Dear Member

In 2000 the AACBT established an accreditation working party to explore the necessary steps for the organization should it decide to pursue accrediting its members. The Membership have been surveyed and while only small numbers of members have responded to the surveys those that have done so have been in favour of the Association developing guidelines for accreditation. At the 2001 and 2002 Annual General Meetings held at the Annual Conferences forums were held to discuss the progress of the Working Group and the arguments for and against accreditation. At the 2003 Annual Conference Annual General Meeting a change to the Constitution of the AACBT was proposed and accepted which allowed the Association to pursue an accreditation process, if it so wished. This resolution was subsequently taken to the State AGM’s with all State’s agreeing with the Constitutional Amendment.

The Accreditation Working Group have now drafted minimal standards for accreditation and a draft accreditation application form, which were approved at the 2004 Conference in Perth by the State President and the National Committee.

It is now timely for the State Branches to consult the Members to ascertain whether the minimum standards for Accrediting Members are acceptable. The draft documents are therefore being distributed to all Members of the AACBT for comment. Members are encouraged to review the Minimum Standards and the Draft Accreditation Application Form and are invited to provide comments to their respective State Presidents. Each State President will also be providing opportunities for Members to discuss these documents at Branch meetings.

We hope that you will consider the attached documents and provide feedback to us via your State President.

Thank you for your time and help with this process.

Yours sincerely

Dr Shirley Morrissey

Convenor of the AACBT Accreditation Working Group

AACBT Accreditation Working Group (2003-04)

Shirley Morrissey (Convenor) s.morrissey@griffith.edu.au

Sara Egan (WA) s.egan@exchange.curtin.edu.au

Ross Menzies (NSW) R.Menzies@fhs.usyd.edu.au

Ric Pawsey (Vic) rpawsey@berrystreet.org.au

Raelene Deross (Vic) raelene.deross@southernhealth.org.au

Amanda Burlock (SA) aburlock@senet.com.au

Sonja Pohlman (Qld) starleopard@uqconnect.net

Michael Free (Qld) (until July 2004). M.free@griffith.edu.au

A summary of the arguments presented for and against Accreditation is available here.