Eligibility for Membership
Criteria for DEP Membership Eligibility (Effective from January 1, 2010)
1. Membership of the Division shall be open to members of the Hong Kong Psychological Society who:
1.1 hold an honours degree in Psychology or its equivalence acceptable to the Division;and
1.2 hold a Master’s or Doctoral degree in educational/school psychology acceptable to the Division. (See Appendix 1 and Appendix 2.)
2. Grandfather’s Clause:
Current members admitted before January 1, 2010 may retain their membership of the Division, irrespective of whether they have or have not fulfilled the above membership criteria. Applicants who graduated before January 1, 2010 may be admitted if they fulfill the membership criteria of the Division between December 2, 2000 and December 31, 2009.
Application for a Statement of Eligibility for Full Membership of the DEP, HKPS
Introduction
The Hong Kong Psychological Society (HKPS) is both a learned society and a professional association. It is the only organization of psychologists in Hong Kong which represents all specialties of psychology. Its Division of Educational Psychology (DEP) consists of the large majority of practicing educational psychologists in Hong Kong and has been actively promoting the development of educational psychology with regard to service, training, research and professional conditions to the highest standards in Hong Kong ever since the establishment in 1987. Members of the DEP are bound by the Society’s Code of Professional Conduct in carrying out their professional activities.
Since there is as yet no statutory registration of educational psychologists practicing in Hong Kong, it is the responsibility of the profession in collaboration with the training institutions and the potential employers to ensure that the public is adequately protected and that only suitably qualified people are appointed to the posts of educational psychologist. In this regard, the DEP (2008) has developed the mechanism for reviewing the training criteria for local educational psychology programmes and for assessing individual educational qualifications especially of those with overseas training.
In recent years, the eligibility for the membership of DEP has become increasingly important to the employment and the right to use restrictive assessment tools in Hong Kong. In its Guides to Appointment of Educational Psychologist, the Education Bureau (2009) has stated very clearly that “with effect from September 2008, the employed EP must be a registered member of either the Division of Educational Psychology of the Hong Kong Psychological Society or an equivalent internationally recognized professional organization of Educational Psychology” (p. 146). In addition, the eligibility to use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (Hong Kong) is restricted to those with membership of the DEP and DCP (Division of Clinical Psychology) of the Hong Kong Psychological Society. In view of this new development, job applicants are strongly recommended to have their eligibility for DEP’s Full Membership vetted before they apply for educational psychologist posts in Hong Kong. It should be reminded that this application for a Statement of Eligibility is not an application for the membership of the HKPS or the DEP. Application for joining the HKPS and the DEP should be made under separate cover.
Application and Vetting Procedures
When an individual who has completed a postgraduate training in educational psychology wishes to establish eligibility for Full Membership of the DEP, they may apply to the DEP for a Statement of Eligibility for Full Membership of the DEP. They have to complete a specific application form in which they are asked to provide detailed information regarding their undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications and their training and experiences in educational psychology. The application together with the necessary document is then referred to DEP Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee.
The DEP Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee is made up of educational psychologists who are Full Members of the DEP and appointed by the DEP Executive Committee to serve on the Subcommittee. According to the Rules of the DEP, in order to be eligible for Full Membership of the DEP, an individual must be eligible for the Graduate Membership of the HKPS and also (1) has satisfactorily completed a course of postgraduate training in educational psychology approved by the Division; or (2) has successfully completed the supervised training according to the Supervision Scheme of the Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee.
The DEP Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee meets regularly. Provided that sufficient information is available, the average processing time for an application is about three months. While the DEP Membership Professional Standards Subcommittee will make their effort to ensure a speedy processing of the application, such processing may be delayed because of insufficient information. Therefore providing detailed information in the application form will certainly help speed up the process.
When the DEP Membership Professional Standards Subcommittee reaches a decision concerning an application, this decision will be communicated to the applicant by letter. Decisions will not be reported over the telephone. Provided that the applicant has given written consent, the authority or potential employing agency designated by the applicants will also be informed of the progress and result of the application.
The DEP Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee’s Decision
The DEP Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee will usually come up with one of the following decisions for an application:
1. The applicant does not hold educational psychology qualifications as required by the DEP. The DEP Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee will therefore reject the application.
2. The applicant holds qualifications which are considered equivalent to those required to register as a Full Member of the DEP. The DEP Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee will issue a statement/ letter to the applicant confirming the applicant’s eligibility for Full Membership of the DEP.
Application Fee
The current application fee is HK$1,000. It is non-refundable and must be paid in full before the application can be processed.
Enquiries
Further enquiries about the application and vetting procedures for the Statement of Eligibility for Full Membership of the DEP can be made via email to dep@hkps.org.hk. (Note: Application with supporting documents and cheque should be sent via post to the Convener of Membership and Professional Standards Subcommittee, Division of Educational Psychology, Hong Kong Psychological Society, c/o Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong)
DEP Executive Committee
February 2010
References
Division of Educational Psychology, Hong Kong Psychological Society (2008). Standards for the training of professional educational psychologists. Hong Kong: Author.
Education Bureau (2009). School administration guide. Hong Kong: Author.
(You can download the application form in the DOWNLOAD area.)
Supervision Scheme
Purpose
3. The Scheme is designed and implemented to assist eligible candidates to gain overall competence in educational psychology practice so as to qualify for membership of the Division. The Membership Subcommittee shall process the application for enrolment in the Supervision Scheme and implement the Scheme according to the guideline approved by the Division Committee.
Eligibility
4. To be eligible for the Supervision Scheme, a candidate should:
4.1 Be a Member of the Hong Kong Psychological Society; and
4.2 Has satisfactorily complete a higher degree in educational or school psychology specified in paragraph 1 above but with a supervised internship of more than 600 hours and less than 1200 hours.
Duration of supervised internship
5. The duration of the internship depends on the discrepancy between the hours of supervised internship covered in the relevant higher degree programme and the minimum hours of such internship required for membership of the Division. The Scheme should be completed within one year of enrolment in the Scheme. A minimum of one hour? formal supervision for every 40 hours of school practice is required for the whole duration.
Work setting
6. The candidate shall specify the work setting of his/her supervised internship when applying to the Supervision Scheme. The placement setting is subject to the approval of the Membership Subcommittee of the Division.
Qualifications of supervisors
7. Supervisors for the Supervision Scheme should:
7.1 Be eligible for membership of the Division; and
7.2 Have worked as an educational or school psychologist for at least three years on a full time basis, or its equivalence; and
7.3 Be appointed subject to the approval of the Membership Subcommittee of the Division.
Duties of supervisors
8. The supervisor shall:
8.1 Oversee the work of the candidate and provide a minimum of one hour? formal supervision for every 40 hours of school practice by the candidate;
8.2 Submit an interim report and a final report to the Membership Subcommittee of the Division.
Completion of the Supervision Scheme
9. Upon the completion of the Supervision Scheme, the Membership Subcommittee of the Division will review the reports submitted by the supervisor and decide if the candidate has satisfactorily completed the Scheme. Candidates deemed to have satisfactorily completed the Scheme shall be eligible for membership of the Division.
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