Every year AAPi produces a pre-budget submission as part of the Federal Government consultation process. This allows AAPi to directly ask for our key advocacy items to be included in the Federal Budget.
This year our submission focused on the items that, if implemented, will have the biggest impact for our members and their clients:
- One-tier Medicare rebate for the clients of all registered psychologists in Australia.
- Raise the Medicare rebate to $150 per session to allow for greater access for those who need it most.
- Implementing the Productivity Commission recommendation for up to 40 rebated sessions per annum.
- Establish a provisional psychologist Medicare rebate.
Whilst we are working on many other initiatives through other submissions and consultations, we believe these are the foundational changes that must occur. Throughout the pre-budget process our government relations head into overdrive to ensure our recommendations are considered and (hopefully) adopted.
The last few weeks we have also been working with our student, provisional and international members on advocacy campaigns to address inequities in how English language proficiency is assessed, reducing registration costs and other barriers for the next generation of psychologists.
We have also achieved another successful substantial equivalence application for clinical endorsement. We will have more to say about this as soon as we can. We are assisting several members in this process with the objective of systemic change.
Next week, AAPi will be attending a full-day consultation with Ahpra on addressing practitioner fear and distress about receiving a notification, and what supports are required for practitioners when they are involved in regulatory processes. Further information on the recommendations and actions for Ahpra are available here and the published paper ‘Virtually daily grief’ - understanding distress in health practitioners involved in a regulatory complaints process: a qualitative study in Australia. If you would like to share your story or provide suggestions we can take to Ahpra, please contact us.
AAPi is here to support and represent psychologists. It is our privilege to serve you.