ABOUT US

About the Board

Learn about the Psychologist Board’s establishment, purpose, functions and accountability.

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Board Members

The Board normally has nine members, two of whom are lay members.

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Board’s Secretariat

Meet the Board’s Secretariat.

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Committees

The Board currently operates four committees: one at the governance level and three at the operational level.

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Strategic Priorities 2021-2025

Purpose: Hauora For All – transforming psychology in Aotearoa

Vision: Everybody can access safe and effective psychology, when they need it, in a way that works for them

Accessibility, Acceptability and Equity

We will improve accessibility, acceptability and equity in psychology practice, through the use of robust data and evidence that advocates for necessary changes to the sector.

What will we focus on, and what actions will start to deliver the change we want to see?

Collaborating with public institutions and non- government organisations to identify opportunities for increasing the number of pyschologists available across all communities in Aotearoa e.g. work with government agencies and non-government agencies etc. to identify innovative solutions that increase numbers of psychologists available in the public sector (or funded services).

Review accreditation standards and incorporate a requirement that training programmes have an approach for improving equity of access to the programme, in particular for Māori.

Establish a regular report on equity of psychology in the New Zealand.

Indicators of success

• Increase in number of Māori psychologists
• Increase in number of psychologists that are available to all through public institutions.

Future Workforce

We will seek changes in the training and structuring of the psychology workforce, so that psychology need is met by an appropriate range of competent psychological services.

What will we focus on, and what actions will start to deliver the change we want to see?

Introduce new registration pathways for overseas applicants that ensures internationally-trained psychologists are equipped to provide services in Aotearoa.

Explore the potential for a new psychology-related scope of practice, qualified to provide services for low-risk need.

Strengthen the current accreditation process in collaboration with training providers and other stakeholders.

Indicators of success

• Increase in % of diverse populations on the psychologists register
• Establishment of new training models.

Elevating Māori Paradigms in Psychology

We will support our workforce to be able to deliver to tangata whenua. We will support the bicultural space to be embraced and understood.

What will we focus on, and what actions will start to deliver the change we want to see?

Update competency standards and code of ethics for registered psychologists to reflect the Board’s expectation of safe and ethical clinical and cultural psychology practice.

Work with He Paiaka Tōtara to understand how we can support their leadership in psychology.

The Secretariat will grow its capability working in Te Ao Māori, including implementing a diversity and inclusion framework throughout our organisation.

Review accreditation standards to ensure that training programmes have systems in place that demonstrate that graduates are able to provide culturally-safe services to Māori.

Identify and implement strategies to support Māori psychologists into leadership and positions of influence.

Design and introduce training for currently registered psychologists to provide more culturally-safe psychology services.

Indicators of success

• Every training programme teaches the application of the Meihana Model
• Indigenous psychology is reflected in the accreditation standards.

Building Trust with the Psychology Profession

We will strengthen engagement with the psychology profession and encourage two-way communications.

What will we focus on, and what actions will start to deliver the change we want to see?

Board representatives will be present and accountable at relevant psychology forums.

Develop a communications strategy that addresses the need for genuine engagement, and regular, informative updates for stakeholders on our activities.

Improve systems to ensure that notifications about psychologists’ practice are managed in a timely, sensitive and effective way.

We will hold wānanga with psychologists to kōrerorero on the direction of, and issues facing, psychology.

Indicators of success

• Improved engagement results with psychologists and training institutions.

Leadership

To transform psychology in Aotearoa, we will lead the profession to embrace the challenges ahead. This will strengthen the mechanisms we have in place to protect public safety.

What will we focus on, and what actions will start to deliver the change we want to see?

Promote the use of te reo Māori in our communications and public profile.

All policy and strategy decisions we make will identify our bicultural obligations and any opportunities to elevate Māori paradigms in psychology.

Identify and develop strategic relationships that will progress key priorities for the Board:

  • Accessibility, acceptability and equity
  • Future workforce
  • Elevating Māori paradigms
Report regularly on achievement of activities and outcomes in our strategy.

Indicators of success

• There is competition for appointments on the Board.

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