It has been another exceptionally busy period for AAPi, with our team actively representing psychologists across a wide range of national policy, workforce, regulatory and funding discussions.

Before we dive into our current advocacy activities, a reminder that bulk billing requirements are changing from 1 July 2026. Members can access AAPi's template resource and the Department's updated FAQs. We know many members have questions about these changes and we are currently awaiting further clarification from the Department. As always, we will continue working to ensure psychologists have the information and support needed to navigate these changes successfully.

We also encourage members to review our recent Medicare indexation update and quick reference guide, which provides a practical summary of the new rebate rates.

In the past week alone, AAPi has been engaged in discussions and consultations that will help shape the future of psychology across Medicare, the NDIS, workplace injury schemes, digital health, youth mental health and workforce reform.

Our activities included:

• Meeting with WorkSafe Victoria to discuss issues affecting psychologists working within the Victorian workers compensation scheme.
• Participating in the NDIS National Mental Health Sector Reference Group, advocating for the critical role psychologists play in supporting participants with psychosocial disability and monitoring upcoming reforms.
• Representing the profession through the National Mental Health Workforce Sector Advisory Group, ensuring psychology remains central to national workforce planning discussions.
• Continuing intensive work on the proposed NDIS legislative amendments, including analysis, stakeholder engagement and advocacy on behalf of members.
• Preparing for upcoming consultations regarding the Thriving Kids initiative, which will significantly impact how mental health supports are delivered to children and families.
• Attending the Sparked Clinical Design Group meeting in Brisbane, where AAPi's Chief Psychologist contributed to discussions shaping Australia's emerging national health data standards. Ensuring psychology and allied health perspectives are represented in these foundational systems is critical for the future of healthcare delivery.
• AAPi made a submission on the draft headspace Plus and Youth Specialist Care Centres (YSCC) Models of Care. These proposals continue a concerning trend that many members will recognise: endorsement-based restrictions being applied to psychologists while other professions are assessed on competence, experience and capability. Under the draft YSCC model, psychology roles are tied to specific endorsement categories, while professions such as nursing, occupational therapy, social work and other allied health disciplines are recognised based on advanced practice skills and experience. AAPi strongly challenged this approach. Our submission highlighted that many generally registered psychologists, along with psychologists endorsed in areas other than clinical psychology, possess extensive expertise in working with young people experiencing severe, complex and high-acuity mental health presentations. More importantly, these restrictions do not simply disadvantage individual practitioners. They create workforce models that can exclude experienced psychologists from specialist positions while allowing non-psychologist professions to access those same opportunities. Over time, this weakens psychology's position within multidisciplinary services, reduces career opportunities for psychologists, and creates incentives for employers to recruit alternative professions rather than experienced psychologists. AAPi called for all registered psychologists to be eligible for specialist psychological roles, with competency determined by training, skills and experience rather than endorsement status. We also raised concerns about the sustainability of heavily Medicare-funded subcontractor models and the increasing reliance on student and early-career workforces as a solution to workforce shortages, rather than addressing the underlying issues of remuneration, workload and professional support

While each of these issues may appear separate, they are all connected by a common theme: ensuring psychology remains recognised, respected and properly utilised.

Whether we are challenging endorsement-based restrictions, advocating within the NDIS, influencing workforce planning, engaging with regulators, contributing to digital health reform or supporting members through Medicare changes, our focus remains the same: protecting opportunities for psychologists, improving access to care, and ensuring policy decisions are grounded in competence, evidence and common sense.

Every week, AAPi is at the table in conversations that directly affect your profession, your practice and your future. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, often long before policies become public. 

Thank you for supporting this work. Your membership allows us to continue being a strong, independent voice for psychologists and to challenge policies that undermine the profession. As the pace of reform accelerates across healthcare, disability, mental health and workforce policy, AAPi remains committed to ensuring psychology is not merely consulted, but heard.

We are pleased to share that day 1 of the AAPi 2026 National Conference will open with an important and thought-provoking plenary exploring cultural safety in practice:

Cultural Safety in Action – Adapting Psychological Therapies and Assessments within an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service Social and Emotional Wellbeing Team in Central Australia

Through three complementary presentations, the session aims to deepen the profession’s understanding of culturally responsive practice, the role of psychologists within community controlled health services, and the broader system-level considerations essential for effective and culturally safe care in these settings.

We’re delighted to welcome presenters Radhika Badhan, Kathleen Charles-Walsh, Jennifer St Clair, Kathy Ramsey Janse Van Nieuwenhuizen, and Lewis Gould-Fensom on behalf of Marah Prior, General Manager Health Programs, and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Social and Emotional Wellbeing team, to open the conference with what promises to be a deeply valuable and impactful discussion. Session topics include:

• Adapting EMDR protocols in alignment with the Social and Emotional Wellbeing framework when working with Aboriginal Australians
• Narrative therapy stories and approaches in Central Australia
• Neuropsychological assessment with first nation's people – The importance of cultural safety and clinical adaptation

Affordability Remains a Major Barrier to Mental Health Care

AAPi's Executive Director Tegan Carrison's article was published in the Courier mail, calling for urgent reform to improve access to affordable mental healthcare. With rising costs forcing some Australians to delay, reduce or abandon treatment, increasing numbers are turning to AI chatbots for mental health support which is no substitute for evidence-based care delivered by qualified professionals. Tegan makes the point that "when psychological care becomes something only some people can afford, we send a dangerous message that mental health is somehow less important than physical health", highlighting the need for Medicare funding and access to keep pace with community need.

Psychologists challenge their exclusion from psychedelic treatment

AAPi’s consideration of legal action over the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) recent changes to psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) prescribing arrangements was featured in The Australian. The report highlighted AAPi’s concern that the reforms exclude the majority of psychologists from the primary therapist role in PAT sessions, with AAPi President Sahra O’Doherty describing the decision as a major shock to the profession.

Sahra noted that AAPi is seeking to understand the evidence and rationale behind the determination, with a view to pursuing legal avenues where appropriate.

AAPi’s call to the TGA to reverse its decision to stop the widespread use of psychedelic-assisted therapy was also featured on 2SM’s morning news bulletin. AAPi President Sarah O’Doherty said it “doesn’t make sense”, noting it effectively excludes two-thirds of the psychology workforce by limiting delivery to clinical psychologists only, raising concerns about both workforce exclusion and reduced access to care.

The NDIS is undergoing significant change, with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) seeking input from providers to help shape and test updates to systems and processes.

Providers are invited to express interest in participating in activities such as testing new tools and system changes (including the my NDIS provider portal), group consultations, one-to-one interviews, and surveys. Some engagement opportunities may occur outside standard business hours.

The NDIA is encouraging provider organisations and multiple representatives within services to take part, particularly those familiar with operational processes and confident using the provider portal. Expressions of interest are now open, with participants to be contacted as opportunities arise.

The Transport Accident Commission has announced psychology and neuropsychology fee increases taking effect from 1 July 2026. The hourly rate will increase, with travel time aligning with treatment rates. Providers will need to use the new codes and rates for services delivered with billing systems to be updated accordingly.

Read our full update detailing what's changing, what providers need to do and the fee schedule details.

The Australian Digital Health Agency offers a range of free online learning courses for allied health practitioners, and has partnered with AAPi to make these courses available through the AAPi learning portal, helping to centralise your professional learning in one convenient location.

The below courses are now available via the AAPi website: 

• NEW - Introduction to My Health Record For Healthcare Providers 
• Registering your organisation for My Health Record
• My Health Record Security, Privacy and Access
• Using My Health Record in allied healthcare
• Digital Health Security Awareness 
• Clinical Safety in Digital Health - Introductory
• Using online conferencing and telehealth technologies securely
• Cyber security considerations when working remotely or working from home

Explore all available courses here.

More than 40,500 people have signed the petition calling on the Australian Government to expand the Commonwealth Prac Payment to include all allied health students. The campaign highlights the ongoing financial pressure on students required to complete extensive unpaid placements, with many forced to reduce or leave paid work entirely to meet course requirements.

Supported by Independent MP Helen Haines and Senator David Pocock, the petition will be tabled in Parliament later this month. With only weeks remaining, we encourage you to sign and share the petition to help address placement poverty and strengthen the future health workforce.

The AAPi professional guidance team have developed a new Medicare Assignment of Benefits Form Template for members. This is available for members to download and customise with their own details for use when providing bulk-billed psychology services.

Primary Health Networks - mental health care guidance

The government has released this new guidance document, outlining expectations for Primary Health Networks in commissioning psychological treatment services for people living with mental illness in residential aged care facilities. It provides a framework for how services should be designed and delivered, including who is eligible, how referral and assessment processes should work, the types of psychological therapies to be provided, and who is qualified to deliver them. 

NT: New Perinatal Mental Health Centre

New and expectant parents in the Northern Territory can now access free mental health support through the newly opened Perinatal Mental Health Centre in Berry Springs. Operated by the Gidget Foundation and funded by the Australian Government, the centre offers in-person and telehealth services for parents experiencing anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges during the perinatal period. The centre is expected to support more than 700 parents each year and is the first of its kind in the Northern Territory.