NARN
circle

General Information

You can find the following information on this page:

Meet Your Trainers and Program Support Staff

All of your trainers are JCU Adjunct or Academic/Clinical staff who have been approved by the Psychology Board of Australia to deliver supervisor training for JCU. All of your trainers are very experienced Board approved supervisors who will be able to provide you with a quality learning experience that is practical and draws on their experience as supervisors and trainers. More information about your Trainers are provided below.

Dr. Sharon Varela (Program Lead)

Sharon is a Senior Clinical Lead / Senior Lecturer with the Murtupuni Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MCCH). Sharon is a rural and remote senior psychologist with over 16 years clinical experience and over 11 years supervisory experience. Sharon completed her PhD research with the University of Queensland in the areas of resilience, sport and youth, developing a resilience program for young athletes. Through a collaboration with the University of Washington Sharon delivered this program both in Brisbane with the AFLQ and in Seattle, USA, with Rugby and Rowing teams.

Sharon has held senior clinical roles and leadership roles across government, not-for-profit, university and private sectors in the following areas of psychology: health, forensic mental health, mental health, disability, organisational, developmental, educational, research, survey design. Sharon has extensive experience in the areas of training and supervision of provisional and student psychologists, and of allied health workers through collaborative practice models.

 
Sharyn Jones (Lead / Board Approved Trainer)

Sharyn Jones works with MCRRH as a Lecturer/Board Approved Trainer on the Supervisor Training Program. Sharyn is a psychologist with 17 years experience as a school psychologist in the WA Department of Education and in private practice roles. Sharyn is a Psychology Board of Australia approved Supervisor who works remotely from Geraldton, in regional Western Australia, providing expertise in supervision, online training delivery and rural and remote practice.

She has extensive experience in training staff and supervising provisional psychologists in regional and remote areas, finding it a very rewarding experience. Sharyn is a passionate mental health clinician and advocate for service in regional and remote areas. Sharyn has a Bachelor of Psychology (with Honours), a Graduate Diploma in Education and a Diploma of Clinical Hypnotherapy. Sharyn is a Psychology Board of Australia approved Supervisor who works remotely from Geraldton, in regional Western Australia, providing expertise in supervision, online training delivery and rural and remote practice.

Christine Foley (Board Approved Trainer)

Christine Foley is the Allied Health Clinical Lead, Psychology / Senior Lecturer with the MCRRH. Christine is a Psychology Board of Australia approved Supervisor and takes great care and consideration when supervising Provisional Psychologists to fulfil their supervised practice plans. Christine is a passionate advocate for service delivery in rural and remote regions and is always looking for ways to improve access to mental health services, for members of rural and remote areas. Christine has a Masters in forensic psychology and is currently enrolled in a PhD in the area of forensic psychology.

Andrew Varela (Program Administrator)

Andrew Varela is the Program Administrator for the Supervisor Training Program, with experience in program administration, banking, finance, clinic management, website content design and management. Andrew is an author and is currently completing a fine arts degree in creative writing. Reach out to Andrew for any of your program needs.

Adjunct Lecturers with the MCRRH

Michelle Aniftos (Board Approved Trainer)

Michelle Aniftos works with MCRRH as an Adjunct Lecturer/Board Approved Trainer on the Supervisor Training Program. In her early career, Michelle held teaching and leadership roles within Education Queensland; and for the past 16 years has been providing mental health services and psychology supervision  as the Clinical Director of her private mental health practice in Toowoomba.

Michelle is a Board approved supervisor in 4+2, 5+1, Higher Education and Clinical Registrar programs and has additional experience as an educator and trainer, in areas such as neurodevelopmental assessment; HRV & EEG Biofeedback for mental health professionals (IQCB: International QEEG Certification Board); Mental Health Skills Training for GPs, GP Registrars; and Interprofessional Practice. Michelle works part-time as a Clinical Educator for Southern Queensland Rural Health (a university department of rural health) and is based in Toowoomba. 

Ann Lord (Board Approved Trainer)

Ann Lord works with MCRRH as an Adjunct Lecturer/Board Approved Trainer on the Supervisor Training Program. Ann is a senior school psychologist for the Department of education (DoE), Western Australia (WA), who has worked across metropolitan, rural and remote locations. Ann has more than 24 years experience as a school psychologist and in public service positions, providing training to school psychologists, teachers and school administrators.

Tracey Weatherilt (Board Approved Trainer)

Tracey Weatherilt works with MCRRH as an Adjunct Lecturer/Board Approved Trainer on the Supervisor Training Program. Tracey is a senior school psychologist for the DoE WA who has more than 27-years experience across metropolitan, rural and remote locations. Tracey has extensive experience writing and delivering training within the Department of Education (for students, staff, and psychologists); is an accredited trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid and Triple P programs; and has been delivering our supervisor trainer course for the past three years. Tracey is also very experienced as a supervisor and mentor of other psychologists.

Lynn McLaren (Board Approved Trainer)

Lynn McLaren works with MCRRH as an Adjunct Lecturer/Board Approved Trainer on the Supervisor Training Program. Lynn is a Lead School Psychologist for the Department of Western Australia who has worked across metropolitan, rural and remote locations. She has more than 20 years experience as a school psychologist, and has achieved Advanced Skills School Psychologist status, an achievement that recognises exemplary practice. Lynn is an experienced supervisor and mentor of other psychologists who commenced as a presenter of our program in January 2022.

Ann Thomason (Board Approved Trainer)

Ann Thomason works with MCRRH as an Adjunct Lecturer/Board Approved Trainer on the Supervisor Training Program. Ann is a lead school psychologist for the DoE, WA, who has more than 26 years of experience working as a psychologist across rural and remote locations. Ann is passionate about the delivery of psychological services within regional and remote settings and has extensive experience as a supervisor and mentor of psychologists. Ann has been delivering our supervisor trainer and masterclass courses for the past 12 months. Ann is also an accredited trainer for Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention and Triple P programs.


FAQ's

What does the Board require me to do to maintain my approval as a psychology supervisor?

The following supervisor training meets the Board’s requirement for renewal of Board-approved supervisor status every five years:

Evidence

Requirement

Completion of one Board-approved master class

Meets requirement

Completion of more than one Board-approved master class

Exceeds requirement

Completion of parts 1,2 and 3 of a Board-approved full supervisor training program

Exceeds requirement

Completion of Component 1 and 2 (only) of a Board-approved full supervisor training program

Exceeds requirement

Completion of Component 2 (only) of a Board-approved full supervisor training program

Exceeds requirement

Completion of Component 1 (only) or Component 3 (only) of a Board-approved full supervisor training program

Does not meet the requirement*

*This is because part 1 does not integrate and assess both knowledge and skills as is the case in a Masterclass, and part 3 does not have sufficient assessment of theory and knowledge and cannot be taken alone (Part 1 and Part 2 are pre-requisites for Part 3).

Is a Masterclass a general refresher?

It is important to note that a Masterclass is NOT a general “refresher” course. You are expected to stay up-to-date with the program requirements of your supervisees, and your requirements as a supervisor.  A Masterclass focuses on one specific topic relevant to supervision.

When should I complete a general refresher?

If you have not supervised for a while or you assess your skills as needing updating it is recommended you complete a general refresher. More details can be found on the Psychology Board of Australia’s website: https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Registration/Supervision/Requirements-for-supervisors.aspx

Do I need to complete more than one Masterclass to maintain my Board approval to supervise?

You are under no obligation to complete more than one Masterclass in a 5-year period; however, if you are encouraged to complete more than one Masterclass if your supervisor self-assessment highlights development areas in your supervision skills.

What is a supervisor self-assessment?

Psychology supervisors are required to self-assess against the supervisor competencies listed in the Guidelines for Supervisors publication: https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Registration/Supervision.aspx.

Where can I find answers to my questions about becoming a psychology Board approved supervisor?

The Psychology Board of Australia maintains an FAQ page that answers all of your general questions about supervision: https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Standards-and-Guidelines/FAQ/Supervision-FAQ.aspx

Will the Masterclass cover the general requirements for the different registration programs?

The Masterclasses will focus on skill development in the topic area listed on the website. You are expected to stay up-to-date with the program requirements of your supervisees. If you have any questions about the provisional registration programs you are welcome to ask these questions of your Trainer. Your Trainer will be happy to discuss any of the questions raised by workshop participants.

What are the provisional registration programs?

Psychologists are required to complete six years of study before they can be considered for general registration as a psychologist. Some psychologists complete their final two years in the work place, some choose to complete their final two years through a university higher degree, and others choose to complete one year through a higher degree and one year in the workplace. The provisional registration program refers to these pathways as: 4+2, 5+1 and accredited professional degree (higher degree pathway). The guidelines can be found here: https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Registration/Provisional.aspx All pathways require psychologists to meet standard competencies before they can become generally registered as a Psychologist.

I have successfully completed a Masterclass, what do I do now?

When you have completed a Masterclass you will be provided with a certificate of completion. You will need to provide a copy of this certificate and a completed Board form 'MBAS-76 Application to maintain Board-approved supervisor status'  (https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/registration/forms.aspx) to the Psychology Board of Australia before your deadline (the date the Board says you need to have completed a Masterclass by).

What training do I need to do to become a PsychBA approved Psychology supervisor?

You will need to complete all three parts of the full training: Knowledge Assessment; Skills Training; and Competency Assessment. More details about this training can be found here.

When will the full training be available?

The CRRH-CHS have recently been approved to provide the full supervisor training package to Psychologists who want to become supervisors. We have a 12-month development timeline to ensure we are providing you a quality program that will prepare you for your new role as a supervisor. We expect to have Part 1 (Knowledge Assessment), Part 2 (Skills Training), and Part 3 (Competency Assessment) available by early 2020. More details about this training can be found here.

I have successfully completed all three parts of the full training, what do I do now?

When you have successfully completed all three parts of the full training you will need to complete the Board form ‘ABAS-76 Application to act as a Board-approved
supervisor’ (https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/registration/forms.aspx) and attach evidence that you have successfully completed the training (either a copy of the three separate parts of the full training OR a certificate that clearly states you have passed all three parts of the training).

How are online (videoconference) Masterclasses delivered?

Online masterclasses are delivered ‘live’ using Zoom (https://zoom.us) interactive video conferencing technology. This enables the trainer to ensure that participants are actively involved in workshop exercises and group discussions, and allows participants to interact with each other and ask the trainer questions during the workshop.


Contact Details

Email is the preferred contact method. The email account is monitored, and you will typically be contacted within 48 business hours.

Email
supervisortraining@jcu.edu.au

Postal Address
P.O Box 2572, Mount Isa QLD 4825

Location
100 Joan Street, Mount Isa QLD 4825 [behind the hospital]

Telephone
(07) 4745 4500
International+61 7 4745 4500

Facsimile
(07) 4749 5130
International+61 7 4749 5130

A Commonwealth funded Department of Rural Health
in collaboration with: