Competency-based standards and guidelines for psychology practice in Australia: opportunities and risks

Abstract

Recent changes to clinical psychology training and supervision in Australia have been driven by a deliberate endeavour by regulatory authorities and professional bodies to align education and training to competency-based models of training, a development that is apparent internationally in Psychology and other health disciplines. This Special Issue of the Clinical Psychologist provides an opportunity to address the critical question: How do reforms in Clinical Psychology training standards match international benchmarks for competency-based pedagogies? The current paper outlines key principles of competency-based pedagogies and critically examines whether Australia's new standards and guidelines for accreditation of coursework, practicum requirements, and supervision are consistent with competency principles and match guidelines in the U.K. and the U.S.A. The current review indicates that in an overall sense, practitioner training in Australia is tracking well in comparison to international developments. The paper highlights progress achieved, discusses major gaps and challenges, and examines the extent to which current accreditation changes constitute a reliable blueprint for the development of a competent psychology workforce for the country. Specifically, the decreased emphasis on the regulation of inputs (e.g., nature and type of coursework and practicum) is pedagogically sound and has the potential to promote innovation and efficiencies. A revision of the current competency framework will help underpin future progress. Secondly, the lack of reliable and valid instruments together with less than optimal adherence to systematic, timely and ecologically valid competence assessments constitute a major challenge and a serious threat to ensuring safe and competent psychology practice.

Regulations governing psychologists: An international survey.

“…This debate on the role of standardization notwithstanding, considerable effort has been made to ensure minimal competency-based quality in professional psychology (Rozensky, 2013). Competency-based, accredited education and training have been standardized in many countries, and efforts are being made to maintain competence throughout practitioners’ careers through continuous monitoring and evaluation (Gonsalvez et al, 2021).…”