The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) Member Awards are designed to recognise excellence in research, practice, and education in psychology by members. These awards will range from those studying or teaching psychology to those making significant contributions in their professional careers.
The award categories include:
To submit a nomination for the PSI Member Awards, please click here to access the nomination form and return completed forms to communications@psychologicalsociety.ie by 5pm on Wednesday 18 October 2023.
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The PSI welcomes a call by Mental Health Reform (MHR) to invest an additional additional €115 million in Ireland's mental health services. This includes €30 million to maintain existing services and €85 million towards the development of new services that will drive change in the system.
PSI Chief Executive Officer Sheena Horgan, who joined MHR for the launch of the ‘I Am A Reason’ campaign says: “With the 10% spend on mental health being a stated but not realised commitment by Government, more needs to be done. Irish society and citizens are paying the price for the unsustainable situation we find ourselves in - decreased resources despite increased demand for supports and services.”
For further information click here.
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It has come to our attention that some members have recently received phishing emails from fraudsters claiming to be PSI President Dr Anne Kehoe. The contents of these emails include a message requesting urgent help. The emails may appear as though they are being sent from the PSI President's email address but we can assure you that this is NOT Anne Kehoe.
We can assure you that we have not been hacked, our systems have not been compromised and remain secure.
However, we urge you to be vigilant. Please do not respond to this email, do not forward it onto anyone, mark it as spam and delete it if you have received it.
If you wish to learn more about fraud awareness, and tips on how to protect yourself, visit fraudsmart.ie.
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Having advocated for greater funding of Ireland’s psychological future, the PSI welcomes the finalisation of the counselling psychology fund of Budget 2023, announced by Minister Butler yesterday.
The PSI appreciates Minister Butler's work in securing this important funding, highlighting the importance of psychology to Irish society and her commitment to supporting appropriate, adequate, and sustainable quality psychological services. PSI will continue to advocate for equal funding for all professional trainees.
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PSI Council has voted in favour of a motion to sign the 2019 Lisbon proclamation and resolution, endorsing its contents and joining with our colleagues internationally in promoting the important role of psychology in responding to climate change.
At the Climate Summit, presidents, and CEOs of 46 national, regional, and international
psychology associations adopted a joint proclamation and resolution affirming their commitment to acting on climate at the organisational level.
In 2022 the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) established the Special Interest Group for Addressing Climate and Environmental Emergency (SIG-ACEE), who led this initiative, and PSI Council recently voted in favour of supporting the statement.
The letter endorsing the commitment to act on climate can be viewed here.
You can can view the resolution the letter endorses here.
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The HSE is seeking expressions of interest from psychologists working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) to attend a stakeholder consultation on the future of youth mental health services on Wednesday 12 July in the Gibson Hotel in Dublin. More details can be found here.
A link to the expression of interest form can be found here.
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The World Congress in Infant Mental Health, which will be hosted by the Irish Association of Infant Mental Health (IAIMH), takes place in Dublin in July 2023. The event will be attended by representatives of the Psychological Society of Ireland and members of the Special Interest Group in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (SIGPIMH).
With excitement building for the event, members of SIGPIMH have been reflecting on different perspectives of babies and pregnancy in Ireland and shared a short report on this interesting topic in the June edition of the The Irish Psychologist (IP)!
You can read the report in full here. SIGPIMH is also regularly involved in advocacy work on behalf of the Society and promotion of research and practice related to the psychology of parents, infants and families during the perinatal period. For examples of this, read SIGPIMH's report from its appearance at the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Mental Health in October, 2022 via the IP here.
Learn more about the 18th WAIMH World Congress, taking place in Dublin in July 2023, by clicking here.
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The Psychological Society of Ireland is delighted to announce that our new CEO, Sheena Horgan, has begun her role, effective today, Thursday 15 June.
Sheena brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position of CEO and will be responsible for leading the Society and ensuring that we continue to promote the advancement of psychology as an applied science in Ireland and elsewhere. Sheena brings a fresh perspective and a strong vision for the future of the PSI, and we are excited to work with her to achieve our goals.
Sheena has also kindly provided a message introducing herself in the June edition of The Irish Psychologist (IP). The IP is available to all members via a digital flipbook and hard copy. You can also view it as a PDF via the member dashboard login on the PSI website.
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The American Psychological Association (APA) and the Global Psychology Alliance (GPA) will be hosting a free webinar, via Zoom, on Tuesday 23 May, 2023. This webinar will offer an overview and highlight the similarities and differences on how the topic of depression is assessed and treated around the globe. To learn more about the speakers that will be attending this event, see here.
You can register for the online event here.
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Nominations are being sought by EFPA for one additional member and a new Chair of the EuroPsy European Awarding Committee – EAC.
You can submit and expression of interest (EoI) form for the member role here.
The expression of interest form for the role as Chair can be accessed here.
The deadline to submit an EoI is 11.45pm, Thursday 20 April. For more information on the roles, please click here. If you have any queries, please email Divisions@psychologicalsociety.ie.
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This year's PSI NIBPS All-Ireland Psychology Careers Event took place on Saturday 04 March at the National College of Ireland (NCI), Dublin. The event was kindly supported by universities around Ireland, and was attended by a variety of prospective and current psychology students.
Attendees made the most of the day by attending their choosing from 11 talks on careers in psychology, speaking with presenters, and visiting the various exhibition stands. The presentations delivered on the day are available to view below.
A special word of thanks goes to the National College of Ireland for hosting this year's Careers Event at their fabulous campus in the IFSC.
| Clinical | Educational | Forensic | Occupational | Neuropsychology |
| Behaviour analysis | Research | Health | Counselling | Sport |
| What to do with your psychology degree |
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The Clinical Lead will act as one of the main drivers/ambassadors for the process change required to support clinically related activities associated with the implementation of ICCMS.
Expressions of interests (EoIs) are invited from permanent staff in a Health and Social Care senior role in the HSE, TUSLA and bodies which provide services on behalf of the HSE under section 38 of the Health Act 2004, who are interested in reassigning to the above role. Reassignment for all posts will be on a grade to grade basis only and current remuneration will apply.
EoIs should be submitted by way of a detailed CV and a Personal Statement (maximum 500 words) to Priscilla Crombie, National Digital Health Business Lead, email: priscilla.crombie@hse.ie, on or before Tuesday 04 April 2023.
For more information on how to apply please click here.
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Following the airing of RTÉ Investigates on Monday 06 March 2023, the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI)
wishes to comment on the content of the programme, particularly statutory regulation, and the practising as a psychologist by unqualified individuals.
The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) is the learned and professional body for psychologists in Ireland. Established in 1970, the Society currently has over 4,000 members. The PSI is committed to the promotion of psychological knowledge and practice; engaging and developing its members; and bringing the insights of psychological knowledge to the benefit of society. The PSI strongly advocates for the protection of the public and protecting the discipline and profession of psychology. Membership of the PSI is on a voluntary basis.
The PSI press release issued following the RTÉ Investigates programme can be read in full by clicking here.
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In June 2021, the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child decided to draft a general comment on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change and invited stakeholders to draft submissions. The PSI's Special Interest Group in Human Rights and Psychology (SIGHRP) responded on behalf of the Society. You can read the submission in full here.
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Please note that the following call for nominations is only applicable to PSI Chartered members.
The Department of Justice has contacted the PSI with regard to the Parole Act 2019 and, specifically, with regard to the appointment of members to the statutory Parole Board. A copy of that Act is available here.
The PSI has been requested to nominate one man and one woman, both to be suitably qualified and experienced individuals, as members of the Parole Board. If you are interested in this position, please complete this form and submit a CV to Divisions@psychologicalsociety.ie by 5pm, Friday 03 March.
In considering a role as a member of the Parole Board, it should be noted by all concerned that there is likely to be a considerable time commitment involved. Click here to learn more about what the role entails.
You can also learn more about what the Parole Board does by visiting its website here.
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The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has welcomed the Mental Health Commission’s interim report of the Independent Review of the provision of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the State by the Inspector of Mental Health Services. The Society wishes to highlight the many concerns expressed in the interim report including ‘the lack of clinical governance’. It is clear from the interim report that the current access, governance, and risk management structures are wholly unacceptable.
The PSI has long advocated for a shared governance structure and distributed clinical responsibility model of mental health service that is more consistent with client centred, recovery-oriented models of practice.
The PSI concurs with the interim report position that the current model of care, which holds the perception that all clinical responsibility rests with a single profession namely the Consultant Psychiatrist, is ‘outdated’, ‘unsustainable’ and out of line with any international best practice.
View our statement is full here.
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The LLI began in 2021 as a Presidential Initiative of APA 2020 President, Sandra Shullman, PhD, with the support of the Global Psychology Alliance (GPA). The LLI brings together established and emerging leaders in the field from across the world with the aim of creating a leadership pipeline and ensuring the voices of future leaders of psychology are represented in global efforts. Read more about the LLI here.
The 2023 Global Psychology Learning Leadership Institute (LLI) will be presented in a virtual format that will incorporate both synchronous (live group activities and presentations) and asynchronous (individual or group projects on your own time) methods. The institute will officially begin in March and end in December of 2023, which the possibility of additional opportunities for Emerging Leaders (i.e., mentees) in 2024 and beyond.
Mentorship
Mentors and Emerging Leaders will be matched primarily based on shared interests. The LLI strives to match mentors and mentees from different cultural backgrounds to create the opportunity for a meaningful cross-cultural exchange. Participants will be expected to attend all live sessions and to complete project milestones on time in accordance with the schedule provided. Materials may be given before or after live sessions to enhance discussion and engagement.
Eligibility and Application Process for Mentees
The LLI is open to early career psychologists who hold a master’s or doctoral degree and do not currently hold a high-level leadership position in their association, university, place of employment, or other institution. Applicants must also be a current member of one of the Global Psychology Alliance participating organisations. Please review the application for additional details and eligibility criteria.
All application materials must be submitted by Sunday 22 January, 2023.
If you wish to apply to become a mentor for the Global Psychology Learning Leadership Institute, please click here to access our form and submit it no later than Sunday 22 January.
To apply for the Emerging Leaders (i.e., mentees) programme, please complete and submit the following application form, with any materials included, no later than Sunday 22 January.
If you have any queries, please email Divisions@psychologicalsociety.ie.
Please be advised that only PSI members, or members of the Global Psychology Alliance, can apply. You will be asked to provide a membership number in the submission form.
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On 01 January 2023, Dr Anne Kehoe became the Society's 53rd President.
Anne is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at UCD and a Senior Clinical Psychologist working for Children’s Health Ireland. Prior to this she worked for 10 years in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) for the HSE and the NHS. After completing her degree in Psychology at Maynooth University, Kildare, Anne undertook a PhD exploring third-wave behavioural therapies. Following this she completed her doctoral training in Clinical Psychology at Queen's University, Belfast.
Anne joined the Society in 2007 and has since served on the PSI’s Communications and Events Committee, the Division of Clinical Psychology Committee and is a founding committee member of the PSI Special Interest Group in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.
Please click here if you wish to read Anne's interview with the The Irish Psychologist last December.
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