Hosting a Provisional Psychologist: Helpful Information for Employers

Australia is experiencing ongoing workforce shortages across psychology and other allied health professions. As the demand for psychological services continues to grow, supporting the development of the future psychology workforce has become increasingly important.

The Australian Government is making a significant investment in strengthening the psychology workforce, including initiatives designed to support provisional psychologists as they progress through their training and internship requirements.

This investment recognises the important role that employers, supervisors, education providers and professional organisations play in developing the next generation of psychologists.

For employers, hosting a provisional psychologist is therefore more than providing an employment opportunity. It is an opportunity to contribute directly to the development of Australia's future psychology workforce while benefiting from the skills, knowledge and emerging professional capacity that provisional psychologists bring to the workplace.

As government investment in psychology workforce development increases, employers are an important part of turning that investment into real-world workforce capacity.

 What Does It Mean to Host a Provisional Psychologist?

Employing or hosting a provisional psychologist can be a rewarding opportunity for both the organisation and the provisional psychologist.

A well-supported workplace can provide valuable opportunities to develop psychological practice skills, build professional competencies and gain experience across a range of client and workplace contexts.

However, hosting a provisional psychologist requires more than simply providing employment and access to supervision. The workplace needs to provide an environment that supports psychological practice, professional development, competency development and the requirements of the relevant internship or placement program.

The specific requirements will vary depending on the pathway or program the provisional psychologist is undertaking. Employers should ensure they understand the relevant requirements and establish clear expectations before the provisional psychologist commences.

Supervision Scholarship Eligibility

If you are considering hosting a provisional psychologist undertaking a 5+1 Internship, Provisional Psychologist Hub offers supervision scholarships for eligible provisional psychologists.

These scholarships can assist eligible provisional psychologists to access Board Approved Supervision while completing their internship requirements.

You can find more information about current scholarship eligibility and requirements here:

CLICK HERE - Scholarship Eligibility Information

Recruiting a Provisional Psychologist

Our team can assist with connecting eligible provisional psychologists with suitable employment opportunities and supervision arrangements. If your organisation is looking to recruit a provisional psychologist for an internship or other psychology placement, you can submit your vacancy through Provisional Psychologist Hub provided you or the provisional psychologist is seeking to undertake supervision with us, this is a free service we offer to reach provisional psychologists nationally.

CLICK HERE - Submit a Vacancy

 Before the Provisional Psychologist Commences

Before employment or placement begins, employers should consider:

• Ensuring the provisional psychologist, employer and supervisor have a clear understanding of the requirements of the relevant program.
• Establishing realistic expectations about the time required to complete program requirements within the proposed role.
• A clear expectation of number of client contact hours per day and amount of time allocated for client preparation, record keeping and administrative requirements. 
• Providing a signed position description that clearly outlines the provisional psychologist's role and responsibilities.
• Providing an appropriate employment agreement.
• Ensuring the employment arrangement supports the goals of the relevant internship or placement program.
• Establishing appropriate workplace policies and procedures relating to privacy, confidentiality, client records and professional conduct.
• An understanding of the Code of conduct for psychologists which reflects the standards psychologists and provisional psychologists expected to adhere to.
• Mutually agreeing on a suitable commencement date.

Clear expectations from the beginning can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure the workplace, supervision arrangement and internship requirements work effectively together.

Common Questions Asked by Provisional Psychologists 

When interviewing for a provisional psychologist position, there are a number of questions you may be asked by the provisional psychologists candidate. The list below provides some common questions which will prepare you for interviewing a provisional psychologist to ensure you have a thorough understanding of the position before offering the role. 

Role and Hours

• Is the position part-time, full-time or casual?
• What days and hours would I be expected to work?
• Will I receive a guaranteed number of hours each week?
• Are there opportunities to increase my hours if required?

Supervision

• Is supervision provided by the workplace, or will I need to arrange my own supervision?
• If I arrange my own supervision, does the workplace provide an allowance towards the cost?
• Is supervision something I can complete within my working hours, or would I need to attend supervision outside of my working hours?
• Do you have a Board-approved supervisor onsite?
• If there is no Board-approved supervisor onsite, who will oversee my day-to-day psychological practice?
• How will the workplace support communication between my external supervisor and the workplace, where required?

Program Requirements

• Will the role provide opportunities to complete the psychological practice activities required for my program?
• Will I have opportunities to complete observations of practice?
• Can sessions be recorded for observation purposes, where appropriate consent is obtained?
• Will I have opportunities to complete client contact hours across a range of relevant psychological practice activities?
• Will I have opportunities to participate in case discussions, team meetings, report writing and other activities that contribute to my professional development?
• Who will be responsible for overseeing my day-to-day work and ensuring I have appropriate support when my supervisor is not available?
• What is the dominant population and modalities I would be working with? 

Assessment and Resources

• What psychometric assessment tools will I have access to?
• Will I have access to the assessment materials, scoring systems and training required to use these tools appropriately?
• What clinical resources, templates and systems will be available to me?
• Will I have access to appropriate private and confidential spaces to conduct psychological services?

Professional Development

• Do you offer professional development opportunities?
• Will I be supported to attend training, workshops or other professional development activities?
• Is there a professional development allowance?
• Are there opportunities to attend internal training or team learning sessions?

Remuneration and Employment Conditions

• What is the remuneration for the role?
• Are there opportunities for remuneration increases as I progress through my role?
• Is the role covered by an award or enterprise agreement?
• Are there any additional employment benefits or allowances?

Registration and Other Costs

• Are the costs of my provisional registration renewal and exam registration covered by the workplace, or would I be responsible for these costs?
• Does the workplace cover the cost of a Working with Children Check, or other required screening?

Workplace Support

• Who will I report to day-to-day?
• Will I be working as part of a multidisciplinary team?
• What opportunities will I have to observe experienced psychologists or other professionals?
• Are there any other provisional psychologists in the workplace. 
• How does the organisation support provisional psychologists to balance their employment responsibilities with their program requirements?

 Providing Appropriate Psychological Practice Opportunities

A provisional psychologist needs opportunities to undertake psychological practice that are appropriate to their role, level of training and program requirements.

Employers should consider whether the role provides:

• Sufficient psychological practice hours to support the provisional psychologist's program requirements.
• Opportunities to develop and demonstrate the required professional competencies.
• Exposure to appropriate psychological practice activities and client presentations.
• Access to relevant workplace resources and support.
• Opportunities to participate in appropriate professional development activities.

The role should provide meaningful opportunities for the provisional psychologist to apply their knowledge and skills under appropriate supervision and workplace support.

Workplace Support

A Board Approved Supervisor provides professional supervision, but the supervisor is not necessarily responsible for the provisional psychologist's day-to-day workplace management.

Employers should provide access to an appropriate onsite senior team member, line manager or other workplace support person who can assist with day-to-day workplace matters.

It is important that everyone understands the distinction between:

• Workplace management and support, which is the responsibility of the employer or workplace; and
• PsyBA Board Approved Supervision, which is provided by the Board Approved Supervisor either onsite or offsite.

Maintaining clear roles between the employer, supervisor and provisional psychologist helps create a safe and effective learning environment.

Do I Need a Board Approved Supervisor Onsite?

No — you don't necessarily need to have a Board Approved Supervisor working onsite.

Many organisations work with an external Board Approved Supervisor who provides the required professional supervision. This can be a great option for workplaces that don't have a Board Approved Supervisor available internally.

An offsite supervision arrangement can work very well, provided the provisional psychologist has access to the appropriate supervision and the workplace has suitable support in place.

If you do have a Board Approved Supervisor working within your organisation, an onsite arrangement can also be a great option. In some workplaces, a combination of onsite and offsite supervision can provide the best of both worlds — with the onsite supervisor familiar with the day-to-day workplace and an external supervisor providing additional perspective, support or supervision where appropriate.

What if we don't have a psychologist onsite?

 What you do need is someone within the workplace who can oversee the provisional psychologist's day-to-day work, provide appropriate workplace support and be available to address practical matters as they arise.

This person doesn't necessarily need to be a psychologist. Their role is different from that of the Board Approved Supervisor. They are there to provide day-to-day workplace guidance, management and support, while the Board Approved Supervisor is responsible for professional supervision.

What about signing reports for funding?

This is an important consideration for some workplaces.

If the provisional psychologist’s role involves preparing psychological reports or other documentation that requires sign-off by a psychologist for funding or other external requirements, the employer should consider whether it has an appropriately qualified psychologist within the organisation who can review and sign these documents. 

This is particularly relevant where the documentation requires knowledge of the practice’s policies, procedures, client records and service delivery arrangements. An external supervisor may provide supervision and oversight of the provisional psychologist’s practice, but may not be in a position to independently verify or sign documentation on behalf of the practice where this requires access to practice-specific information or organisational authority.

Employers should check the requirements of the relevant funding program before the provisional psychologist commences to make sure the workplace has an appropriate arrangement in place. If your organisation doesn't have a suitable psychologist available onsite, this is something worth considering when designing the role and deciding what types of psychological services the provisional psychologist will provide.

The key takeaway

You don't need to have a Board Approved Supervisor sitting in the next office to successfully host a provisional psychologist.

What matters is having:

• An appropriate Board Approved Supervision arrangement.
• Someone within the workplace who can oversee the provisional psychologist's day-to-day work.
• Clear expectations about who is responsible for workplace management and professional supervision.
• Appropriate support for the provisional psychologist's psychological practice.
• Any additional psychologist oversight required for specific funding, reporting or workplace requirements.

 Supporting Supervision

Where supervision is provided externally, the employer and provisional psychologist should agree to an appropriate supervision arrangement with a Board Approved Supervisor.

Employers should:

• Be transparent with the provisional psychologist as to when supervision is permitted to be completed either inside or outside business hours. 
• Work with the provisional psychologist and supervisor where workplace matters may affect the supervision or program.
• Support appropriate professional development opportunities.
• Where appropriate and with consent, facilitate communication between the supervisor and workplace regarding program progress or workplace matters.

Where consent is provided, supervisors and relevant support staff may be able to work together to address emerging issues, clarify expectations and support the provisional psychologist's workplace-based learning experience.

Observation and Competency Development

Depending on the provisional psychologist's pathway and program requirements, observation of psychological practice may form part of the program or supervision process.

Employers should provide reasonable opportunities for the supervisor to observe the provisional psychologist's practice where required.

Where the supervisor is external to the workplace, this may involve a recorded observation, subject to the relevant requirements and appropriate client consent.

Employers can support this process by:

• Identifying suitable opportunities for observation.
• Ensuring appropriate client consent is obtained where required.
• Supporting access to suitable rooms, technology or other resources.
• Maintaining privacy and confidentiality throughout the observation process.

Observation should be planned in a way that supports the provisional psychologist's professional development while also protecting client privacy and wellbeing.

Logbooks and Program Reporting 

Provisional psychologists are responsible for maintaining their required program documentation, including their logbook and records of relevant psychological practice activities.

Employers may consider whether this falls into the tasks of the employed role or needs to be completed outside of their employed time. Communicating this at the outset of employment is important for both the employer and provisional psychologist to have a clear understanding of the work role and expectations. 

Timely completion of logbooks ensures:

• Hours recorded accurately reflect the work undertaken.
• Psychological practice activities are appropriately documented.
• The provisional psychologist has reasonable access to the information required to maintain their records.
• Accurate record keeping is an important part of demonstrating progress through the relevant program.

Client Records, Case Material and Confidentiality

Where appropriate, provisional psychologists may need access to relevant client records, case material or other workplace documentation for supervision, competency development and program requirements.

Employers should ensure that any access is provided in accordance with:

• Privacy and confidentiality requirements.
• Workplace policies and procedures.
• Relevant professional standards.
• Appropriate client consent requirements.

Where video-recorded sessions are used for supervision, training or assessment purposes, appropriate client consent documentation should be in place before recording occurs.

Professional Development

Professional development is another important component of a provisional psychologist's development.

Employers should discuss and support appropriate professional development opportunities that compliment the provisional psychologist's program and workplace experience.

This may include opportunities such as:

• Internal training.
• Relevant workshops or webinars.
• Case discussions.
• Team meetings and multidisciplinary learning.
• External professional development activities.

Professional development opportunities should be appropriate to the provisional psychologist's level of training, role and program requirements.

Different Provisional Psychologist Pathways

Not every provisional psychologist is completing the same program. The requirements and expectations can vary depending on the pathway they are undertaking.

Examples may include:

• 5+1 Internship – Internship Year
• 5+1 Internship – Fifth Year of Study
• Transition Program – Overseas Qualified Candidates
• Working in Addition to Placement
• University Placement
• 4+2 Internship – retiring on 30 June 2027

For this reason, employers should confirm which pathway the provisional psychologist is undertaking and understand the relevant requirements before the placement or employment arrangement begins.

Employers as Partners in Workforce Development

Australia's psychology workforce will continue to depend on the capacity of organisations to provide meaningful opportunities for provisional psychologists to develop their skills and experience.

Government funding and workforce initiatives can provide important support, but funding alone does not create a workforce. Employers are a critical part of the process.

By providing appropriate roles, workplace support, psychological practice opportunities and time for supervision and professional development, employers help translate investment in workforce development into qualified psychologists who can contribute to the community.

For organisations, hosting a provisional psychologist can also provide an opportunity to:

• Develop emerging psychological talent within the organisation.
• Build future workforce capacity.
• Introduce new skills and perspectives into the workplace.
• Support continuity and growth of psychological services.
• Contribute to the broader psychology workforce.
• Provide a pathway for provisional psychologists to develop into competent and confident practitioners.

A well-structured program can therefore benefit both the individual provisional psychologist and the organisation, while contributing to the longer-term sustainability of Australia's psychology workforce.

Creating a Successful Experience

A successful experience is a shared responsibility between the provisional psychologist, employer and supervisor.

The strongest arrangements are those where everyone understands their role, expectations are established early, and there is regular communication and support throughout the program.

Employers can make a significant contribution by providing:

• A clearly defined role.
• Appropriate psychological practice opportunities.
• A supportive workplace environment.
• Access to appropriate workplace management and support.
• Dedicated time for supervision.
• Opportunities for observation and competency development.
• Support for professional development.
• Reasonable time for maintaining program documentation.
• Appropriate access to client information and workplace resources.
• Clear communication with the provisional psychologist and, where appropriate and with consent, their supervisor.

With the right structure and support in place, hosting a provisional psychologist can provide a valuable professional development experience while contributing to the development of Australia's future psychology workforce.

Need Support Hosting a Provisional Psychologist?

If your organisation is considering employing or hosting a provisional psychologist and would like to discuss supervision, scholarships, program requirements or available candidates, Provisional Psychologist Hub can help.

Submit a Vacancy

Explore Supervision Scholarships

Please note: Program, registration and funding requirements can change. Employers and provisional psychologists should refer to the current requirements of the Psychology Board of Australia and the relevant program guidelines applicable to their individual pathway. https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Standards-and-Guidelines/Codes-Guidelines-Policies.aspx