Session B6
Tracks
Stream B
| Saturday, May 17, 2025 |
| 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
Overview
- Community Psychology in Australia - what is its future? | Dr Lyn O'Grady, Dr Nicole Curtin (20 mins)
- Managing a prison and a jail as a psychologist: Successes and failures | Dr Astrid Birgden (20 mins)
- Retiring gracefully: Details, debates and decisions | Dr Chris Lennings (20 mins)
Presenter
Dr Lyn O'Grady
Community Psychology in Australia - what is its future?
3:00 PM - 3:20 PMAbstract
The aim of this presentation is to outline the core principles of Community Psychology as a sub-discipline of psychology. Community psychology practitioners work in partnership with people to achieve the goals and aspirations of their community or social groups. The development of Community Psychology in Australia and its current status in relation to the recent demise of the last remaining Community Psychology course will be discussed in terms of its future and the potential impact on diversity within psychology more broadly.
Community Psychology recognises the role that social determinants of health play in the lives of individuals, uses the socioecological model of health and values equity and social justice. Community psychologists are active in tackling some of the most pressing contemporary social issues such as climate change, disaster responses, social cohesion, community justice, family violence, and mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention. The presentation will provide examples of the ways that Community Psychologists work in communities and the broader role of Community Psychology in service design, delivery, research and evaluation.
The goal of the presentation is to raise awareness about the opportunity that Community Psychology presents in promoting diversity within psychology and its work in breaking down social barriers, emphasising empowerment and collaboration and using qualitative and quantitative approaches to research.
Community Psychology recognises the role that social determinants of health play in the lives of individuals, uses the socioecological model of health and values equity and social justice. Community psychologists are active in tackling some of the most pressing contemporary social issues such as climate change, disaster responses, social cohesion, community justice, family violence, and mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention. The presentation will provide examples of the ways that Community Psychologists work in communities and the broader role of Community Psychology in service design, delivery, research and evaluation.
The goal of the presentation is to raise awareness about the opportunity that Community Psychology presents in promoting diversity within psychology and its work in breaking down social barriers, emphasising empowerment and collaboration and using qualitative and quantitative approaches to research.
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Dr Lyn O'Grady is a Community Psychologist with a particular interest in the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Over a three decade period she has worked in the community, education and health sectors, including as a school psychologist and strategic project manager with the APS.. Currently she works in private practice in Melbourne, is a Psychology Board approved supervisor, writer and trainer. She is the author of Keeping our Kids Alive, parenting a suicidal young person and is finalising a new book for parents of younger children about keeping them hopeful. She is currently the Chair of the APS National College of Community Psychologists.
Dr Nicole Curtin
0458480458
Charles Darwin University
Community Psychology in Australia - what is its future?
3:00 PM - 3:20 PM.....
Dr Astrid Birgden
Managing a prison and a jail as a psychologist: Successes and failures.
3:20 PM - 3:40 PMAbstract
Between 2006 and 2011, Dr Birgden established and managed the Compulsory Drug Treatment Correctional Centre in Sydney. Between 2022 and 2023 she was appointed for 18 months as the Warden/Assistant Sheriff at the Orleans Justice Center, a 1200-bed pre-trial or remand centre in New Orleans. In both cases it was agreed that she would manage the institution as a psychologist, not a correctional officer. What unique perspective does a psychologist offer? In developing or redeveloping services, a service delivery model was developed that articulated a theory, a set of principles, and operational procedures to ensure program integrity. A program logic model assists to define the goals, and provide inputs, outputs, and short/ medium/long-term outcome measures to determine whether the goals are being met. The presentation will summarise the learnings from these two endeavours in attempting to establish a human rights approach to detainees in a secure setting.
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Dr Birgden has 30 years’ experience working in corrections, courts and disability services. In corrections, she was the first psychologist appointed in the Adelaide Remand Centre, managed statewide sex offender treatment and then a statewide reducing re-offending framework in Victoria, and established and managed a drug treatment prison in Sydney. In courts, she established the family violence courts in Melbourne. In disability services she was in the initial development statewide forensic disability services in Victoria and is currently an NDIS Behaviour Support Specialist. Dr Birgden has been a consultant since 2011 working across Australia. International UN and EU-funded work has included torture prevention with police and military in Nepal and Sri Lanka, training counsellors/prison officer in St Kitts, and addressing drug treatment issues in the Seychelles to address a Somali pirate problem. Dr Birgden is published in offender rehabilitation, therapeutic jurisprudence and human rights.
Dr Chris Lennings
Lennmac Consulting
Retiring Gracefully: Details, Debates and Decisions
3:40 PM - 4:00 PMAbstract
Aim: To provide information and engage in a further exploration of what it means to retire from professional practice.
Content: will provide the outcome of an on line qualitative survey of psychologists interested in retirement as well as a content analysis of a on-pine discussion involving 130 psychologists close to, or having actually, retired. Content will include reviewing issues around professional and personal identity, technology traps for psychologists considering retirement, legal, insurance, financial and ethical responsibilities facing the potential retiree.
Goals: To raise awareness and increase discussion around the significant implications both professional and personal, of retirement. The goal is allow psychologist to take time to prepare for retirement, to ensure they have appropriate insurance cover, and understand AHPRA's approach to what is considered post retirement professional activity.
Content: will provide the outcome of an on line qualitative survey of psychologists interested in retirement as well as a content analysis of a on-pine discussion involving 130 psychologists close to, or having actually, retired. Content will include reviewing issues around professional and personal identity, technology traps for psychologists considering retirement, legal, insurance, financial and ethical responsibilities facing the potential retiree.
Goals: To raise awareness and increase discussion around the significant implications both professional and personal, of retirement. The goal is allow psychologist to take time to prepare for retirement, to ensure they have appropriate insurance cover, and understand AHPRA's approach to what is considered post retirement professional activity.
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Christopher J. Lennings is a clinical and forensic psychologist and has worked as a clinician, academic and researcher in psychology for the past 45 years. He has published over 100 refereed articles and has presented as many conference papers and conducted more than 70 workshops. He is an experienced expert at all levels of the State and Commonwealth Court and Tribunal system. He has conducted almost 4000 forensic evaluations and prepared report for all levels of the criminal and civil justice system. He is a member and Fellow of a number of relevant professional organisations. He was awarded the NSW Forensic College award for Research Excellence in 2008 and for psychological practice and professional work in 2017. In 2013 he was awarded an OAM for his services to psychology and in 2021 elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the Forensic College of the APS.
