Welcome to the Interest Group in Rehabilitation Psychology

The Rehabilitation Psychology Interest Group (RPIG) is focused on bringing together psychologists with an interest in the study or working with individuals with an injury or illness, which may be chronic, traumatic and/or congenital, and their family, friend, and support networks, in achieving optimal physical, cognitive, psychological and interpersonal functioning, and, to participate in their social roles within their contexts. Psychologists in various rehabilitation settings are typically working as a part of a team comprised of different disciplines. Psychologists contribute to collaboratively setting and achieving rehabilitation goals aimed at changing behaviour, using evidence-based practice. Click on About Us for more information. 

Thank you RPIG members in making our 2012 Annual General Meeting at the APS Conference in Perth successful! There have been a few changes to our National Committee. After a number of years on the national committee, we are bidding farewell to Kathryn Nicholson Perry, who served as the Inaugural Convenor 2007-10. She had the foresight to bring together psychologists with an interest in rehab and has been supporting us on the national committee. She has taken up the position of NSW Chair of the College of Clinical Psychologists. We wish her all the best and are grateful that she remains a RPIG member. We would like to welcome two new national committee members: Elias Mpofu (NSW) and Paul O'Halloran (VIC). The RPIG continues to have the dedication, support, and experience of the National Committee, namely, Diana Dorstyn (Secretary), John Alder (Treasurer), Karleigh Kwapil (Previous Convenor), Greg Murphy, Ashley Craig, Beth Kilgour, and Kylie Henderson. 

Congratulations to Diana Dorstyn who was awarded the 2012 RPIG Conference Prize, for her poster presentation on SCI and telepsychology. Refer to the Awards page for details. 

Don't forget about our blog site at www.thinkrehab.com. If you are interested in contributing or sending something interesting as a once off to be posted onto the blog, please email Karleigh Kwapil at karleighk@gmail.com.

I am interested in campaigning for common interest and issues relevant to rehabilitation psychologists in Australia. Feel free to send me an email with your comments or feedback. 

Best wishes 

Anne Marie Sarandrea

National Convenor - RPIG 

November 2012