Allied health practitioner students and provisional psychologists

Providers should talk with participants about how Allied Health Practitioner (AHP) students, provisional psychologists or Allied Health Assistants (AHA) can contribute to achieving participant outcomes.

It is beneficial for students or provisional psychologists to work with people with disability, as they are more likely to work in the area if they have a positive experience as a student.

Services AHP students or provisional psychologists can provide for the NDIS

AHP students or provisional psychologists on clinical placement can provide services to NDIS participants, provided they are under the supervision of a qualified AHP when delivering the services, and the participant has agreed that the student may deliver specific aspects of the support.

The service agreement between the provider and the participant should document this consent, and how the arrangement can result in additional flexibility (e.g. lower hourly rate or additional hours of service) for the participant.

Payment and claiming

Students or provisional psychologists on clinical placement under supervision (usually an unpaid role) are not payable separately to their professional supervising practitioner.

The supervisor can claim the relevant professional rate from the NDIS to create and supervise an appropriate program to be delivered by the student, with the participant’s consent. 

As a paid unsupervised practitioner, a provisionally registered psychologist can charge at the rate applicable to an Allied Health Assistant Level 2 or as a counsellor.

As a paid supervised practitioner, a provisional psychologist can claim at the rate applicable to a psychologist. The NDIA encourages providers to offer a lower rate than the price limit if their costs are lower when a provisional psychologist is delivering the service.

AHP student registration

The Psychology Board of Australia or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) does not register students.

Students apply for provisional registration when they are enrolled in an approved program of study that leads to registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Provisional registration enables students to complete a period of practice that is required to be eligible for general registration as a psychologist.

This page current as of
1 October 2024