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AAPi continues to actively represent members across multiple national and state reform processes, with a clear focus on improving access to care, reducing red tape, and ensuring sustainable conditions for all psychologists.
At a national level, we have escalated NDIS concerns regarding the combined impact of reduced travel funding and current fuel pressures. Members are already reporting reduced outreach, increased cancellations, and withdrawal of services from rural and remote communities. We have called for an urgent review, including reversal of the 50% travel cap and the introduction of mechanisms that reflect real-world cost pressures, to prevent further widening of access gaps.
We have also continued to push for answers regarding the decline in access for participants with psychosocial disability, including through our role on the NDIS National Mental Health Sector Reference Group. This sustained advocacy has contributed to the commissioning of a national psychosocial practice review. While long overdue, this review presents an important opportunity to address systemic issues in access, planning and service delivery, and AAPi will continue to advocate to ensure it leads to meaningful, practical change.
We have formally written to the Minister regarding ongoing issues with Better Access referral requirements. Drawing on feedback from hundreds of members, we have highlighted widespread non-compliance, delays to care, increased costs for clients, and significant administrative burden across both psychology and general practice. Our advocacy focuses on simplifying referral processes and addressing broader structural barriers that undermine timely access to mental health care.
At a state level, AAPi has made a detailed submission to WorkSafe Queensland, raising serious concerns that current psychology fees do not reflect the true cost, complexity, or risk profile of delivering services within the scheme. We have emphasised that continued fee compression risks workforce withdrawal, delayed access for injured workers, and poorer recovery outcomes, calling for transparent indexation and alignment with sustainable fee benchmarks.
Alongside this, we are engaging in regulatory reform discussions through the QCAT Act Review, ensuring the psychology voice is represented in considerations of health practitioner disciplinary processes. We know the psychological and financial impact this has on psychologists and we are pushing for a better system.
We are also continuing targeted advocacy on inappropriate restrictions in NDIS autism diagnosis based on AoPE, and progressing work on the Thriving Kids agenda at both state and federal levels.
Over recent weeks, we have also been speaking directly with members about the broader impacts of the escalating global situation. A consistent sentiment we are hearing is that this feels reminiscent of “COVID 2.0”. With growing concern about increased demand, heightened client distress, and the risk of psychologists once again absorbing both the emotional and financial burden.
During COVID, psychologists stepped up to meet unprecedented demand, often at significant personal and professional cost. The clear message from members now is that this is not sustainable to repeat without meaningful system support.
AAPi is actively raising these concerns with the government and advocating for measures that help buffer both practitioners and clients from the downstream impacts of global instability. This includes continued calls for higher Medicare rebates, bulk-billing incentives, and an urgent review of NDIS travel settings to maintain service viability.
AAPi works at both the macro and the micro, driving systemic reform while staying closely connected to the realities of your day-to-day practice.
We are in the rooms where decisions are being shaped, challenging policy, pushing for fair funding, and advocating for a system that actually supports both psychologists and the people we serve. But just as importantly, we are here for you, answering your questions, backing you in complex situations, and ensuring your experiences directly inform our advocacy.
This is not abstract work. Every submission, every meeting, every piece of advocacy is grounded in what you are seeing, feeling and navigating on the ground.
We are walking alongside you, and we will continue to push at every level for a system that supports you in doing your work safely, sustainably, and with the recognition it deserves.
We are stronger together.
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As part of AAPi’s ongoing advocacy within the National Mental Health Sector Reference Group (NMHSRG), we have consistently raised concerns about the significant and sustained decline in NDIS access for people with psychosocial disability.
Members have been sharing their experiences with us for some time, highlighting increasing barriers, inconsistent decision-making, and growing challenges in supporting individuals to access the Scheme. These concerns have been echoed across the sector, and AAPi has been actively working alongside other peak bodies to seek transparency and accountability from the NDIA.
We are pleased to see that this advocacy has contributed to the NDIA initiating a practice review into psychosocial disability access.
The review focuses on understanding the drivers of declining access rates. It will explore:
- How access decisions are being made in practice against legislative requirements and operational guidance
- The challenges and enablers faced by NDIA delegates when assessing applications
- The experiences of Partners in the Community supporting applicants through the process
The review will draw on multiple data sources, including case file analysis, administrative data, and interviews with NDIA staff and partners.
There are currently more than 65,000 participants with psychosocial disability in the NDIS, yet access rates are declining. This raises serious concerns about equity, consistency, and whether people with significant mental health-related disability are being appropriately supported.
From AAPi’s perspective, this issue goes to the heart of our broader advocacy:
- Ensuring fair and equitable access to supports
- Reducing administrative and evidentiary burden on psychologists
- Supporting consistent, transparent decision-making
AAPi will continue to advocate strongly through the NMHSRG and other channels to ensure this review leads to meaningful, system-level change. We will be:
- Closely monitoring the progress of the review (expected to conclude mid-2026)
- Advocating for clear, actionable outcomes that improve access
- Continuing to bring member experiences and evidence into national discussions
We know many members are seeing firsthand the impacts of these changes on both their clients and their own practices. Your insights have been critical in elevating this issue to the national stage. We will continue to share updates with you.
Read the Psychosocial Disability Access Review information.
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We are thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the 2026 AAPi National Conference!
Set against the stunning backdrop of the InterContinental Resort, Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast, the venue and location have been carefully selected to create the perfect environment for learning, networking, and true rejuvenation.
Immerse yourself in a high-quality academic program, enjoy optional social and recreational activities, and take the time to connect, reflect, and unwind in a beautiful resort setting. This isn’t just a conference – it’s an experience designed to inspire, energise, and leave a lasting impact.
The conference program is currently under construction, and we’ll be sharing further announcements and session details very soon.
Conference special Early Bird rates are available until 31 May 2026, with pricing designed to make the conference accessible for all.
Secure your spot today and get ready to learn, connect, and be inspired on the Gold Coast in 2026!
📣 Speaker EOIs are closing soon on 16 April – submit your proposal now to be part of the program!
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AAPi continued to lead important public conversations across a range of platforms this March. Highlights included Sam van der Wijngaart speaking with the Hobart Mercury on youth detention, Olivia Clayton featuring on ABC Radio discussing negative influences in today’s environment and advocating for improved access to GP video consultations for mental health care, AAPi President Sahra O’Doherty sharing insights on panic buying on ABC Radio, and AAPi Director Rachel Samson contributing to Pharmacy Assistant Magazine on perinatal mental health.
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Rural telehealth concerns raised at Senate inquiry
This week, AAPi member Olivia Clayton addressed the Senate Committee for Rural and Regional Affairs on the impact of recent changes to GP mental health telehealth services, highlighting that the 1 November 2025 Medicare requirement for an in-person GP visit within the previous 12 months is creating unintended barriers - particularly for rural, regional and remote patients seeking mental health support. Ms Clayton emphasised that telehealth is critical for both privacy and accessibility, noting many patients prefer to consult a GP remotely or outside their local area to maintain confidentiality or avoid long travel distances.
Ms Clayton advocated for full reinstatement of the exemption to the established clinical relationship requirement for GP telehealth mental health services. And proposed a targeted alternative if this is not achievable - allowing GPs to complete a mental health treatment plan and referral via telehealth, without a prior in-person consultation, for patients in Monash Model areas 2–7.
“As we understand the intent to ensure quality and continuity of care, our experience on the ground suggests the current settings are having unintended consequences for rural patients,” Clayton said.
The story was syndicated across more than 80 publications nationwide and Olivia was quoted in this article on the subject in The Medical Republic.
This is an ongoing area of advocacy for AAPi. Further information here.
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Don’t blame autistic kids for these NDIS blowouts
AAPi Vice President Dr Katrina Norris spoke out on proposed NDIS reforms in a widely published opinion piece, cautioning against narratives that attribute rising scheme costs to increased autism diagnoses. She highlighted that while around 40% of NDIS participants have autism, the majority experience severe or profound disability, underscoring that they are exactly the cohort the scheme was designed to support. Dr Norris emphasised that while reform is needed to ensure sustainability, focusing blame on specific groups risks oversimplifying more complex systemic issues, including funding models and service gaps, and raises critical questions about where people will turn if access to support is reduced.
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Sleep and mental health
Olivia Clayton spoke to ABC Radio on the subject of sleep and its close connection to mental health, highlighting how disrupted routines from things like daylight savings, school holidays and shift work can significantly impact sleep quality. She explained that poor sleep and mental health challenges like anxiety and stress often reinforce each other, creating a difficult cycle, but emphasised that there are effective, evidence-based strategies to help.
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Naomi Malone is a Counselling Psychologist, clinical supervisor, and academic who has spent over two decades working across clinical practice, supervision, and higher education, all within rural and regional communities. Her career has been shaped by a deep appreciation for the importance of context, connection, and flexible, responsive care, and she feels privileged to have worked alongside the communities she serves.
Her therapeutic work is guided by trauma-informed and client-centred principles, drawing from approaches such as ACT, IFS, EMDR, somatic and narrative therapy. Alongside her clinical work, Naomi is passionate about supporting the next generation of psychologists through teaching and supervision, with a strong emphasis on reflective practice, ethical thinking, and developing an authentic therapeutic presence.
Naomi previously founded and led a multidisciplinary rural private practice, A Life Simply Lived Psychology, where she worked to build sustainable, collaborative models of care that reflected the realities of rural practice. Her contributions to the profession include advisory work with primary health networks and recognition for her outstanding contribution as a rural allied health practitioner.
This experience continues to shape her advocacy for the profession, particularly in relation to equity, access, and the recognition of diverse pathways within psychology. At the heart of Naomi’s work is a commitment to supporting psychology as a relational, values-driven and diverse profession, which honours the complexity of both the people we work with and the systems we work within.
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AAPi Vice President Dr Katrina Norris was an invited speaker at the Australian Financial Review Healthcare Summit, contributing to a panel discussion focused on the growing economic and social impacts of mental health challenges in Australia. Moderated by journalist Rachael Bolton, the session explored rising costs linked to work-related mental health, drawing on Productivity Commission data highlighting impacts across government, insurers, and the broader community.
Dr Norris shared insights from psychologists on the ground, including trends in demand, accessibility challenges, and workforce pressures. The panel also examined solutions with an emphasis on prevention, including workplace and community-based mental health initiatives, the role of employers in psychosocial safety, and emerging issues such as mental health discrimination. Discussions also considered the role of AI in mental health care and the potential impact of future workforce disruptions on population wellbeing.
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Factsheet for GPs: ADHD Diagnosis and the Role of Psychologists in Australia
This new factsheet is designed to support GPs in understanding the role of psychologists in the assessment and diagnosis of ADHD. It also provides guidance to help GPs work collaboratively with psychologists to ensure patients receive appropriate and timely assessment and support.
Couples Counselling Consent Template
The AAPi Member Support Team have developed a new Couples Counselling Consent Template for members. You can download and customise the template to suit your practice.
Members can access a range of consent templates in our library.
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The Department of Health Disability and Ageing has published two new guidelines for NDIS appeals:
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Workplace accommodations are often thought of as practical adjustments like modified duties or flexible hours, but their success often begins with open and ongoing conversations. This Comcare webinar explores how meaningful workplace support is shaped through trust, communication, and adaptability, particularly for employees who are neurodivergent, managing invisible or fluctuating conditions, or returning from psychological injury. Featuring a panel of lived experience speakers and practitioners, the discussion will share real-world insights into how organisations and managers can better support employees to identify what they need to thrive, while also recognising when a role may not be the right fit.
Date: Thursday 23 April 2026
Time: 1–2:30pm
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AAPi is supporting the National Syphilis Awareness Campaign, led by Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine, in response to the significant rise in syphilis cases across Australia, which have doubled over the past decade. Alongside an upcoming webinar for members on syphilis and sexual health, a suite of ready-to-use campaign resources is available to help raise awareness. Healthcare workers are encouraged to share these materials across their networks, promote routine syphilis testing as part of preventive healthcare, and help keep this important public health issue front of mind.
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QLD: Health Workforce Scholarship Program
Round 2 of the Health Workforce Scholarship Program opens from 13–26 April 2026, offering eligible health professionals in remote and rural Queensland up to $10,000 per year (for up to two years) to support professional development. Funding is available through bursaries for short courses, training, travel and accommodation, as well as scholarships for postgraduate study, from certificates through to PhDs, for courses commencing on or before 21 August 2026. This is a valuable opportunity to build skills, advance your career, and strengthen healthcare in rural and remote communities and could also be used to support attendance at the AAPi Conference later this year in Queensland.
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Medicare Mental Health Check In Update
The next phase of the Medicare Mental Health Check In program introduces a new service offering free, Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, primarily delivered via telehealth. It focuses on early intervention for people with mild to moderate concerns, using guided, evidence-based approaches, and is expected to support up to around 150,000 Australians per year.
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