expertise in a similar field of practice with qualities that may resonate with the mentee and their professional objectives. This can include skills, expertise, shared vision or how they view the word and the profession. It may also be where both participants are looking to achieve shared goals. Ultimately, the mentor and mentee are best positioned to determine if the mentorship is a good match, and this is the beauty of mentorship. 

We will support you with a Mentorship Agreement that provides guidance on roles and responsibilities of the mentor and mentee and promotes a mutual understanding of expectations from the beginning, to help support you get the best out of a rewarding mentoring relationship.  

At the outset it is important for mentees to appreciate that it is their responsibility to guide the sessions. To bring topics, ideas and questions to the session. More broadly, key items for a successful mentoring relationship include being respectful, seeking to learn from the relationship, being mindful of time commitments, boundaries and confidentiality, and identifying clear goals to measure progress and development.

A mentor relationship can last as long as the mentor and mentee wish, though we recommend at least 3 - 6 mentoring sessions to develop a relationship and work through any established goals or objectives. The best mentorships have time to grow, and become more friendly and mutual over time, so allow the relationship to evolve naturally and remain open and transparent with each other on how much time can be given ongoing. A mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship, and although the mentor and mentee may decide to end formal mentorship, a mentorship can also offer further networking and industry connections and a beneficial working relationship that may last beyond the formal mentorship.  

If you have concerns about your mentee or mentors engagement in the program, we encourage you to initially, if comfortable,  raise your concerns or issues with the mentor or mentee and then if still concerned or you are not able to discuss directly, contact a member of the APS Mentoring team for a confidential discussion by emailing [email protected].  

If you have concerns about issues that your mentee or mentor has raised with you which relates to their work as a psychologist, we encourage you to direct your mentee to their clinical supervisor for support and discussion.

If you believe that your mentee or mentor represents a risk to the public or identifies an issue that requires notification, then you may have a legal obligation to report your concerns. AHPRA has a comprehensive guideline on their website. 

If you are uncertain about the concerns that have been raised, AHPRA recommends that you contact them to discuss this. Where you are unsure or would like further guidance the APS Professional Advisory Service is available to support your decision making.

If you have any questions or feedback about the program at any time, please contact the team at [email protected]