Guide. Grow. Strengthen.

The Program has a focus on internship and supervision opportunities in:

• Community mental health

• Child and youth services

• Regional, rural and remote locations (Modified Monash Model (MMM) 3 - 7). You can use the Australian Government’s Health Workforce Locator to check the MMM classification of a location.

Connect with a provisional psychologist

The APS can help connect eligible supervisors with provisional psychologists seeking primary supervision, based on areas of professional interest, location and availability.

Support for supervision costs

Eligible interns or employers can receive a supervision stipend of up to $6,000 to contribute towards supervision costs. The stipend is paid to the intern or employer and does not constitute a payment to the supervisor.

Support to establish supervision

Where an external supervisor is required, the APS can assist interns and organisations to identify and connect with an appropriate Board-approved supervisor.

Professional connection and community

Supervisors who are APS members can access exclusive APS resources and a dedicated Community of Practice channel through the PsyCommunity networking platform, providing opportunities to share knowledge and connect with other psychologists.

Supporting your supervisee’s development

We provide the resources, guidance and support your supervisee needs, so you're not doing it alone. Interns participating in the Program receive access to 170+ hours of free, high-quality CPD (including the National Psychology Exam: Planning and Preparation course), reimbursement for one sitting of the National Psychology Exam and access to tools to track their internship requirements. Interns will also have access to the APS Professional Advisory Service, which provides guidance and support with professional, ethical or practice-related matters.

We are seeking supervisors who are committed to providing high-quality supervision and supporting provisional psychologists to develop the competencies required by the Psychology Board of Australia for general registration. To participate in the Program, supervisors must:

• Be a Board-approved supervisor.

• Have experience and/or expertise in the area/field of psychology in which the provisional psychologist (or intern) is engaged.

• Be able to provide supervision in accordance with the Psychology Board of Australia’s 5+1 internship requirements.

The key supervision requirements are:

Establish a supervision agreement

Establish a supervision agreement with the intern to set clear expectations and support an effective supervisory relationship.

80 hours of supervision

A total of 80 hours of supervision must be completed during the internship, including a minimum of 50 hours of individual supervision with the principal supervisor. The Psychology Board of Australia recommends that supervision is planned on a weekly basis.

Observation of practice

The principal supervisor must observe a minimum of four sessions every six months, with a minimum of two psychological assessment sessions and two intervention sessions. Across the internship, the supervisor must observe at least eight sessions in total, including a minimum of four assessment and four intervention sessions.

Progress reviews

The principal supervisor is responsible for conducting progress reviews every six months and monitoring the intern's development throughout the internship.

Review of records

Supervisors must regularly review the intern's logbook, including records of practice, education and training activities, and supervision.

Final assessment

The principal supervisor is responsible for overseeing the intern's progress and completing the final assessment of competence report.

Continuity of supervision

Where the principal supervisor is unavailable, appropriate arrangements must be in place for a secondary supervisor to provide supervision during their absence.

Where the principal supervisor is not onsite, appropriate support must be available onsite through a secondary supervisor, line manager or other suitable health professional who can oversee the provisional psychologist and provide professional guidance.

Supervision is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the psychology profession through supporting the next generation of psychologists.

The Program can help you:

• Contribute to workforce development by helping strengthen the pipeline of psychologists entering the profession and building the skills and professional capabilities of emerging psychologists.

• Connect with the future workforce by supporting provisional psychologists through their pathway to general registration.

• Share your expertise and experience while contributing to high-quality professional practice.

• Supervisors who are APS members can connect with other psychologists through the APS Community of Practice channel.

Step 1: Check your eligibility

Review the supervisor eligibility criteria, FAQs and 5+1 supervision requirements.

Step 2: Register your interest

Complete and submit the online expression of interest (EOI) form.

Step 3: EOI assessment

The APS 5+1 Pathway to Registration Program Team will assess your EOI, and contact you within four weeks to confirm your eligibility and discuss next steps.

Step 4: Connect with an intern

Once approved, the APS will connect you with an eligible provisional psychologist seeking supervision, based on suitability, professional interest areas, location and availability.

The Psychology Board of Australia’s recommends that supervision occurs on a weekly basis throughout the internship.

A total of 80 hours of supervision must be completed during the internship, with at least 50 hours provided individually by the principal supervisor. This equates to approximately one hour of supervision for every 18 hours of psychological practice.

See the 5+1 internship guidelines for further information.

Yes. You can express your interest in participating in the Program; however, you must not commence supervision under the Program until you have received confirmation from the Psychology Board of Australia of your status as a Board-approved supervisor.

The APS also provides training and professional development opportunities for supervisors, including Board-approved supervisor training, The APS offers Masterclasses for supervisors who want to maintain their status as a Board-approved supervisor. The APS also currently has funded places for Masterclasses, please see the APS Supervision Hub for more details and to apply. 

Yes, provided the internship and supervision commenced on or after 1 July 2026 and meet the Program's eligibility requirements. Supervision undertaken before 1 July 2026 is not eligible under the Program due to funding constraints.

No. Supervisors set their own supervision fees and agree these with the supervisee.

The Program provides a supervision stipend to eligible interns or employers to contribute towards supervision costs.

The supervision stipend is provided to eligible interns or employers to contribute towards the cost of supervision. It is not a payment made directly to supervisors by the APS.

The APS can help connect eligible supervisors with provisional psychologists who have applied to the Program and are seeking supervision. The APS will consider factors such as the intern's professional interest area, location and supervision requirements when identifying potential matches.

If you encounter difficulties that will impact the progression of the internship, please contact the APS 5+1 Program Team. The team can discuss the potential impact on stipends and where appropriate consider which supports and resources may be available to you.

Please refer to the PsyBA 5+1 Internship Guidelines under point 6 'Changes and disruptions in supervisory arrangements'. The 5+1 Internship Guidelines state that "if the principal supervisor is temporarily unavailable (e.g., they are on holidays or on sick leave), the provisional psychologist may continue to practice under the secondary supervisor during that time." Please discuss any leave arrangements with the intern and/or secondary supervisor in order for them to make supervision arrangements to cover periods of leave.