Kia ora and welcome to the website of the New Zealand Psychologists Board

The Psychologists Board welcomes you to its website and hopes that you find the information you are looking for. Our News & Information column (left) features the latest updates of interest to the profession and important notices for practitioners appear at the bottom of this page.

To access the information you are seeking click on the subject links in the left margin or in the columns below.   You are welcome to contact our staff for further information or to discuss any other matters you may have - click on the "contact us" link below for staff contact details.

Important Notices

1) Newsletter Winter 2008 Issue - Point of clarification
An article about a recent HPDT hearing (see page 3 of the August 2008 Newsletter) includes the following bullet point in reference to the psychologist’s “acts and omissions”;
 

• failing to exercise professional duties as a supervisor to oversee and proofread a report prepared by a supervisee;

Unfortunately the reader will not be aware that the supervisee in this case was a Trainee Psychologist, and therefore the supervising psychologist had responsibilities above and beyond those of a routine supervisory relationship.

The Board wish to make it clear that there is no ethical or legal requirement for psychologists who are providing routine supervision to other fully qualified and fully registered psychologists to “oversee” their work or to proofread their reports.

2) Practising Certificates - Information for Psychologists and their Employers
Psychologists - Please be assured that if the Board has received your application form and correct fee for your 2008-2009 APC you are deemed to hold that APC even if you do not have the physical certificate in your possession.  Note: It is a legal obligation of yours to ensure that teh Board has your correct contact details.  Please contact the Board to ensure this is the case.

Employers - Please note: if the Board has received the APC application and correct fee from your registered psychologist employee, that employee is legally entitled to be treated as the holder of that APC from the date when the Board received the application until it is issued.

There has been no increase in the APC fee again this year, despite very significant increases in expenditure resulting from legal and disciplinary processes under the HPCA Act.  The Board will be considering how best to manage these demands in the coming months, and will consult practitioners about any options considered that may require a change to the current fee structure or fee levels in future years.

3) Health Practitioner Survey
The Ministry of Health, as part of their scheduled review of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, wants to hear from Psychologists about their experienced with the Act, and with the New Zealand Psychologists Board's administration of the Act.

The Ministry has produced a survey that you can complete online at: http://www.moh.govt.nz/mohsurveys.nsf/SurveyStart/Regulated+Health+Practitioner+Survey

We wish to make it clear to all Psychologists that this questionnaire is being drawn to your attention at the request of the Ministry of Health and that the Psychologists Board does not necessarily endorse the questionnaire itself.

Further information about the questionnaire and about the full HPCA Act review is available on the Ministry of Health's website (link above).  The second stage of the review will be the release in mid 2008 of a discussion document - again open to submissions from any individual or organisation. That document may make recommendations for change.  The final report will be delivered from the Director-General of Health to the Minister of Health by December 2008.

Steve Osborne MSc RClinPsych
Chief Executive/Registrar
New Zealand Psychologists Board
PO Box 10-626, Wellington 6143
Steve Osborne: steve.osborne@nzpb.org.nz
Bill King (Deputy Registrar- Registration): bill.king@nzpb.org.nz