APPTA Advice to Members
COVID-19 Stage 4 Restrictions (VIC)
Please find below current advice from AHPA (Allied Health Professions Australia) regarding Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria:
Victorian Premier announces 5-day circuit breaker lock down as of 12.59pm 12 February. The premier’s announcement can be found here: https://www.premier.vic.
Members are advised to refer to the Table of Restrictions at the end of the release, which includes statements on essential health providers, including allied health services in the following circumstances:
i. allied health services provided by allied health professionals working as essential workers in hospitals or in residential care facilities providing critical clinical care or as directed by the hospital; or
ii. allied health services provided by allied health professionals working in private practice providing care through telehealth and other virtual care options; or
iii. students, medical/nursing/midwifery/
At this time, unless you are employed within an inpatient health service setting or residential aged care facility, we would be recommending that you cancel all face to face appointments for the next 5 day period and reschedule to telehealth where possible.
More information will be provided as this becomes available.
Attention NSW Members
As the NSW State representative for the Australasia pacific Play Therapy Association (APPTA), I would like to take a more active role this year in supporting Play Therapists and the profession of Play Therapy in our state.
There is a lot of knowledge and skill in our Play Therapy community that I would like to draw on. By sharing our knowledge we can support both starting play therapists and the more experienced.
As a paying member of APPTA (affiliate, students, registered play therapists and supervisors and organisational members) we invite you to attend a series of online meetings that will focus on finding supervisors, ways to promote and advocate for Play Therapy and its benefits throughout NSW and to inform APPTA about membership matters as well as professional matters in the state and elsewhere.
Meetings will occur on the following dates from 7pm till 8:30 pm via APPTA Zoom:
Wednesday 10 February
Wednesday 14 April
Wednesday 2 June
Wednesday 20 July
Wednesday 22 September
Wednesday 17 November
Please remember to renew your APPTA membership to receive this benefit.
Please indicate your interest and availability for our first meeting (a meet and greet) on Wednesday 10 February 7 pm – 8:30 pm by Monday 8 February by emailing your reply to [email protected]
Applying for APPTA Membership
APPTA wishes to advise that the next membership application cut off date is 19th June 2021.
This information will be upgraded monthly, allowing new or upgrading members relevant time to place in their application before the next membership committee meeting.
Please note the membership committee can only review so many applications per month, this includes upgrades, renewals and new applications.
The membership committee will also appreciate, if you could please provide all the relevant membership criteria documents with your application, to prevent delays.
2021 Membership – Important Renewal Notice
Membership Fees
- Membership fees are due on the 1st of Jan each year, members are notified about membership fees just before their expiry date to the email address you provided APPTA.
- Another email reminder is automatically sent out just before 1st March to remind members of their membership fees and if payment isn’t received by the 31st March, a late fee will apply.
- As of 2021, if member (s) still have not paid by the 31st April the unpaid member will be archived. If they want to become a member again they will need to reapply for APPTA membership.
- If you have any concerns and need assistance please contact Deb Jones at [email protected]
APPTA Announces New Policy – Post Disaster Response Policy
APPTA acknowledges the challenges of working within communities who have faced significant disaster events. Please read APPTA’s Post Disaster Response Policy for guidance, and share this information with anyone who would benefit.
Ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Restrictions – APPTA Advice to Members
During the ongoing COVID-19 health situation, and fluctuation COVID-19 restrictions across Australia and the broader Australasia region, APPTA advises Registered Play Therapist (RPT), Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S), and Provisional Play Therapist members to adhere to the requirements and restrictions and health advice ‘as outline under’ their Federal and relevant State, Territory, Province, or Region Government guidance. APPTA members who have dual registrations, should also consider any additional guidelines from that discipline or professional body.
For the purposes of health advice, APPTA considers registered members, irrespective of their qualification or background, as an “Allied Health Service Provider” or “Mental Health Service Provider”. The Allied Health Professions Australia have provided information on accessing allied health services under COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria which may be useful to some members and is available via this link.
If you are still unsure please seek additional guidance from your Insurer and/or your Clinical Supervisor.
APPTA Board of Directors recommends registered members to consider tele-therapy work during these restrictions, see APPTA’s Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on the website via this link.
If you would like further clarification about this statement, please contact one of the APPTA Board of Directors or your State Representative and keep up to date through APPTA’s webpage.
APPTA Member Participation Invited – Masters Research
APPTA registered member, Mrs. Sarah Gentle is currently a Masters candidate at Charles Darwin University. APPTA would appreciate members completing a voluntary survey to support our researchers with their important work. For more information on this research, click here. A plain language statement and consent can be viewed here.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – APPTA Advice to Members Translated
APPTA acknowledges the need for ongoing crisis information to be provided to members (and the wider community they service) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please read APPTA’s Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) now translated into Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – APPTA Suggested Resources for Parents
APPTA acknowledges the need for ongoing crisis information to be provided to members (and the wider community they service) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please read APPTA’s Suggested Resources for Parents in response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and share the link to others who may benefit from this information.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – APPTA Advice to Members
APPTA acknowledges the need for ongoing crisis information to be provided to members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please read APPTA’s Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and share the link to others who may benefit from this information.
Australian Bushfires – APPTA Advice to Members
APPTA acknowledges the need for post-disaster information to be provided to members following the recent Australian bushfires. Please read APPTA’s Response to the Australian Bushfires and share the link to others who may benefit from this information.
APPTA
APPTA was established in 2007 and is the peak professional body for Play Therapists in Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific Region. It was formed in order to support ‘children’, parents, and professionals involved in the field of Play Therapy. It has now grown to include self-regulation, education and practice development. Our head office is located in Victoria, Australia. Our members provide Play Therapy and related services across public and private sectors in Australia, Asia and the South Pacific.
Whilst Play Therapy is now recognised Internationally, in this region it is still being established as a profession. Parents and Service Providers are becoming increasingly aware of the value of using Play Therapy for children, and are seeking further information about specific methods and access.
This website will provide information, resources and support for parents, professionals and Play Therapists. Our not-for-profit association is committed to providing the public with information and support for Play Therapy in an informative and helpful way.
On behalf of the association I wish to thank you for visiting our site.
Jay Anderson
Chair, APPTA
APPTA was established in 2007 and is the peak professional body for Play Therapists in Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific region.
"It is through play we reach the whole child" (V.Gowman)