Hi Members,

In line with our vision to advance the counselling profession, we have received an update from the Department of Health to indicate that they have begun the process of procurement for a third party contractor.  This contractor will assist with the research and analysis, facilitate sector consultation and develop a draft set of National Standards.  The appointment of this contractor is expected to be in place by end of February 2024.

ACA remain committed and engaged to be part of this project with Department of Health and advancing our profession.

I will provide a further update once more is known.

Thanks,

Jodie McKenzie

CEO, Australian Counselling Association

In October 2023, Black Dog Institute introduced a pilot trial to a small group of ACA Level 3 and 4 Members to access their new online hub known as eMHPrac. Due to the immense interest and positive feedback, Black Dog and ACA are thrilled to be able to offer this subscription to all practicing ACA Members at no cost!

This expansion provides an invaluable opportunity to harness the benefits of the hub for complimentary professional development, designed to connect health professionals to a plethora of online programs, resources, and essential primary care information.

About eMHPrac
e-Mental Health in Practice, or eMHPrac, is a free suite of online training modules, webinars, and e-resources. The primary objective remains introducing health professionals to online programs and tools, demonstrating how e-mental health technologies seamlessly integrate into primary care settings. See here to learn more.

To activate your account on eMHPrac, sign up here.

Ongoing Professional Development Points
Members can claim ongoing professional development (OPD) points for completing modules, courses, and other educational activities provided by eMHPrac. Each educational activity within the hub clearly indicates if it qualifies for professional development points, with the respective hours listed in CPD hour format. ACA will accept points on a like for like basis – one CPD hour equals one OPD point.

We appreciate your dedication to staying at the forefront of progressive practices, and we trust that eMHPrac will serve as a valuable tool in your professional toolkit.

Southern Cross University is conducting Australia’s first ever national survey focussed on First Nations’ Traditional Medicines. They are looking to survey First Nations people, as well as Health Service Staff, to gauge views on traditional medicines and the potential for their use in the healthcare system.

This survey is open to any First Nations Person from Australia 18+.

This survey is open to those 18+ who work in a health service that has a significant number of First Nations patients.

After a number of years of consultation, in July 2023 the ACT government passed legislation and a regulation (Human Rights Commission Regulation 2023) enacting the Code of Conduct for Health Workers in the ACT. The Code commences in the ACT on 7 January 2024. Members who provide health services in the ACT need to be familiar with the Code.

The Code provides for minimum standards of care in the provision of health services by health workers in the ACT.

This includes:

• Providing safe and ethical care
• Obtaining consent for treatment
• Keeping appropriate records & protecting a patients privacy
• Having appropriate insurance
• Minimising harm and acting appropriately if something goes wrong

The Code also obliges health workers to NOT:

• Mislead a patient about services, products or qualifications
• Put a patient at risk due to a physical or mental health concern
• Make false claims about curing serios illnesses such as cancer
• Exploit patients financially
• Discourage patients from seeking other health services or treatments
• Have an inappropriate relationship or inappropriate boundaries with a patient

Health workers are any person providing a health service who is not a registered practitioner such as a doctor, nurse, dentist or one of the 15 registered practitioner groups regulated by the Australian health practitioner regulation Agency (Ahpra). This means health workers in the ACT from 7 January 2024 must comply with the Code when providing health services in the ACT.

A health service is a service provided in the ACT to someone (the service user) for any of the following purposes:

• (a) assessing, recording, maintaining or improving the physical, mental or emotional health, comfort or wellbeing of the service user;
• (b) diagnosing or treating an illness, disability, disorder or condition of the service user.

This includes massage therapists, laser therapy, counsellors and social workers, dieticians, nutritionists, doula’s, aged care & disability care workers, assistants in nursing and others. (This definition is provided for by section 7 of the ACT Human Rights Commission Act 2005.)

The introduction of the Code aligns the ACT with states that have already introduced the Code including NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. From January 2024 patients accessing health services will be able to make a complaint to the ACT Human Rights Commission if the code is not adhered to when a health service is provided. Information about the Code is available at here.

The Code also requires health workers to display the Code where they are providing a health service. The requirement to display the Code may apply differently in institutional settings such as hospitals. Copies of the Code can be downloaded from the website or health workers can request copies of the Code by emailing us at [email protected].

The Commission generally tries to resolve complaints about health services through a conciliation process. Where significant conduct issues are identified by a complaint or through other means the Commission can take more significant regulatory action such as placing conditions on a health workers practice or prohibiting a health worker from providing that service.

If you need further information you can call the Health Services Commissioner’s team on 02 6205 2222 or email us at [email protected]

All Registered Counsellors have a requirement to be complete a minimum of 25 points of Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) and 10 hours of Supervision.

If you have not met the requirement for the year, you are able to request an exemption. You can have 2 exemptions per 10 years of membership, and they are applicable to OPD and Supervision for a membership year. Please contact [email protected] to discuss an exemption if you require one.

1. Ongoing professional development

ACA Members are to complete at least 25 points of professional activity each membership year to maintain their ongoing professional development (OPD) and registration with ACA. The registered counsellor is responsible for developing and reviewing his or her professional development. OPD is an opportunity for registered counsellors to work with their program/service manager to develop their professional practice and to bring value to their role.

How do I find OPD opportunities?

To find ACA Approved OPD events visit the Professional Development tab on the ACA Website.

For more information on OPD such as point allocation and types of events, view the ACA OPD Policy.

How do I upload OPD points to my member portal?

Watch the instructional video below for a guide on how to log your completed professional development events to gain OPD points towards your annual registration requirements.

2. Supervision

Supervision is the process whereby a counsellor can speak to someone who is trained to identify any behavioural and psychological changes in the counsellor that could be due to an inability to cope with issues of one or more clients. Supervision is a process whereby the supervisee can reflect on their practice, discuss workplace and professional issues in a safe environment.

Each practicing ACA Member, whether in paid or unpaid (volunteer) employment, must complete a minimum of 10 hours supervision per membership year. The ratio of supervision hours per client contact hours should be 1 hour of supervision for every 20 hours of client contact time. Counsellors in full time employment should receive supervision either internally or externally once a week where possible however not less than once a month. Supervision must be delivered by either an ACA Registered/ Recognised Supervisor.

How do I find a supervisor?

To source a Registered Supervisor, visit our Find A Supervisor Directory.

For more information on supervision, view the ACA Supervision Policy.

How do I log my supervision hours?

Watch the instructional video below for a guide on how to log your supervision hours to meet your annual registration requirements.

Are you a psychologist, psychotherapist, counsellor or social worker practicing in Australia?

Culturally responsible therapy with second generation Arab-Australians

The purpose of this study is to investigate therapists’ reflections on how effective and relevant they perceive their cultural training has been to their professional practice. It is expected that a greater understanding of the availability and type of cultural training will inform direction into how to improve these programs in order to better equip therapists to apply necessary skills in their practice.

To participate in this survey you must:

• Be over 18 years of age
• Currently or have previously worked as a mental health therapist in Australia
• Have undertaken all or part of your education and training at an Australian tertiary institution

To participate, you will be asked to complete an online, anonymous, 15-minute survey. Ethics Approval has been attained by Western Sydney University (H15378).

For more information and to participate, please use the following link: https://surveyswesternsydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezkGNJxGcyjRzuu

If you have any questions, please contact the researcher via email: [email protected]

Today, 5 December 2023, the Australian Counselling Association was advised by the Department of Health that they will be looking to go to market for the third-party contractor early next year to lead the National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists project.

Keep up to date with National Standards updates here on our blog.

This month launches our new “Member Spotlight” section of the ACA Monthly Bulletin, our monthly newsletter for all ACA Members. The Member Spotlight is designed to showcase the work of our members to you! We hope their stories inspire or spark interest. Let’s share our experiences within our counselling community.

Ken Loftus
Clinical Director of the Sunlight Centre, Counsellor, Clinical Supervisor, Facilitator

What motivated you to pursue a career in counselling?

I began as a junior helper in my hometown’s Summer Project in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland from when I was thirteen years old. I discovered then I really enjoyed helping people. During my psychology and psychoanalysis degree studies in Ireland, I began my career working in Social Care in a residential care home for under eighteens with high behavioural issues. It was during this time I completed my studies in counselling.

For over 22 years I have worked with adults and adolescents as a psychologist and counsellor covering a wide range of issues via an integrative style though face to face work and create and facilitate empowering mental health workshops.

Since moving to Brisbane in 2017 I have focused on founding the Sunlight Centre, that is a 1-step support counselling charity around suicide and self-harm for adults and under eighteens while focusing my private practice on developing Anxiety workshops and Anxiety face to face support for teens and adults in South Brisbane.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a counsellor for you?
There is that humbling moment when a client is ready to meet you collaboratively and you both work together in shifting their base core beliefs and work through new ways of thinking and behaviours to bring about a more positive outlook on their life.

I have been facilitating workshops and supervising counsellors on their journey in their career for many years now. I am approaching a balance in my career where I want to pass on all I can from working in mental health for over 22 years.

Are there any projects or initiatives in which you are currently involved?
The Sunlight Centre is about to venture into research around non-suicidal self-injury that is currently very under researched and even the DSM-V has information that goes against what I have seen firsthand in clients and their NSSI.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in counselling?
See your own counsellor ASAP. Find the right one for you. Go through your own life story and process your own worries, concerns, and maladaptive coping mechanisms so that you are less likely to be triggered by any client.

Final words of advice
My most common lesson as a clinical supervisor… do not self-disclose! Make the sessions always about your client. As soon as you self-disclose, you have just made the session about you. If you share something personal, when does it stop? What if your client wants to know more about you? Do you keep sharing or shut them down? In my opinion, both of those options damage the therapeutic alliance you should be building with your client.

If you are interested in getting involved in the Member Spotlight, please contact us: [email protected].

As we wind down for 2023, we wish all members a joyous holiday season filled with warmth and relaxation.

The ACA Office will be closed from 4.30pm AEST on Thursday 21 December 2023 to 8.00am AEST on Tuesday 2 January 2024.

During this time, for any enquiries please contact us via email on [email protected].

“I would like to wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Be sure to take time to rest, relax, refocus, and laugh! We look forward to a very exciting 2024!” – Jodie McKenzie, CEO of the Australian Counselling Association