The Mental Health Pathways to Practice Program Pilot (MHPPP), powered by Flinders University, offers up to $35,000 funding per intern for employing organisations - covering onboarding, supervisor support, and relocation - while connecting aspiring psychologists with intensive, high-quality supervised placements to address critical psychology shortages in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
This project is supported by the Australian Government's Department of Health and Aged Care via the "Addressing Critical Psychology Shortages - Supporting Provisional Psychologists to Practice" funding initiative.
This innovative initiative led by Flinders University is designed to address critical shortages of psychologists in South Australia and the Northern Territory. The project is centred around the Psychology 5+1 Internship Program, a pathway regulated by Ahpra (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency), which enables aspiring psychologists to complete a five-year sequence of accredited study followed by a one-year intensive internship.
By reducing financial and logistical barriers for both interns and employers, the MHPPP Project is making it easier for organisations to participate in training the next generation of psychologists. This not only helps address workforce shortages but also ensures that communities across South Australia and the Northern Territory have better access to high-quality mental health care.
Whether you are a student, an employer, or a supervisor, the MHPPP Project offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of psychology and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
The 5+1 internship year is designed to:
Key requirements that must be met during the internship include:
During your internship year, you must be actively supervised in line with the program requirements. Key requirements include:
For any queries not answered here or in the official documentation, contact the Flinders University project team at MPPinternship@flinders.edu.au
Please provide your employer with a link to this website. They can find all the relevant information on the "Employer" page of this website, or they can contact our team directly at: MPPinternship@flinders.edu.au
The agreement includes the following payments. Most providers are only eligible for the onboarding and supervisor support components:
The Onboarding Payment is intended to assist with expenses associated with commencing an intern. This includes costs such as technology, software ect.
The onboarding payment is paid in four equal instalments of $1, 500. Payments are made within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice. The instalments are issued as follows:
The Supervisor Support Package is a payment of up to $24, 000 per intern, designed to contribute to the costs (salary or otherwise) associated with supervision. It is paid in four equal instalments of $6, 000.
The supervisor support package is paid in four instalment of $6, 000 each. Payments are made within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice. The instalments are issued as follows:
The relocation incentive is a one off payment of $5, 000 per intern who relocates to a regional or remote location for the internship. The relocation incentive is paid to the issuing provider within 30 days of providing the internship conformation. The issuing provider must then pay the intern the full amount within 7 days of receiving the payment.
If an intern's internship ends before completion:
Payments are made within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice, provided all conditions for the instalment are met.
Please note that your intern will be contacted directly by the Flinders University project team to confirm the amount of supervision hours provided at the specified date.
GST should be added to all invoice items in accordance with Australian GST law.
If your invoice does not comply with 1) line items clearly indicating which component of the grant they relate to; 2) the intern name not being provided for each line time; or the omission of GST; there will be significant delays in processing. Our team handles a high number of enquiries and communications and are not responsible for seeking rectification of these issues.
If your intern does not reply to our attempts to contact them regarding their number of supervision hours, your invoice can not be processed.
For any queries not answered here or in the official documentation, contact the Flinders University project team at MPPinternship@flinders.edu.au
As a supervisor, your role is to guide and support the provisional psychologist through the internship year, which is designed to:
Provide structured, supervised opportunities for interns to apply their psychological knowledge and skills in practice.
Ensure interns develop the professional competencies required for general registration as a psychologist.
Bridge the gap between academic learning and independent practice, with a strong focus on ethical, safe, and effective service delivery.
Support interns to integrate theory with clinical practice in real-world settings.
Encourage reflective practice, the development of a professional identity, and a commitment to lifelong professional learning.
During the internship, supervisors must ensure that provisional psychologists:
Complete a minimum of 1,500 hours of supervised practice over at least 12 months full-time (or the part-time equivalent).
Gain experience across a broad range of psychological activities, including assessment, intervention, case formulation, and report writing.
Participate in regular supervision sessions (at least one hour per week) with a Board-approved supervisor.
Keep comprehensive records, including a logbook and supervision notes.
Develop and demonstrate competence in all core areas specified by the Psychology Board of Australia.
Provide progress and final reports to Ahpra (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) for review and assessment.
Supervision must be provided regularly throughout the internship period (i.e. for the full duration of psychological practice).
The ratio required is 1 hour of supervision for every 17 hours of psychological practice (i.e. client work + client-related work)
It is recommended that supervision occur at least weekly during periods when the provisional psychologist is actively practising.
Supervision must be conducted by a Board-approved supervisor (principal or secondary), and only supervision by such approved supervisors counts toward the internship requirements.
The supervisor is expected to monitor competence, support professional development, and ensure safe, ethical practice.
Supervision should include direct observation of the provisional psychologist’s practice (e.g. observing sessions, reviewing recorded sessions) as part of individual supervision.
It should be interactive, involving discussion, feedback, reflection, case review, addressing ethical issues, cultural considerations, and planning further learning.
Supervisors must keep records of supervision sessions (e.g. notes) as part of the internship documentation.
Sessions should be structured (often with an agenda), allow for reflection, and adapt over time to meet the intern’s evolving learning needs.
The supervisor may also guide the intern’s education/training activities (workshops, readings, etc.) as part of the overall development plan.
Key points about the Return of Service Obligation:
For each Intern hosted under the 5+1 Internship Program, the Internship Provider must host one unpaid Psychology Student for a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Placement.
The WIL Placement is a separate, unpaid placement for a Flinders University Psychology Student (Masters or PhD level). This obligation only applies if the Internship Provider issues an Internship Request that is confirmed by Flinders University.
The terms for the WIL Placement are set out in a separate agreement (Annexure A), which includes standard unpaid placement terms and conditions.
There are three main types of funding available for each Intern:
Onboarding Payment:
Total: $6,000 per Intern
Paid in 4 equal instalments of $1,500 each
Supervisor Support Package:
Total: $24,000 per Intern
Paid in 4 equal instalments of $6,000 each
Relocation Incentive:
One-off payment of $5,000 per Intern
Only applicable if the Intern relocates to a regional or remote location
Payment arrangements are as follows:
Onboarding Payment:
Paid in arrears, in 4 instalments of $1,500
Each instalment is invoiced after specific milestones (e.g., after 12 weeks or completion of a quarter of supervision hours)
Supervisor Support Package:
Paid in arrears, in 4 instalments of $6,000
Each instalment is invoiced after set milestones (e.g., after 12 weeks or completion of a quarter, half, three-quarters, and completion of supervision hours)
Relocation Incentive:
Paid to the Internship Provider within 30 days of Internship Confirmation
The Provider must then pay the full $5,000 to the Intern within 7 days, with no deductions
General Invoicing:
Invoices must specify the Intern’s name, payment type (Onboarding, Supervisor Support, or Relocation), and payment period
Payments are made within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice
Insurance: Providers must maintain public liability and professional indemnity insurance of at least $20,000,000.
Termination: Either party may terminate the agreement with 90 days’ notice.
Supervision: Providers are responsible for making available Principal and Secondary Supervisors as per Ahpra guidelines.
No Additional Fees: Providers cannot seek any additional financial payment from Interns beyond what is specified in this agreement.
If you have any questions not answered by the FAQ series, please contact us at: MPPInternship@flinders.edu.au
A list of resources related to the project and the internship can be downloaded below:
If you have any questions or are interested in partnering with us, please contact us at MPPInternship@flinders.edu.au
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South Australia 5042
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