Networking Event for Psychological Assessors: Lessons from the New Zealand Model

The Australasian Mission Assessment Project

A research project that aimed to improve the way psychosocial assessments are conducted across cross cultural mission agencies in Australia and New Zealand. The research project has been conducted in two phases. The first phase gathered information about what our current practice, including the cost, who is assessed, who does the assessments, the understanding of the findings from the Royal Commission on Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, and Australian Privacy Law. The second phase asked more detailed questions about the New Zealand standardised model of assessing, and the use of psychometric tests.

Dr. Katherine Thompson is Senior Lecturer in Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing and Senior Research Fellow at Melbourne School of Theology/Eastern College Australia Katherine works with young people and people in ministry roles, offers counselling, therapy and professional supervision. She writes and teaches the integration of mental health and faith, with publications that include, Christ-Centred Mindfulness and The Discipline of Suffering. She is most content when sitting in quiet contemplation in nature.