1:17 Supervision Ratio
Nov 30, 2021Do you know your supervision to psychological practice ratio? Now is the time to check!
For those completing the 4+2 and 5+1 Internship programs, please take the opportunity to check your most current logbook ensuring that you are undertaking the correct amount of supervision for your psychological practice hours.
As per the Guidelines, you are required to complete 1 hour of supervision for every 17 hours of psychological practice. It is recommended that supervision occur at least on a weekly basis while the provisional psychologist is practising. This is particularly important early in the internship.
Ensuring you stay on top of this requirement is an obligation of your internship program and is checked by the Psychology Board of Australia every 6 months at each progress report. It is imperative that you receive the minimum requirements of supervision for the amount of psychological practice you are undertaking!
Do you need to check your supervision ratio?
We have seen the Board not only checking the cumulative supervision hours in relation to the cumulative amount of psychological practice but also each progress reporting period. What this means is, you need to ensure you are receiving 1 hour of supervision for every 17 hours of psychological practice regardless of whether you have more than the minimum supervision hours overall.
If you are completing the 4+2 or 5+1 internship we recommend regularly checking your supervision to psychological practice hours. At a very minimum this needs to be reviewed at 6 monthly progress reporting period. There are 2 calculations you need;
- Based on the cumulative psychological practice hours and supervision hours calculate the supervision to practice ratio for the internship program (1:17)
- Based on the current psychological practice hours and supervision hours calculate the supervision to practice ratio for the current progress reporting period (1:17)
How do I work that out?
Add your cumulative direct client contact + cumulative client related hours = psychological practice hours! Divide your total psychological practice hours by 17. This is the amount of supervision you should have. Now check how much supervision you have logged.
The best way to stay on top of this is;
1. Each week obtain the correct amount of supervision for the amount of psychological practice you have undertaken
2. Undertake slightly more supervision so you have additional hours to avoid falling behind
3. Regularly check your supervision to practice ratio with your Principal Supervisor
If you have logged less supervision then it is time to get some more supervision hours!
If you need assistance to check your supervision ratio, book a 15 minute phone consult to walk you through.
How bad can it be?!
We have seen an increased number of progress reports 'pending' or 'still in assessment' rather than approved. This means that all the psychological practice, supervision, professional development and hard work in the internship has not been approved by the Board and they are waiting to see if the provisional psychologist can improve their performance and meet the minimum requirements as set out in the guidelines in the next reporting period.
The 4+2 and 5+1 guidelines outline Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) Policy for Unsatisfactory Supervision and the potential actions the Board may take if a provisional psychologist falls behind in this ratio. If supervision is not provided at an average rate of one hour of supervision for every 17 hours of psychological practice and/or is not provided frequently for the duration of the internship, the Board may:
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request an explanation from the principal supervisor and the provisional psychologist, and/or
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require the supervision to be made up in a specified time period, and/or
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not recognise all or part of the internship hours for the period during which supervision was inadequate, and/or
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consider revoking the principal supervisor’s Board- approved supervisor status and/or take other disciplinary action, if there is evidence of a significant failure on the part of the supervisor to adhere to their responsibilities as a supervisor.
If you need to book in for secondary or group supervision to catch up and ensure you are meeting your Psychology Board of Australia requirements book online here.
We have lots of available appointments for secondary supervision so now is the time to take action.
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