The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has produced a paper, entitled Referendums: On the Relevance of Psychology, in advance of the 08 March 2024 referendums on Family and Care. The paper can be found on the Guidelines, Policies, & Papers page of the website.
To read the full paper please click here.
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Following the launch of the Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA) Report Card 2024, the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) asserts the need to mobilise a mental health movement that puts human rights at its heart and children first.
Whilst the CRA’s Report Card 2024 covers many issues faced by children today, the lowest grades relate to issues concerning mental health, which is also one of the two spotlight areas in the Young Ireland National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028.
The PSI and its membership are resolutely dedicated to advocating for the upholding of children’s rights, and testament to this commitment is human rights being one of the strategic themes for the PSI Strategy 2024-2026. It is the professional and moral duty of the psychological community to advocate for children’s right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health as per The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which Ireland ratified in 1992.
To read the full press release please click here.
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Five professional organisations (AOTI, IASLT, IASW, ISCP, PSI) representing Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Social Workers, Physiotherapists, and Psychologists have issued a joint statement in November to express their concern over the safety of Children’s Disability Services within the HSE.
They are "delighted" with the outcome of recent negotiations on the topic, and have committed to further engagement with National Clinical Programme for People with Disabilities and the National Disabilities Team.
For further information click here.
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President of The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), Dr Odhrán Mc Carthy, attended the Mental Health Policy Conference 2024 (16th) organised by the Department of Health with the support of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The event drew together 200 experts in the field of mental health policy, service delivery, research, and advocacy to discuss developments in national mental health policy and delivery. The Conference was convened and opened by Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, with contributions from Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.
For further information click here.
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With deep sadness, we inform you of the passing of Dympna Walsh, a cherished member of our organisation. Dympna was not just a member, but an integral part of PSI since its inception in 1970. Her contribution has left an indelible mark on all of us.
Dympna was chair of the Mental Handicapped/Learning Disabilities Special Interest Group in the early 1980s, demonstrating her passion and dedication to advancing our understanding of these critical areas. She also played a pivotal role in the development and success of the Society’s Postgraduate Professional Diplomas in Clinical and Educational Psychology.
In 1987-88, Dympna held the position of President of PSI. Her legacy will forever be intertwined with the growth and success of the organisation. We extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Dympna's family during this difficult time.
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PSI Chartered Member Dr Odhrán Mc Carthy becomes the 54th Society President in taking on the role from 01 January 2024. We look forward to Odhrán bringing his expertise and enthusiasm to the role. Advocating for diversity and inclusivity, and expanding PSI's sphere of influence in important and meaningful ways, are two aspects of the role that he's most passionate about. In November 2023, at the online PSI Annual Conference, Odhrán delivered his President's Address where he discussed his life and career trajectory.
To watch Odhrán's presidential address click here.
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The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) were invited to provide a submission to the CORU Expert Advisory Group regarding the regulation of the profession of psychology. The PSI is encouraging all members to advocate for the best regulatory process, one that upholds the integrity of our profession, and that practically and decisively supports and protects public interests. All updates regarding CORU can be found on your member dashboard on the PSI Website. Please be aware you must be logged in to view the page.
For further information click here.
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The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) expresses deep concern for the psychological wellbeing of individuals affected by the events that unfolded in Dublin last night. The events in question have undoubtedly left an emotional and psychological imprint on those directly and indirectly affected. The PSI offers its deepest sympathies for the victims of the brutal attack yesterday afternoon, as well as those who may have been impacted by the violence in Dublin city centre last night, some of which was explicitly anti-immigrant.
For further information click here.
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The Psychology Society of Ireland (PSI) Special Interest Group in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health wants to compassionately recognise the suffering being experienced by the people of Israel and Palestine. We know that the vast majority of people yearn for peace and to live a life free of violence. We were deeply saddened to read the WHO report in relation to how women and infants are bearing the brunt of the conflict.
For further information click here.
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As a profession that is singularly focused on the wellbeing of others, the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) is deeply disturbed by the crisis in Gaza and Israel, by the human suffering and the sustained trauma that is being experienced by innocent victims in this escalating conflict. The PSI, as representatives of the psychology community, stands in solidarity with all who are working to protect and safeguard human life and human rights, during this conflict.
The PSI is gravely concerned for the physical safety and mental health of those in the region, and of those affected by these traumatic events here in Ireland. The psychological impact of war is far reaching, for those who have families, friends, and work colleagues in the region, and for those witnessing the conflict, the violence and the humanitarian crisis reported in the media on a daily basis.
For further information click here.
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Five professional organisations (AOTI, IASLT, IASW, ISCP, PSI) representing Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Social Workers, Physiotherapists, and Psychologists have issued a joint statement to express their concern over the safety of Children’s Disability Services within the HSE.
Of particular concern are governance pathways where individual Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCP) are not reporting to a discipline-specific manager who has an inherent understanding of their specialised roles.
For further information click here.
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The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has released a statement to express concern at the reduction of hours allowed for psychological assessments in criminal legal aid cases.
As it currently stands, assessments in these cases are capped at 18 hours of time regardless of clinical need which may be sufficient for some less complex assessments but is not sufficient for complex cases which can merit circa 30 hours of clinical time. By contrast, the psychologists appointed by the DPP can conduct thorough assessments if clinically required with no such time limit.
For further information click here.
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The 2023 SIGPIMH award is now open for nominations. Awards recognise a significant contribution to the field of clinical and research perinatal and infant mental health by an individual.
Eligibility relies upon the recipient being a PSI member and a student or early graduate (less than seven years after their primary psychology degree). Their work does not have to be published, and they may be asked to present at a grand rounds session, PSI conference, or a SIGPIMH event. Committee members of SIGPIMH, or any members of the judging panel for the award, will not be eligible to apply.
To be in with a chance of winning the bursary, click here to view further information.
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The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has released the Pre-budget 2024 Submission, which calls on the Government to fund Ireland's children's psychological future. In the submission for Budget 2024, the PSI is again calling on the Government to provide multi-annual funding to address the significant gaps in Ireland’s psychological workforce.
The PSI is urging Government to:
To see the full submission, click here.
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The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has raised concerns about the psychological impact of rising homelessness in Ireland. Although we were pleased to see a slight reduction in overall homelessness this month due to a correction made on a previous count, another record level of children in homelessness has been reached.
The potential impact on children requires special consideration. Childhood is a time of biological, cognitive, social, and emotional development and threats to well-being during this time are especially challenging. The consequence of stress for children has the potential to last for a long time and it is imperative that children are provided with safe and happy childhoods so that their development is not impacted.
For further information click here.
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As health and community workers in roles funded by the HSE and other state agencies protest the pay disparity between themselves and workers in similar positions employed directly by the State, the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) confirms its support for all psychologists in section 38 and section 39 organisations.
Under the Health Act 2004, the HSE may provide funding to voluntary agencies named Section 38 and 39 organisations to deliver services on their behalf. Many of these employees are among the PSI’s 4,200 membership, and as the learned body for psychology, the PSI supports all psychologists in these agencies and the need for pay equality with HSE colleagues.
The PSI further concurs with comments made earlier this year by The Wheel, representative body for Irish charities. The Wheel CEO Ivan Cooper stated that this issue has caused a “recruitment and retention crisis” in the sector, and will continue to advocate for equal funding for all psychology professionals working in the State.
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This month (18-19 2023) the United Nation (UN) Strategic Development Goal (SDG) summit was held in New York and was hosted by Ireland and Qatar. In advance of the summit, the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) met with the Irish Ambassador to the UN Fergal Mythen and Deputy Donal Kenneally from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the relevance of psychology across the 17 SDGs. As well as being helpful, the discussions will be ongoing and PSI looks forward to staying in contact with the Irish Mission to the UN to support future work in this regard.
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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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