Further to the information in Stat 754, VPA members should note that membership of an APS College is no longer relevant to specialist endorsement by the Psychology Board of Australia, and applications for endorsement need to be made directly to the Board.

There seems to be some confusion among VPA members regarding the need to be a member of the APS. We advise members that there is no requirement to be a member of the APS to obtain and/or retain specialist endorsement. Further, psychologists do not have to be a member of the APS to obtain professional indemnity insurance at competitive rates. The VPA recommends the IH Group, which offers PI insurance at lower cost than AON offers to APS members. VPA - Professional Indemnity Insurance

What about representation regarding employment matters? The VPA is the specialist Union for psychologists employed in Victoria. The VPA negotiates terms and conditions of employment for psychologists employed in public health services, including mental health, acute health, rehabilitation services, aged care and community health, in the public sector, the private sector and the community sector.

In addition the VPA (like the MSAV and the AHP) provides professional and confidential representation to individual members in employment-related matters. This includes underpayments, bullying, disciplinary matters and advice and assistance on workers compensation issues.

We note that the APS claims that it can assist members with workplace issues. This is not just incorrect, it is highly misleading. The APS is not a registered trade union and is not recognised under any award or enterprise agreement. It is the VPA which negotiates and enforces your terms and conditions of employment. The best way for employed psychologists to protect their most valuable asset – their job- is to belong to the VPA. A strong Union means a strong voice in negotiations.

We understand that for financial reasons some members may face a choice between belonging to the VPA or the APS. We believe that interests of psychologists who are in employment are better served by being a member of the VPA. MSAV + VPA + AHP - Benefits of Membership Remember membership fees are tax deductible.

Members who are studying for higher qualifications are reminded to bring that qualification immediately to the attention of their managers as soon as they are completed. Our EBAs include allowances for holding postgraduate qualifications including a masters degree, doctorate and/or PhD as well as other qualifications such as member or fellow of scientific associations. The sooner you notify your manager of your eligibility the sooner you will be paid any higher qualifications allowance. Check your EBA on the member only pages for more information www.msav.org.au Contact the office if you are having trouble obtaining payment.

The VPA this week obtained agreement for 6 years backpay of the HQA for a member in regional Victoria.  We estimate the allowance to be worth in excess of $15,000 – for assistance obtaining entitlements its worth being a member of the Union.

We have been notified by St Vincent’s that the contract for health services provided to the Metropolitan Remand Centre and Marngoneet have not been extended beyond 30 November 2010 by the Department of Justice. Any member likely to be affected should contact Terry O’Loughlin This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at our offices.

The Jim Alcock Awards were established in memory of Jim Alcock, who was an Industrial Officer of the MSAV and VPA. Each year at the Annual General Meetings, Jim Alcock’s children make presentations to members who have been nominated as “Member of the Year” for their contribution to the Union over the previous 12 months. The MSAV also makes a presentation to the “Recruiter of the Year”.

Please consider nominating a colleague who has made a significant contribution to members’ welfare as a job representative or in any other role. Nomination forms for the Jim Alcock awards for Member of the Year are available on the website at www.msav.org.au or www.vicpsych.org.au

A number of VPA members have contacted us about the new requirements to register for endorsement by the Board in specialist areas of practice, in particular in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology.

In summary, from 1 July 2010 psychologists who currently do not hold endorsement, and want to apply to the Board for endorsement, will be required to hold the equivalent of an accredited professional doctorate in the approved area of practice, plus the equivalent of one year’s full-time supervised practice, or the equivalent of an accredited Master’s degree, in the approved area of practice, plus the equivalent of two year’s full-time supervised practice.

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Note that membership of an APS College is no longer relevant to specialist endorsement, and applications for endorsement need to be made directly to the Board.

Members are reminded that only psychologists with specialist endorsement by the Psychology Registration Board can refer to themselves as clinical psychologists or clinical neuropsychologists.

In a provocative move, the ARCBS advised scientists that it intends to implement a new national classification system which would significantly reduce salaries for most MSAV members. This would be a breach of our current enterprise agreement and the associated Heads of Agreement.

We wrote to the ARCBS seeking the withdrawal of the letters and an undertaking that the proposed classification structure would not be implemented in Victoria. We advised the ARCBS that should we not get that undertaking and should the ARCBS persist in breaching the EBA we will seek an injunction.

MSAV ARCBS members met on Tuesday to discuss possible action if the ARCBS move to implement the proposed national classification structure in Victoria. Members were not just concerned about the threat to rates of pay, but also about the lack of career paths in the proposed structure.

Stop Press We received advice from the Red Cross Blood Service today that it does not propose to implement the new classification structure in Victoria without the MSAV’s consent.