The national Australian Guidance and Counselling Association (AGCA) is the professional association in Australia for school psychologists, guidance officers and counsellors. The AGCA represents the interests of members and endeavours to meet their professional needs.

The benefits of membership of the AGCA

The AGCA offers school psychologists, guidance officers and counsellors value for money in the following ways:
• Maintenance of relatively low membership fees
• Regular newsletters
• Quality professional journals with current national research in the field of school psychology and counselling
• Discounted registration fees for state and national seminars, workshops and conferences
• Links to quality information through the AGCA website
• Involvement and input into the national mental health strategies for secondary schools in particular the Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources for students with high support needs
• Access to extensive national networks within AGCA and other related agencies
• Links to the International School Psychologists Association (ISPA) with further access to journals, newsletters, current international research and networks

Reasons for joining the AGCA

There are a number of reasons why it is more important than ever for school psychologists, guidance officers and counsellors to join AGCA given the following trends:
• Increasing expectations of the role in relation to both individual, group and systems work
• The need to be up-to-date in professional knowledge and skills of research and practice
• The need to maintain professional standards and code of conduct in a complex and increasingly legalistic environment
• An increased emphasis on accreditation and competencies linked to Professional Learning and collegial assessments
• In some states it is also a work pre-requisite to be a member of the AGCA.

AGCA and the Future

The AGCA through its varied professional activities contributes significantly to the field of psychological support services to schools. These activities provide AGCA members with access to the current professional knowledge and practice to enable them to provide quality psychological and counselling services to schools, students and their communities.
The AGCA publishes regular state and national newsletters and journals, which inform members of important events and areas of current research in the field of school psychology and counselling.
In past years the AGCA has raised its profile nationally due to its partnership with the Australian Principals’ Association Professional Development Council (APAPDC) and the Australian Divisions of General Practitioners (ADGP)in the development and implementation of the MindMatters Plus national mental health strategy for secondary schools. This has meant that the AGCA has been able to employ professional staff and consultants to provide support for demonstration schools across Australia and provide significant research and tools for schools in the area of mental health promotion and prevention as well as strategies to support for students with high support needs in the area of mental health.

Some future directions include the following:
• Expanding the associate membership base
• Linking the AGCA website with School Psychologists and School Counsellors.
• Tendering for future national project work

The continued involvement by the AGCA in national projects will provide the association with continued input into national directions and funds to commission prestigious research and journal articles.

Membership of the AGCA is via the individual state bodies. For further information, please select your state from the list below.