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VMHPAA welcomes landmark review of health-profession regulation: a win for proportionate, risk-based oversight and a clear path to include vocational practitioners

POSITION STATEMENT

For Immediate Release

22 September 2025


VMHPAA welcomes landmark review of health-profession regulation: a win for proportionate, risk-based oversight and a clear path to include vocational practitioners
VMHPAA welcomes landmark review of health-profession regulation: a win for proportionate, risk-based oversight and a clear path to include vocational practitioners

The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) today welcomed the Australian Government’s Independent Review of Health Professions Regulation (July 2025), calling it “a sensible reset” that prioritises public safety while recognising the full health workforce, registered and non-registered alike.


“This review finally moves the conversation from titles and turf to risk and results,” said Shane Warren, Chair, VMHPAA. “It protects the public where risks are highest, and it opens up a practical middle lane for allied health so communities can access safe, ethical care without unnecessary red tape. That’s exactly where vocationally trained counsellors live and work.”

What the Review does (in plain English)


  • Makes regulation proportionate to risk across the whole workforce, not just the 16 NRAS professions.

  • Strengthens the National Code of Conduct for non-registered practitioners and aims for consistent complaints handling in every state/territory, including a national register of prohibition orders.

  • Explores a profession-led pathway inside the National Scheme with a lighter-touch “Professions Registration Model”  that could deliver title protection, common standards, and better workforce data, without the cost and complexity of full registration.


“For years, the debate has been ‘in or out’ of NRAS. This report adds a much-needed ‘middle lane’,” said Philip Armstrong, CEO, VMHPAA. “It recognises that safe, quality care can be delivered by vocational practitioners when standards, supervision and complaints processes are clear and consistent.”

Why this matters to VMHPAA members


  • Counselling is not being pulled into full NRAS registration. Instead, the emphasis is on strong, consistent Code of Conduct enforcement and clear complaint pathways.

  • A real opportunity is on the table. If the profession-led pathway proceeds, VMHPAA will advocate for AQF-inclusive title protection and standards that recognise Diploma/Advanced Diploma routes alongside degree pathways.

  • Clarity for practice. Expect more consistent expectations across states; VMHPAA will help members be “Code-ready” with tools for documentation, supervision, CPD and complaints response.


Our “What if?” lens (so members can plan ahead)


  • What if the profession-led pathway is adopted?


    VMHPAA will push for: (1) inclusive entry routes (AQF 4–6), (2) title protection tied to verified training and ongoing CPD/supervision, (3) independent complaint handling via HCEs with clear referral protocols to/ from associations, and (4) workforce data capture to fix access gaps—especially for rural and underserved communities.


  • What if the Code is fully harmonised and the national prohibition register goes live?


    Members will see clearer rules, faster triage, and consistent sanctions across Australia. VMHPAA will publish matched guidance, templates and checklists so your documentation and practice align with what regulators expect.


  • What if states move faster than the Commonwealth on complaints integration?


    VMHPAA will formalise MOUs with Health Complaints Entities (HCEs) to ensure our standards, supervision norms and CPD frameworks are recognised in investigations and determinations.


Our commitment


VMHPAA represents vocationally trained mental-health practitioners who deliver accessible, ethical, community-based care. We support proportionate regulation that protects the public and keeps services within reach. We’ll engage constructively with governments, regulators and allied bodies to ensure inclusion, not exclusion, of vocational pathways in any future profession-led model.


🔗 Download a copy of the report here.


Media Contact:

Shane Warren, Chair

Susan Sandy, Secretary

Philip Armstrong, CEO

VMHPAA



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