Press release

Hong Kong Institute of Clinical Psychologists was granted accreditation under “Accredited Registers Scheme for Healthcare Professions”

  1. Hong Kong Institute of Clinical Psychologists (HKICP) welcomes the announcement made by the Hong Kong SAR Government on 31st October 2019 that HKICP was granted a full accreditation status under the Accredited Registers Scheme for Healthcare Professions (AR Scheme) by the Department of Health, under the Food and Health Bureau. According to the principle of “One Profession, One Professional Body, One Register”, HKICP is the only accredited professional body responsible for administering the register of clinical psychologists in Hong Kong.
  2. The full accreditation status reflects that HKICP has been assessed by an independent accreditation agent appointed by the Government to have met the accreditation standards covering governance, operational effectiveness, risk management and quality improvement, standards for registrants, educational and training requirements, as well as management of the register. HKICP is committed to providing quality services to protect public interest and promoting public confidence in the clinical psychology profession.
  3. As a healthcare professional body accredited by the Department of Health, HKICP is authorised to use an Accreditation Mark and the related titles. Registrants of HKICP are permitted to use the title “Member of Register of Clinical Psychologists accredited by Department of Health” on their name cards. Their names are listed on the register of accredited clinical psychologists that is accessible by the public.
  4. The AR Scheme for clinical psychologists being implemented is based on public consultations through different channels, such as public forums, online questionnaires and Legislative Council meetings, during which over 2,000 submissions were collected. The AR Scheme covers academic requirements and clinical training to safeguard public health, maintain professional standard and demonstrate inclusiveness in admitting professionals from different educational backgrounds. It has taken into account the local circumstances and benchmarked overseas experience and standards, including those adopted by the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. The key features of the Scheme are:
    1. A standard-based registration scheme: The basic criteria for both local and overseas graduates in clinical psychology are essentially the same. They consist of (i) Holding a Bachelor’s degree with major in Psychology or equivalent, (ii) Completion of an accredited training programme in Clinical Psychology in the country where the degree was conferred, and (iii) Fulfilment of all the requirements for a practising licence in Clinical Psychology in the country where the degree was conferred.
    2. Streamlining the registration procedures: To widely include clinical psychologists who are up to the standard, graduates from clinical psychology training programme accredited by recognised accreditation body in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada or Australia who have completed recognised clinical training and have licence to practise clinical psychology in the country where the degree is conferred can be registered as clinical psychologists under HKICP.
    3. Registration via grandfathering terms: To address increasing services demand and the need to strike a balance between safeguarding public interests and inclusion of as many clinical psychologists as possible, a transitional arrangement is available for candidates who have a post-graduate clinical psychology qualification that do not meet the educational standard of registration to become registered by providing proof of practice as a clinical psychologist in Hong Kong for at least 5 years.
    4. Registration via remedial training: Candidates who are practising as clinical psychologists in Hong Kong but whose post-graduate clinical psychology qualification does not meet the educational standard of registration and not able to fulfil the requirement of proof of practice for at least 5 years may become registered by completion of remedial training.
  5. Dr Kitty Wu, Chairperson of HKICP, said: “The profession of clinical psychologists concerns the well-being of services users, and therefore proper clinical training requirements and regulations are needed. We welcome the accreditation status granted by the Department of Health as a big step forward to uphold needed professional standards of the industry to safeguard public interest. HKICP will implement the AR Scheme for clinical psychologists effectively to serve the general public.”

Hong Kong Institute of Clinical Psychologists
31st October 2019

http://www.icphk.org.hk
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