SACNA MEMBERSHIP

There are six categories of SACNA membership: Full member (five sub-categories according to HPCSA registration category), Associate Member, Foreign Associate Member, Student/Graduate Member, Allied Member and Life/Honorary Member. The criteria for these categories of membership follow:

Full member

(a) Full members may include registered Neuropsychologists, Clinical, Educational, Counselling or Research Psychologists, and have voting rights.

(b) Full membership provides recognition of a high level of post-professional registration commitment to the field of neuropsychology for those working within their own scope of practice as prescribed by the HPCSA or, in the case of foreign full members, their applicable professional registering bodies.

(c) Eligibility for full membership will be based on an individualized review process (detailed below). The process will differ between individuals, with each applicant being evaluated for their unique role in relation to neuropsychology, due to different qualifications and areas of specialization within the various professional routes. The review will be conducted by a panel appointed by the SACNA executive, including members of the executive and possibly one or more external reviewers.

(d) Applications for consideration should be submitted to SACNA. A non-refundable administration fee may be requested for a comprehensive review, should this be required by the review committee.

Note: SACNA Full Membership is not equivalent to, nor does it provide the qualification required for HPCSA registration as a Neuropsychologist, which entails a higher level of formal knowledge and practical training in Neuropsychology than is required to attain Full Membership of SACNA. Subscription Fee: R1100.00per annum

Neuropsychologist Full member 

(a) HPCSA registration as a neuropsychologist with at least a master’s degree in clinical neuropsychology, including an internship

(b) At least two years of post-registration experience in the field of clinical neuropsychology. Experience may include clinical work, published research, teaching/lecturing and/or providing supervision in neuropsychology

(c) Submission of two brief (1-3 pages) neuropsychological case reports.

Clinical Full Member, Counselling Full Member and Educational Full Member:

(a) HPCSA registration as a clinical, counselling or educational psychologist with at least a master’s degree in clinical, counselling or educational psychology, respectively.

(b) Some training in clinical neuropsychology at master’s level, such as is normally required for HPCSA accreditation of the degree, or a postgraduate masters or doctoral dissertation on a clinically oriented neuropsychology topic, or a substantial proportion of an internship spent in a neurology, neurosurgery or neuropsychology institution or practice.

(c) Passing of the SACNA exam (65% required as a pass rate).

(d) At least five years of post-registration experience in neuropsychology, with evidence of a substantial portion of the work experience being in non-medico-legal work, including rehabilitation and work in neurology clinics or other institutions or practices where neuropsychology is relevant. Experience may include clinical work, published research, teaching/lecturing and receiving or providing supervision in neuropsychology.

(e) Evidence of additional training/learning covering a spectrum of neuropsychological disorders, related assessment, and treatment procedures beyond degrees (e.g. workshops done, CPD courses, conferences attended, supervision from a neuropsychologist).

(f) Evidence of HPCSA CPD points in topics relevant to neuropsychological practice acquired over the past three to five years.

(g) Submission of three brief (1-3 pages) neuropsychological case reports

(h) At their discretion the review committee may request references, an interview, or the submission of one or more detailed neuropsychological reports.

(i) A non-refundable administration fee determined by the committee per comprehensive report will be levied should this be required by the review committee.

Research Full Member:

(a) A Research Master’s degree in Psychology that is recognized by the HPCSA Professional Board of Psychology, or a Doctoral degree in Psychology awarded on the basis of research.

(b) Clear evidence of the development of professional credibility as an independent researcher in a focused area of relevance to neuropsychology, which would include HPCSA registration as a research psychologist (unless the researcher is registered in one of the practitioner categories), as well as one or more of the following: university level research affiliation; the ability to secure research funding; a trajectory of dissemination of research in scientific conference and workshop forums.

(c) At least five years post-registration involvement in research relating to a neuropsychology topic.

(d) A publication record of at least five peer-reviewed articles, on at least three of which the applicant is the first author responsible for the scientific conceptualization and writing up of the research. The publications should be in reputable journals and/ or books deemed to be of academic good standing following SACNA panel review. Evidence of publications that have attained Department of Higher Education (DHET) accreditation in a university context, or those approved by the National Research Foundation (NRF) for rating purposes, can contribute to such a review.

Note: Research Full Members may not conduct clinical practices in neuropsychology unless they have additional registration as a Neuropsychologist, Clinical, Counselling or Educational Psychologist.

Associate member - To register as an Associate member, click here

Registered neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, educational psychologists and research psychologists who do not meet the requirements for full membership or have not yet applied for full membership. Subscription Fee: R820.00per annum

Foreign Associate Members - To register as an Foreign Associate member, click here

Foreign-trained registered neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, educational psychologists and research psychologists who do not meet the requirements for full membership or have not yet applied for full membership. (8) This category also includes those who are awaiting registration with the HPCSA. Foreign psychologists who are not HPCSA registered are not permitted to practice in South Africa.

Allied Member - To register as a Allied Member, click here

Practitioners and researchers from allied disciplines e.g., psychiatrists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroscientists, etc.. Subscription Fee: R420.00 per annum

Student/Graduate Member - To register as a Student Gradutate Member, click here

(9) Trainees, undergraduate students, research assistants, postgraduate students at honours or master’s level, honours graduates and master’s graduates who are not registered psychologists or allied professionals, who have an interest in neuropsychology. (10) Student membership applies until registration as a psychologist or allied professional. Thereafter, associate membership or allied membership applies, respectively. Subscription Fee: R380.00 per annum

Honarary Life Member

Honorary/life membership is awarded by the executive committee in recognition of the contribution made to neuropsychology.

Life/honorary members are exempt from payment of subscription fees irrespective of statutory registration.

Membership runs anually from January to December of each year and is due for renewal on 1 January of each annum. Existing members can click here to renew their membership.