The Practice of clinical psychology in Victoria, part 1: Where they work and what they do

Abstract

The last examination of the professional practices of clinical psychologists took place a decade ago. The need for information about the current status of clinical psychology is essential to the formulation of current and future professional employment and training needs, particularly in the context of changes in Government health policy and reduction in the funding of health care. The present paper aims to provide a current professional profile of clinical psychologists working in Victoria. One hundred and forty-five members of the college of clinical psychology responded to a survey requesting information about work setting and the types of activities in which they were engaged. It was found that while clinical psychologists are most likely to be employed in public health settings, a growing number were involved in private practice or mixed employment. Notable differences were evident in both the type of work undertaken and the nature of client problems seen by psychologists working in private practice and public health settings. These finding are discussed in the context of changes in Government health policy.