The Naval Reserve (NR) Psychology Branch is staffed by NR Officers who hold the psychology primary qualification (PQ). In order to serve as a psychologist in the NR Officers must be fully registered in at least one Australian State or Territory. The NR Psychology Branch has no uniformed equivalent in the Permanent Navy (PN) as full-time Officers are not able to be awarded the Psychology PQ. The core activity of the NR Psychology Branch is to develop and maintain a single service uniformed capability to deliver deployed operational psychology services to ADF personnel in war and warlike situations. The major types of operational psychological services provided are:

• Psychological screening and referral for ADF personnel returning from operational deployments;
• Critical incident mental health support to ADF personnel including advice to commanders on the management of critical incidents and trauma;
• Psychological assessment and interventions for a wide range of mental health problems;
• Psychological assessment for job selection and career management;
• Provide training on topics such as stress management, leadership, human performance and suicide prevention;
• Design, conduct and evaluate mental health promotion programs for ADF personnel;
• Research topics such as the mental health impacts of operations; and
• human factors in operations.

In order to prepare to deliver these deployed operational psychology services, NR Psychology Officers will be expected to gain experience in the provision of these services ashore, either on a Navy establishment or in conjunction with other ADF Psychology providers. There will also be the opportunity to attend short courses to train NR Officers in ADF Psychology and Mental Health policies and practices.

NR Psychology Officers can expect to provide psychology services in a multidisciplinary environment and to be prepared to liaise with Navy and ADF Commanders about the services they provide.

Note: This is a Reserve only qualification and transfer to the Permanent Navy is not available.