Media releases

Federation University Australia has been awarded a grant by the Federal Government to grow the postgraduate qualified psychology workforce to help address critical skills shortages in the mental health sector.  

The $595,650 in funding is part of the Department of Health and Aged Care’s National Leadership in Mental Health Program that addresses the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy which aims to create and retain the workforce required to meet current and future demands of the mental health system. 

The grant highlights Federation’s vital role in growing a sustainable mental health workforce in rural and regional Victoria, where the greatest shortfalls in the mental health workforce exist. 

Funds will be used to support additional postgraduate psychology places in Federation’s Master of Psychology (Clinical) course, now one of the largest clinical training programs in Australia. 

A contributing factor in Federation’s success was high student enrolment numbers in postgraduate psychology courses which have increased significantly, rising 87 per cent since 2019. 

Increased student enrolments are due in part due to Federation’s high-quality placement opportunities for Provisional Psychologists including FedCare Psychology, a state-of-the-art training clinic located at Federation’s Mount Helen Campus, which provides psychological treatment, formal psychological testing, consultation, community and school outreach programs and workshops. 

Federation is committed to bolstering the mental health sector through training more students and creating a pipeline of skilled mental health professionals to meet the needs of our population through treatment, care, and support. 

More information on Federation’s Master of Psychology (Clinical) course can be found at https://study.federation.edu.au/course/DYL9. 

Quote attributable to Dr Megan Jenkins, Head of Clinical Services and Programs, Psychology Federation University Australia 

“Federation University is committed to growing the nation’s psychology workforce and is particularly passionate about increasing mental health services in rural and regional areas. We are delighted to support the continued growth of our postgraduate psychology programs and create more opportunities for our students to become registered psychologists. Not only will the grant allow us to train more psychologists, but it will enable our students to provide high-quality mental health support to our community while training in the FedCare clinic."