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8 Speak Out October 2015 Speech Pathology Australia
membership renewal and psr update
What is the process?
When you renew online, the process will be as it was for last year –
you will first need to complete the PSR Declaration.
• Once you meet the requirements, you can proceed with
renewing as a 2016 Certified Practising SPA member.
• If you do not meet these requirements you will not be a
Certified Practising member. SPA will make contact with
you to discuss how you can achieve Certified Practising
membership.
How does this apply to me?
• Practising and Full-time Postgraduate Student
members – with your 2016 membership renewal, the
triennium structure ceases and an annual program
commences. You will need to achieve a minimum of 20
points per annum, across at least two different activity
types in order to renew.
• 2014 graduates who were 2015 Practising members
and Provisional CPSPs in 2015 – You can become a
Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (with full CPSP
status) on meeting requirements (with random audits to
occur).
• 2015 new graduates in their first year of joining as, or
upgrading to, Practising membership can earn
Provisional CPSP status. Your member application form
includes an agreement to undertake a minimal level of
clinical supervision, and professional development, as
part of the Professional Self Regulation program, to be
conferred with Provisional CPSP status.
• Non Practising and Re-entry members – You can
participate in PSR and submit points, but you cannot earn
Certified status until you transfer to practising membership.
Tell me again why this is being introduced…
This commitment is based on a number of factors, including the
following:
• Inherent to speech pathology practice is the speech
pathologist’s responsibility to their clients and other
stakeholders to undertake “life-long learning”. This ensures
their professional knowledge remains current, relevant and
evidence-based.
• Fundamental to SPA practising membership is the speech
pathologist’s obligation to maintain professional standards
and abide by the Association’s Code of Ethics (Speech
Pathology Australia, 2010). The Code of Ethics binds each
member to “continually update and extend our professional
knowledge and skills through activities such as participating
in professional development, and/or engaging the support
of a mentor or supervisor”.
• SPA has a commitment to robust self-regulation processes
and a strong and clear commitment to quality standards of
professional practice. This is in accord with SPA’s previous
and current strategic plan.
• SPA has a commitment to work towards adopting the
regulatory requirements that mirror those required by
registered health professions, which include mandatory
minimum requirements for continuing professional
education. This is in line with the proposed national
standards of mandatory continuing professional
development for self-regulating health professions.
• Stakeholders need an objective measure of a speech
pathologist’s commitment to maintaining and extending their
skills.
• CPSP status is one of the criteria required by international
speech pathology associations who are signatories to
the Mutual Recognition Agreement when applying for
membership of these organisations.
What can I do if I’m concerned that I won’t be able to meet
the requirements?
• Reflect back on the professional learning you have/will
undertake in 2015.
• Look at the list of PSR activities that can earn points (next
page) – it’s not all about going to events.
• Did you read journal articles, visit websites, watch
webinars, meet regularly with peers, give a talk to carers,
take on a student, learn a new technology???
• Further information is available via the SPA website on the
Professional Self Regulation (PSR) webpage.
• If you are still concerned, please feel free to contact
National Office on 1300 368 835 or email office@
As of 2016, to be able to renew as a Certified Practising Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) member you will need to
first complete your PSR Declaration and meet the annual points requirement
We know that many of you will feel you have heard this message many times before (via the mail out, emails, Speak Out ,
National and Events e-News, the PSR webpage, and more!) BUT we need to make sure everyone knows of this change,
which is effective as of the 2016 renewals. That is:
As of 2016, CPSP status – full and provisional – is a requirement to be able to renew as a Practising or Full-time
Postgraduate Student member, and therefore eligibility for Medicare and Private Health fund Provider Number
registration, as well as other Practising membership entitlements.
important changes to the PSR program come into effect in 2016 –
you need to read this before you renew.
association news