Who is eligible for the Credential?
Mental health professionals and dietitians providing treatment for people with eating disorders that have the required experience, training, and professional development activities are eligible for the Credential. Mental health professionals include counsellors, general practitioners, mental health nurses, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers.
General practitioners’ and psychiatrists’ eligibility for the credential is as the provider of psychological therapy. The Credential does not reflect their role in the multidisciplinary team as medical practitioner, management of medications, or in review of eating disorder management plans.
Working within one’s scope of practice is crucial for all mental health professionals and dietitians providing treatment for people with an eating disorder.
What are the criteria to be credentialed?
Applicants are required to provide written evidence of the following:
Mental health professionals:
Two-years mental health clinical practice (equating to a minimum of 300 hours per year of direct client work).
Mental health professionals should demonstrate post-undergraduate qualification clinical practice
and consolidation of skills. This includes (but is not limited to): coordination of services,
establishing a positive therapeutic alliance, professional responsibility, knowledge of levels of care,
mental health assessment, mental health diagnosis, mental health intervention, managing risk, and
monitoring and evaluation.
Dietitians:
Two-years dietetic clinical practice (equating to a minimum of 300 hours per year of direct client work). Dietitians are not required to complete this practice in a mental health setting.
Dietitians should demonstrate a consolidation of skills in general dietetic screening, assessment, nutrition diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation.
Mental health professionals and dietitians are required to complete an Introduction to Eating Disorders for Health Professionals training. The training should cover the following areas outlined in the NEDC Core Competencies and the ANZAED Eating Disorder Treatment Principles and Clinical Practice and Training Standards for the Treatment of Eating Disorders.
All eligible Introduction to Eating Disorders training providers can be found listed on the National Eating Disorder Collaboration’s (NEDC) website.
Mental health professionals:
All mental health professionals must be trained in at least one evidence-based treatment model for eating disorders. The models which are included within the scope of the Credential are:
- Family Based Treatment (FBT), also known as Family Based Therapy for Anorexia, or Maudsley Family Therapy
- Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – Guided Self Help (CBT-GSH)
- Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM)
- Maudsley model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA)
- Adolescent-Focused Therapy (AFT)
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Eating Disorders (IPT-ED)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders (DBT-ED)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (CBT-AN)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa (CBT-BN)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Binge Eating Disorder (CBT-BED)
- Focal Psychodynamic Therapy for Eating Disorders
All eligible training providers of the above evidence-based treatment models can be found listed on the National Eating Disorder Collaboration’s (NEDC) website.
Dietitians:
Dietitians must be trained in evidence-informed dietetic practice for eating disorders. The evidence-informed dietetic practice training should cover the areas outlined in the ANZAED Practice and Training Standards for Dietitians Providing Eating Disorder Treatment.
All eligible training providers of evidence-informed dietetic practice can be found listed on the National Eating Disorder Collaboration’s (NEDC) website.
Ongoing professional development requirements
As an ongoing requirement of the Credential, all clinicians must complete a minimum of 6 hours of supervision relevant to eating disorders per year, including at least 3 hours in an individual (1:1) format. Applicants will need to submit a Supervision plan for the upcoming year on application and renewal of the credential.
As an ongoing requirement of the Credential, all clinicians must complete a minimum of 15-hours of CPD relevant to eating disorders per year. Applicants will need to submit a CPD plan for the upcoming year on application and renewal of the credential.
Free Introductory and Treatment Provision training
ANZAED is offering free Introductory and Treatment Provision training to support mental health professionals and dietitians to become credentialed. To be eligible, applicants must meet the below criteria as outlined in the Clinician Information Pack.
- Minimum 2 years’ clinical experience
- Commitment to ongoing professional development requirements including; 6 hours per year of supervision and 15 hours per year of continuing professional development (CPD).
This free, online, self-paced training is funded for a short time only with limited spots available. We encourage eligible clinicians to apply as soon as possible.
To apply, simply complete the online Credential application form, select the option for free training, and pay the Application and Annual Fee of $250 (+GST) which will include the free training and credentialing until June 2024.
For further information on the free training please click here.
Which Credential application pathway is right for you?
Your work setting will determine the application pathway for the Credential, reflecting the various structures for professional governance and standards of practice. There are two pathways in which you can apply for the Credential:
This pathway is applicable to clinicians working in private practice. This may be as a sole provider, within a profession-specific clinic (for example, psychology), as part of a private multi-disciplinary clinic, or working in a headspace centre. Mental health professionals and dietitians working in private practice must be registered with the relevant regulatory body or a member of their relevant professional body to be eligible for the credential.
Clinicians in self-regulated professions must be a member of their professional body, these include:
- Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
- Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
- Dietitians Australia (DA)
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
Professions regulated under Australian Health Practitioner Regulation (AHPRA) are required to provide a registration number.
Mental health nurses must hold the ACMHN Credential as awarded by the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.
Nurse practitioners must be endorsed nurse practitioners under the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (AHPRA).
Clinicians will be required to provide certification of this endorsement in your application.
Note: Clinicians who work in private practice as well as another setting (for example, public health) must apply through the ‘Both’ pathway on the application form – which includes both the ‘private practice’ and ‘public health and other’ pathways.
Clinicians applying under this pathway may be employed in settings that are not private practice. This includes, but is not limited to, public mental health services, public or private hospitals, eating disorder day programs, inpatient treatment settings, non-government organisations, or Primary Health Networks. Those applying under this pathway will need to provide certified evidence of employment and professional qualification.
Note: Clinicians who work in private practice as well as another setting (for example, public health) must apply through the ‘Both’ pathway on the application form – which includes both the ‘private practice’ and ‘public health and other’ pathways.
Clinician Information Pack
To prepare for your application and find out more about the Credential criteria download the Clinician Information Pack.
Practice Standards & Scope of Practice
In applying for the eating disorder credential, you are required to be familiar with, and practice in accordance with your regulatory or professional body’s Standards, Guidelines, and Code of Ethics and/or the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce (Australian Government, 2013).
As detailed by your regulatory or professional body and/or the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce (Australian Government, 2013), you are required to work within your scope of practice. View the Scope of Practice Guideline.
Credentialing fees
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Credential Application fee $100 + GST
To become credentialed, applicants will need to pay an initial administrative fee for their application to be assessed, along with the Annual Credential fee detailed below.
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Annual Credential fee $150 +GST
Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians will pay an ongoing annual fee to maintain their credentialed status. The ANZAED Eating Disorder Credential runs from 1 July to 30 June.
The ANZAED Eating Disorder Credential follows the fiscal year (1 July – 30 June)
Next steps…
In applying for the ANZAED Eating Disorder Credential, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the NEDC Workforce Core Competencies and the ANZAED Clinical Practice and Training Standards, and also read the Credential Terms and Conditions. The application process and a helpful preparation checklist can be found in the Clinician Information Pack.
