Letter from the CPF to the Professional Board of Psychology of the HPCSA

The following letter was sent to Professor Pillay by the CPF exco in the past week acknowledging the work of the PBP to clarify the Scope of Practice:

20 November 2019

TO: Prof B J Pillay
Chairperson of the Professional Board for Psychology

The Clinical Psychology Forum (CPF) wishes to acknowledge with gratitude the recent important announcement sent with associated updated documents regarding the scope of practice and also of the profession, by the HPCSA and the Professional Board for Psychology (PBP).

The CPF also thanks the PBP for issuing the communiqué as this finalises the matter regarding SOP for psychology practitioners and should enable psychology practitioners, the health industry, the public at large and the media to differentiate and better understand the scope of practice of psychology practitioners. It creates more certainty for the future as well as supporting a vision for psychology practitioners when applying their skills and knowledge. In a communication to its members, the CPF has urged them to embrace the SOP for clinical psychology as announced by the PBP to guide them in their practice.

The CPF acknowledges that psychology practitioners play a critical role in the promotion and management of mental health as well as development of resilience to cope with life in general in various spheres. The CPF is supportive of outcomes based service delivery by psychology practitioners as promoted by the PBP.

The CPF also notes the clear regulated guidelines for training of psychologists in all registration categories and trusts that training institutions will take these seriously in order to implement the regulations. This too will go some way towards reducing future confusions among practitioners.

CPF members have been encouraged to make themselves familiar with the scopes of other categories of psychology in order to better work alongside them in order to promote psychological well-being in our society.

The Exco CPF