Professional practice

August 2011 | David Stokes

Client privacy is significantly compromised in a range of situations where third parties have access to sensitive information in client files – for example, compliance officers in the event of a WorkCover audit; lawyers and the legal system through subpoenas; or school principals and...

August 2011 | Dr Rebecca Mathews

In 2007, the Australian Government introduced the Helping Children with Autism (Autism) package which included assessment and early intervention services for children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The Government has recently expanded this package with the introduction of the Better...

August 2011 | Adjunct Professor James Athanasou

In my 33 years working as a vocational psychologist in government, university and private practice settings, it has been pleasing to see psychology develop and expand as a profession. The profession now encompasses around 29,000 psychologists and has achieved significant recognition in the...

June 2011 | Dr Lyn O’Grady, Amy Quayle, Dr Luke Martin and Sarah Cavanagh

Survey of psychologists regarding mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention approaches in schoolsThe KidsMatter mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative, in which the APS is a major partner, has continued to expand since it first commenced in...

June 2011

The APS National Office Professional Advisory Service receives a large number of enquiries from psychologists unsure about how to respond to a subpoena, indicating that this is a complex area that causes anxiety and uncertainty. Psychologists frequently lack familiarity with the legal processes...

June 2011 | Dr Rebecca Mathews

Under the new national registration scheme, members of the public can make a notification (complaint) to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) regarding the conduct, health and performance of a psychologist or a student psychologist. AHPRA is assigned the ability to...

June 2011

The APS has endorsed, and is now a signatory to, the Australian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) Position Statement, Realising the Health Benefits of Work.1 This important new document summarises evidence showing that work is a determinant of health in exactly the same...

April 2011

Members frequently contact the APS professional advisory service to seek guidance about managing difficult requests from lawyers. Psychologists often report feeling intimidated by such requests and are unsure about how, or even if, they should respond. In this article, the APS in-house legal...

April 2011 | Geoff Dawson

Over many years working as a psychologist and as a Zen Buddhist meditation teacher, I have often had people come to see me professionally because they have experienced ongoing mental and emotional distress as a result of attending an intensive meditation retreat. These experiences have mainly...