446 AUSTRALASIAN PSYCHIATRY https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856221992649 Australasian Psychiatry 2021, Vol 29(4) 446–449 © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2021 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1039856221992649 journals.sagepub.com/home/apy A ustralia’s public mental health services (PMHS) are funded to treat serious mental illness, typi- cally including schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, bipolar disorders, severe depression and, more recently, personality disorders. Recent reviews have identified problems with Australia’s mental health system, includ- ing fragmentation of service delivery and limited access to empirically validated treatments. 1–4 There is robust evidence that these patients require more than medi- cation to overcome their mental health issues and that psychological treatments addressing symptoms, func- tioning and quality of life are efficacious. 5 Clinical psychologists are evidence-based practitioners with expertise in mental health (https://acpa.org.au/ what-is-a-clinical-psychologist/). Clinical psychology is an integral component of mental health workforces in the USA and UK. Here, in Australia we remain largely an under-utilised profession. This limits the capacity of clinical psychology to contribute meaningfully to PMHS. What roles do clinical psychologists currently undertake in PMHS? We have focused our attention on an area of PMHS of greater need and opportunity for improvement – that is, adult community-based services, including specialist and rehabilitation services. Currently, clinical psychologists employed as specialist clinical psychologists or case managers are engaged with people with severe mental illness. Their training prepares them to provide diagnostic, cognitive and developmental assessments, formulation and specialist treatment, Enhancing the contribution of clinical psychology: an under-utilised workforce in public mental health services Henry Jackson University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Caroline Hunt University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Carol Hulbert University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Abstract Objective: Clinical psychologists are practitioners with expertise in mental health, who apply advanced psychologi- cal theory and knowledge to their practice in order to assess and treat complex psychological disorders. Given their robust specialised mental health training, clinical psychology is an integral component of the Australian mental health workforce, but is under-utilised. Recent reviews have identified significant problems with Australia’s men- tal health system, including unequal access to clinical psychology services and fragmentation of service delivery, including convoluted pathways to care. Conclusions: Clinical psychology is well placed to contribute meaningfully to public mental health services (PMHS). We describe what clinical psychologists currently contribute to team-based care in PMHS, how we could further contribute and the barriers to making more extensive contributions. We identify significant historical and organisational factors that have limited the contribution made by clinical psychologists and provide suggestions for cultural change to PMHS. Keywords: clinical psychologists, public mental health services, mental health workforce, treatment outcomes, serious mental disorders Corresponding author: Henry Jackson, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Level 12, Redmond Barry Building, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia. Email: henryjj@unimelb.edu.au 992649APY Australasian PsychiatryJackson et al. Psychiatric services