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Defence Force Psychology Organisation

The mission of the Defence Force Psychology Organisation (DFPO) is to enhance ADF capability, operational effectiveness and force preservation through timely, pragmatic and culturally appropriate psychological support.

General Functions

The Directorate of Psychology (DPSYCH) is responsible for policy and technical guidance related to the delivery of psychology services by the DFPO. This includes selection standards and procedures, support to the training and personnel functions, support to operations, the delivery of Mental Health Strategy initiatives, mental health surveillance, health and human performance research, and the provision of critical incident stress management support.

The Director of Psychology exercises technical control of psychology support within the DFPO and provides technical guidance to the single Service psychology elements. The Director of Psychology is also the Head of Corps for the Australian Army Psychology Corps and in this role is responsible for technical control and professional development of all AAPsych personnel.

The delivery of psychological support to the ADF is facilitated by a structure comprising the three Groups within DPSYCH and seventeen Psychology Support Sections (PSS) distributed around Australia. These Groups and PSS are staffed by uniformed and non-uniformed psychologists and psychological examiners/assistants.

The three elements within DPSYCH are the:

• Psychology Research & Technical Group (PRTG),
• Policy and Governance Group (PGG), and
• Psychology Support Group (PSG).

PRTG provides DFPO with an applied research capability, a data management function and technical expertise in relation to the vetting and coordination of all psychological research conducted within the ADF. PGG generates and disseminates policy on behalf of the Director of Psychology and is responsible for the technical interface with Defence Force Recruiting. PSG provides DFPO’s psychology support delivery capability via the seventeen PSSs distributed across Australia. As an an integrated (military/civilian) group, PSG is under the direction/command of the SO1 Psych Support/Commanding Officer PSG.

Publications

Fatigue Management During Operations: A Commander's Guide

Support goes on once ops are over
- By Helen Benassi, Psychology Research and Technology Group - Extracted from Service Newspapers 15 May 2008

8 August, 2008