The one-year postgraduate diploma in Psychological Assessment and Intervention has been approved by the university’s academic senate.
The qualification will now have to be approved by a subcommittee of the New Zealand vice-chancellors’ committee, the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP).
Should Otago University’s bid be accepted, it will join the University of Canterbury and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in hosting the postgraduate course next year.
Otago University clinical psychology programme director Associate Prof Richard Linscott hoped the university would be able to enrol students for the first semester of next year.
Dunedin Clinical Psychologist Dr Kumari Valentine advised anyone wishing to take one of the new "associate psychologist" courses in New Zealand next year to be very careful.
"If students go into a course such as that without good support and good training, they will experience trauma and burnout and they are likely to be in a workforce where they do not have a lot of say, or they will essentially be a low-paid workforce who are stuck."
Dr Valentine said many practitioners had concerns the course lacked the academic and practical rigor of training for a psychologist’s role.
There were other, registered and safe professionals, such as psychotherapists and counsellors, who were more safely able to treat clients, she said.
"It’s not grass-cutting we’re talking about here; our role deals with actual human needs and stresses."
Assoc Prof Linscott said those who complete the proposed course would have graduate-level experience in "first-line evidence-based and culturally safe gathering of psychological assessment".
He also said work was being done with WellSouth Primary Health Network, with the view that students would be able to work alongside WellSouth staff in the community.
"WellSouth has been at the forefront of successful innovation in health service delivery and we are excited to be partnering with them on this project."
Dr Valentine said the New Zealand Psychologists Board decided late last month it did not have sufficient information to approve a new scope of practice for assistant/associate psychologists "at this point".
"I do think Mental Health Minister Matthew Doocey jumped the gun.
"He took us by surprise when he preemptively announced the role in March of this year."
Assoc Prof Linscott also acknowledged the board’s decision.
"The University of Otago is aware of the significant mental health and addictions needs within the community.
"It strongly supports the important work being undertaken by the New Zealand Psychologists Board and the government to see the establishment of a new scope of practice in professional psychology, a scope on the pathway to Clinical Psychology and other specialist scopes."
Dr Valentine said the board’s "pause" was a good thing, because it could encourage conversations about whether New Zealand’s health system needed such a course, or whether there were other ways to address the shortage.
"There are less than 300 FTE psychologist positions across adult mental health and addictions at the DHBs level.
"I’d say please hire our existing clinical psychology interns. They’re leaving for Australia."
