Review Progress

The PACFA Program Accreditation Standards Review is a comprehensive process aimed at ensuring the standards reflect contemporary educational practices, regulatory changes, and align with national and international benchmarks. The process includes multiple phases to gather input, analyze feedback, and finalize the standards.

Overview

PACFA is committed to maintaining and promoting high standards in the counselling and psychotherapy profession. We are undertaking a comprehensive review of the PACFA Training Standards (2022) to ensure that they reflect contemporary educational practices and regulatory changes. This review offers an opportunity to align the standards with both national and international benchmarks, incorporating the latest research and evidence.

The review aims to:

• Align the 2022 standards with contemporary educational practices, such as online education, to ensure they are relevant and practical for current and future educational contexts.
• Integrate recent regulatory changes in the education sector, including those outlined in the Australian Qualifications Framework, to remain in step with national education policies and guidelines.
• Consider government directions, such as the establishment of national standards, to ensure alignment with broader professional standards and expectations.
• Benchmark against other health profession standards, both nationally and internationally, to ensure standards are competitive and comprehensive.
• Be grounded in research and evidence with a focus on outcomes-based education, to emphasize the acquisition of knowledge and skills as well as the application and impact of these in practice settings, and to ensure that the standards not only reflect current best practice but also effectively prepare practitioners for the counselling and psychotherapy profession.

Timeline

Current Progress Indicator: We are currently in the Analyse and incorporate feedback phase.

Upcoming Phases

• Analyze and Incorporate Feedback (June - August 2024): Analyzing feedback from the first consultation round and refining the draft standards.
• Second Round Consultation (September - October 2024): Conducting a second round of consultation to gather further input on the revised draft standards.
• Analyze and Incorporate Feedback (October - November 2024): Analyzing feedback from the second consultation round and finalizing the standards.
• Final Draft for Board's Approval (December 2024): Presenting the final draft of the standards for approval by the PACFA Board.

Past Phases

• Initial Work (December 2023 - February 2024): Setting the foundation for the review, including preliminary research and planning.
• Literature Review and Benchmarking (March 2024): Reviewing relevant documents and conducting national and international benchmarking to compare accreditation standards.
• First Round Consultation and First Draft (March - May 2024): Engaging stakeholders through a consultation survey and drafting initial updates to the standards.

How Can I Contribute?

Second Round Public Consultation

The second consultation is scheduled for September – October 2024. More information on how to participate in this consultation will be available closer to the date.

First Round Public Consultation

Thank you to all who participated in the first round public consultation. This public consultation is now closed.

The current suite of accreditation standards serves as updated guidelines from the 2018 and 2020 Training Standards. These revisions were made before PACFA’s membership with Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) and the National Alliance of Self Regulating Health Professions (NASRHP), and before the Australian Government announced its funding for a review to establish National Standards for counselling.

Given the evolving context of health and education, amendments are required to align the accreditation standards with current health and education research and policy. PACFA invites stakeholders to submit comments on the following aspects of the PACFA Training Standards:

• Current strengths of the standards
• Key changes necessary for consideration
• Potential additions based on emerging needs in psychotherapy and counselling

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is PACFA’s role?

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) is the national peak body for the counselling, Indigenous healing practices, and psychotherapy profession, representing more than 8100 members. PACFA provides self-regulation functions for the profession, including program accreditation, registration, and a diverse range of member services.

2. What are the Training Standards, 2022?

The current Training Standards set out the minimum standards and requirements for a program of study delivered by a higher education provider to be accredited and for a professional to be registered and hold membership with PACFA. These standards were developed by the Professional Standards Committee (PSC) and the Education Program Accreditation Committee in consultation with a range of stakeholders and ratified by the PACFA Board and Council.

3. What is the 2024 review about?

The 2024 review of the program accreditation standards is a major review focused on updating the current standards. It aims to align the 2022 standards with contemporary educational practices, integrate recent regulatory changes, consider government directions, benchmark against other health profession standards, and be grounded in research and evidence with a focus on outcomes-based education.

4. Why is the review happening now?

The current suite of accreditation standards are essentially updated guidelines of the 2018 and 2020 Training Standards that predate PACFA’s membership with Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) and NASRHP, and before the Australian Government announced its funding for a review with the intention to establish National Standards for counselling. The evolving professional and educational landscapes necessitate timely review.

5. How is the review being undertaken?

PACFA has set up a webpage for the review: 2024 Program accreditation standards review. The webpage includes a link to the consultation survey questions within this background paper. The survey will remain open until 25 March 2024. The webpage also includes information regarding the online Zoom sessions for stakeholders to provide summarized thoughts and feedback.

6. What is out of the scope for the 2024 program accreditation standards review?

The review will not cover:

• Accreditation processes and procedures.
• Scope of practice for counsellors, Indigenous Healing Practitioners, and psychotherapists.
• Development or review of professional competencies.
• Any matters to do with the assessment of individuals for PACFA membership or registration and/or the Registration and Associated Registration Standards.

7. What happens next?

Following the first round public consultation period, PACFA will analyze the feedback and identify key themes to present to the Working Party for consideration. This ensures the Working Party considers stakeholder perspectives, concerns, and suggestions into the next phase of the review process. PACFA is committed to using this feedback to inform and guide the subsequent stages of the review process.