AGY-1752 | NSW Institute of Psychiatry

Full description

The NSW Institute of Psychiatry was established by the NSW Institute of Psychiatry Act, 1964 (Act No.44) 1964. The Act received assented on 27 November 1964 (1). This Institute is a statutory body, independent of any individual university or teaching institution (2).
The functions of the Institute were as follows:
a) to assist and foster research and investigation into the causation, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and disorders;
b) to assist and foster post-graduate education and training in psychiatry;
c) to prescribe programmes of training in psychiatry and conduct examinations for post-graduate diplomas in psychiatry;
d) to prescribe programmes of training in psychiatry for medical practitioners, and for para-medical groups, and non-medical groups approved by the Institute;
e) to co-ordinate, as far as is practicable, programmes of research and investigation into the causation, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and disorders;
f) to award fellowships for training or research in psychiatry or allied disciplines;
g) to promote visits from other States or countries by lecturers in psychiatry or allied disciplines;
h) to promote mental health education in the community (3)

The New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry consists of 12 members who are appointed by the Governor. The Chairman is nominated by the Minister for Health and the Deputy Chairman is selected by members of the Institute. Members are appointed for a period of five years and vacate office on attaining the age of 65 years. Apart from the Chairman, the members of the Institute are nominated as follows:
a) Two persons nominated by the Senate of the University of Sydney, one of whom shall be a Professor of Psychiatry
b) Two persons nominated by the Council of the University of New South Wales, one of whom shall be a Professor of Psychiatry
c) Two persons nominated by the Council of the University of Newcastle, one of whom shall be a Professor of Psychiatry
d) Two persons nominated by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
e) Two persons nominated by the New South Wales Department of Health
f) One person nominated by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, who shall be a psychiatrist (4)

The Institute restructured its activities in the 1993-94 financial year to better meet its objectives and make it more responsive to the changes occurring in the mental health field. The Board moved into a policy role and developed four standing committees:
a) The Standing Committee for the Training of Psychiatrists
bi) The Standing Committee for Research
c) The Standing Committee on Multi-disciplinary Education
d) The Standing Committee for Community Outreach (5)

As a result of this restructure, the two previous Standing Committees- Child and Family Psychiatry and Psychogeriatrics became advisory committees (6).
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FOOTNOTES:
(1) NSW Government Gazette Vol.4, 1964 p.3937
(2) Annual Report for the Year ended 30 June 1994 p.1
(3) New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry Act 1964, Act No.44 p.534-535
(4) Annual Report for the Year ended 30 June 1997 p.62
(5) Annual Report for the Year ended 30 June 1994 p.3
(6) Annual Report for the Year ended 30 June 1994 p.4