A new Indigenous-led national framework has been launched, aiming to drive systemic change across psychology to better meet the needs and lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The University of Western Australia’s Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) guides educators, students, psychologists, supervisors, employers, professional bodies and regulators in strengthening cultural safety, anti-racism and Indigenous leadership.

Led by Senior Research Fellow Belle Selkirk, a Noongar woman and clinical psychologist from UWA's School of Indigenous Studies, the project was made possible through the support of the Psychology Board of Australia, the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council and UWA’s Kwop Boorn Djenara Centre.

“The framework offers Indigenous-led national guidance to embedding cultural safety, anti-racism and Indigenous leadership in psychology education and practice,” Ms Selkirk said.  

With the changes in psychology regulation and psychology education accreditation standards, the AIPEP framework is a timely and free resource to support the profession.

Professor Pat Dudgeon AM, a Bardi woman and Director of Kwop Boorn Djenara Centre, said what makes the framework unique is the strong leadership from Indigenous psychologists and Indigenous psychology educators.

“AIPEP has a long history of advocacy and system change in psychology,” Professor Dudgeon said.  “Released in 2016 the first AIPEP frameworks were very impactful in changing psychology education.”

AIPEP Framework authors include Ms Selkirk (Noongar), Associate Professor Dianne Wepa (Ngāti Kahungunu), Ms Jody Kamminga, Ms Katrina Newnham, Dr Emily Darnett (Palawa), Associate Professor Yvonne Clarke (Kokatha/Wirangu), Dr Stacey McMullen (Kooma), Associate Professor Peter Smith (Kamilaroi), and Associate Professor Cammi Murrup Stewart (Koori and Stolen Gen).

“This new framework positions cultural safety and anti-racism as a whole-of-discipline responsibility,” Ms Selkirk said.

“It provides critical guidance of how psychology can work together to improve health equity and human rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."

The AIPEP framework for cultural safety, antiracism and Indigenous leadership in psychology is available for free via UWA’s website.