Who are the psychs?

The Psychs in Schools workforce contracts or employs Registered Psychologists with Endorsement in Educational and Developmental Psychology and/or Endorsement in Clinical Psychology. These Registered Psychologists are matched to schools and are the primary psychologists leading all assessment and treatment via a co-therapy model with practicum students from our partner universities.

Where do the fees go?
It's important to clarify that schools do not employ psychologists directly through the Psychs in Schools program. Instead, schools enter into a service agreement with our organisation. Under this agreement, our organisation employs fully registered senior psychologists who oversee and deliver the core services.

What is a practicum student?

A practicum student is completing a Masters degree in psychology. They may already be fully registered, or registered provisionally and requiring supervision. 

What role do practicum students play in Psychs in Schools?

Practicum students  receive no payment from Psychs in Schools and are not employed by Psychs in Schools, nor the schools themselves. Their involvement is supplementary, supporting the lead psychologists who maintain clinical governance and oversight. This opportunity is important for their professional learning and adds additional benefits to our service.

What sort of work can the psychs do?

Our psychs support students with issues such as:

• Anxiety

• Depression and Mood Issues

• Conduct and Behavioural Problems

• Trauma

As well as other common childhood problems such as:

• Parental Separation

• Friendship Problems and Social Skills

• Grief and Loss

• Bullying and Conflict Resolution

For students with severe and complex presentations, we work with schools to find appropriate external supports.

How many students can be referred to the service?

As a guide, psychs can see between 10-20 students over the semester. This depends on the complexity of the students needs and their ability to attend sessions regularly.

What results can we expect?

• In 2023, Psychs in Schools provided service to 328 students across 12 schools. 80% of these students improved at the conclusion of sessions. 

• In the first half of 2024 we worked with 22 schools. 84% of the 185 students seen in our service showed improvement, a rate of effectiveness unparalleled by other available service offerings for Victorian children. Our comprehensive evaluation of session-by-session client data indicates Psychs in Schools is the most effective youth mental health service based on comparisons to services with publicly available results.

• Please visit the Our Results page for further information.