5+1 Psychology Registration Program
Program at a glance
| Internship Program: | 5+1 pathway to general registration |
| Description: | Your final year of supervised, generalist practical training |
| Objectives: | To embrace the eight core competencies across all psychology practice in order to be eligible for general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). |
| Length: | 1 year full time: 44 weeks |
| Program: | Placement: up to 35 hours required per week Supervision: 80 hours over one year Professional Development: 60 hours over one year |
| Outcome: | Eligibility for general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia; |
| Eligibility: | You must have completed an approved five year tertiary psychology qualification. |
Our 5+1 Psychology Registration Program supports your development as an emerging early career psychologist, building on the knowledge and skill gained in your 5th-year degree and prepares you for PsyBA general registration.
We provide a flexible and integrated learning program comprising online workshops, e-learning modules and elective professional development workshops to ensure you receive all the knowledge needed to achieve the PsyBA core competencies and prepare for the National Psychology Exam. Our program also guides you in planning and embracing the possibilities of your early career as an emerging professional.
The core competencies and attributes of the 5+1 registration program that must be achieved by the provisional psychologist are:
- knowledge of the discipline
- ethical, legal and professional matters
- psychological assessment and measurement
- intervention strategies
- research and evaluation
- communication and interpersonal relationships
- working within a cross-cultural context
- practice across the lifespan.
Program components
To meet PsyBA requirements, the four key learning components of the 5+1 internship are:
1. Placement (Psychological Practice)
We provide
help securing psychological work placements that are approved by PsyBA.
2. Supervision
We provide
3. Professional Development
We provide
a range of specifically developed, practically oriented, skills based activities included in workshops such as case scenarios and role plays as well as convenient e-learning modules.
Placement
The key component of the 5+1 pathway is psychological practice, also referred to as placement. This involves securing employment in the workforce in a psychological role which is approved by PsyBA.
A total of 1,360 psychological practice hours must be completed. A minimum of 500 hours of the provisional psychologist’s role must involve direct or face-to-face client contact (60 of these hours may involve simulated client contact). This includes performing specific tasks of psychological assessment, intervention, and prevention. The remainder of the time comprises client-related activities such as case formulation and writing case notes and reports.
We provide pre-placement support if needed to help you secure suitable psychology placements that meet PsyBA psychological practice requirements. This support is tailored to your individual needs and includes suggesting job roles and passing on information about job opportunities with our partner organisations, reviewing resumes, job search techniques and strategies, and interview practice.
Supervision
Individual and group supervision provides the provisional psychologist with a professionally stimulating and supportive opportunity for growth and networking. Supervision is a mentoring relationship that provides direction, guidance and instructive critique to assist you in meeting the board’s core competencies for general registration and your own professional goals. This process is fundamental to achieving PsyBA core competencies.
Over the course of the program, you will be given the opportunity to work with a variety of the College’s supervisors who have a diverse range of specialities and areas of interest, providing a rich and varied learning experience. All our supervisors are current practitioners.
Professional Development
The purpose of professional development (PD) is to increase the knowledge and skill level of provisional psychologists across all core competencies of professional practice. PD workshops cover advanced topics building of your 5th year training related to psychological assessment and diagnosis, intervention planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions and theoretical and empirical knowledge of psychological principles. In addition, professional development modules guide and support your emerging professional identity as a psychologist and provide insight and guidance around professional practice opportunities and skills such as career planning, self-development and self-care.
Our program provides you with everything you need to prepare case reports, successfully undertake the National Psychology Examination and begin to develop your identity as an early career psychologist. We provide a range of specifically developed, practically oriented activities, including workshops and e-learning modules.
All our professional development activities are delivered online.
4. Assessment Tasks and National Psychology Exam
We provide
- support from supervisors with explicit knowledge and experience in the preparation of Board assessment tasks across all core competencies;
- training in and access to a range of Board approved mandatory and elective psychometric assessments;
- training in writing case reports for PsyBA, a review panel to provide feedback on your report and maximise the likelihood of success
- assistance with your preparation for the National Psychology Examination including e-learning modules, library resources and an exam study group.
Assessment of core competencies
The successful completion of Board assessment tasks is fundamental to achieving general registration.
For each of the core competencies, PsyBA requires specific training objectives and detailed assessment tasks to be completed progressively over the period of the internship. Progress reports must be provided by the supervisor and submitted to the Board by the provisional psychologist every six months. The Colleges’ Professional Development activities along with our guidance and support with these assessment tasks are what sets us apart.
Case reports
Case reports are a major component of the internship. They are an educational and developmental process intended to help the provisional psychologist cultivate and refine clinical skills and demonstrate clinical knowledge and skills through their work with clients in the workplace.
Four case reports (supervisor assessed) must be completed by the provisional psychologist during the internship, two must be focused on assessment of a client, and two must focus on intervention. One assessment and one intervention case report must be assessed by the Board to ensure that they demonstrate competence. Our supervisors support and guide you through the preparation of these, we provide training on writing case reports, and we provide a review process ensuring case reports are of a high standard and more likely to meet with Board approval when submitted.
National Psychology Exam
The provisional psychologist must pass the National Psychology Exam during their sixth year of training. At the College of Professional Psychology, we have a library of Board recommended exam readings, e-learning exam preparation modules and NPE study groups guided by an experienced supervisor to support your success.
Eligibility
To enrol in our 5+1 Psychology Registration Program, you must have completed an approved five-year tertiary psychology qualification.
Program applicants are required to undergo a selection process that consists of an application and a structured interview. This process gives both the applicant and the College the opportunity to ensure that our program fits with your individual needs and goals.
Students with Overseas Qualifications
Overseas psychology qualifications will have to be assessed for their Australian equivalence by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
You may need to provide proof of proficiency in English. This involves getting a score of 7.0 or more in an International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
More information can be found on the Psychology Board of Australia website .
Fees
The College of Professional Psychology was founded on the principle that by providing psychologists with the best professional and practical skills, they can go on to make a positive contribution to the mental well-being of the wider community.
Our supervisors, keen to give back and support the psychology profession, provide their time and expertise at a rate that allows us to keep our program fees to a minimum.
5+1 program: $15,000
(payable in 4 x instalments)
The fees cover all components of the registration program, including regular individual and group supervision, professional development workshops, e-learning modules, assistance with finding placement if needed and other online networking opportunities. Also included is access to psychometric tests, assistance with submitting paperwork to AHPRA, workshop notes and resources.