Career breaks

Speech Pathology Australia is proud to support members at every stage of their career. On this page you can find information about your options if you are taking a break from practising speech pathology.

If you are planning to take a break from your career, it is a good idea to plan ahead to make it easier to head back to work when you are ready.

 

What are the options for my membership?

Speech Pathology Australia membership runs on an annual cycle, so generally changes will take effect at the time of renewal. Your membership options will depend on how long you are going on leave for and what you will be doing while on leave.

If you are taking more than a year off from speech pathology work, you may choose to switch to a Non Practising membership. This will allow you to remain connected to the professional community at a reduced price.

Members going on parental leave may be eligible to claim the parental leave benefit and/or a CPD extension. These options will allow you to remain CPSP while off work. The parental leave benefit can be claimed either before going on leave or after you come back to work, but the CPD extensions only apply retrospectively. Because of this, you may choose to claim both at the same time or they could apply in different years.

What are the eligibility requirements for CPSP?

To be eligible for Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP) status, speech pathologists must meet the requirements of the Certification program. This includes:

• A minimum of 1000 hours of speech pathology practice over the previous 5 years 
• A minimum of 20 hours of learning that includes the following learning activities:
  
  • A minimum of 2 hours receipt of professional support 
  • A minimum of 2 hours of cultural learning i.e., learning that supports cultural responsiveness and culturally safe practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities.

Our membership year runs annually from 1 July to 30 June, and the certification period is always based on learning completed during the previous membership period. For example, Certified Practising members in 2025-26 must have completed the required hours of learning between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.

CPD extensions

If you are unable to meet the minimum CPD requirements, you may be eligible to renew as a Certified Practising member with a CPD extension. This gives you an extra 12 months to complete your learning. CPD extensions are available to members:

• who have taken leave for a period of more than 6 months
• who have a significant illness
• on compassionate grounds.

Certification is based on learning completed during the previous year, so if you are about to go on leave you will need to declare your hours of learning as usual when you renew next. At the following renewal, you can claim the extension which means you are not required to declare any hours of learning at that time. When you renew at the end of the second year, your declaration will need to meet the minimum requirements, but you can include hours from both years instead of just one.

CPD extensions cannot be granted in consecutive years, so you will need to ensure you meet the minimum requirements by the end of the second year in order to remain CPSP.

To claim a CPD extension, you will need to select “I am eligible to renew as a Certified Practising member with a CPD extension” on the certification declaration page of the renewal form.

Parental leave benefit

Our parental leave benefit grants one year of complimentary membership to eligible members. You can claim the benefit if you: 

• Have had three (3) years continuous paid membership (not including student membership) with the Association directly prior to application. 
• Declare that you are, were or will be:
  • the primary carer of the child/children;
  • not working in a speech pathology practice position for a minimum of six months and
  • able to supply additional supporting documentation if requested.

The benefit applies for one full membership period and can be claimed either before going on leave or after you return to work. It can’t be claimed in two consecutive years, but your 3 years of continuous membership can include previous periods of parental leave if you have paid for the current year.

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for the parental leave benefit when you renew. Your eligibility will be assessed by our membership team, and you’ll be contacted if we need any further information.

Further information can be found in policy 2.18 Parental Leave Benefit

Non Practising membership

If you are not currently working in a role that fits under scope of practice, you can choose to switch to Non Practising membership. This category of membership applies to a member who is neither engaged nor remunerated as a speech pathologist. To be eligible, you must have previously been eligible for Practising (up to 2015) or Certified Practising (2016 onwards) membership. Non Practising members pay a reduced fee, which you can find out more about on our membership fees page.

As a Non Practising member, you will retain access to a range of member benefits, including discounts on CPD and access to the Member Hub, allowing you to remain connected to the professional community. For further details about what you'll get as a Non Practising member, you can head to our membership inclusions page.

To switch to Non Practising membership, you can contact our membership team by email at [email protected]. Membership fees are not refundable, so to take advantage of the lower fees you'll need to contact us before you renew.

To change back to Certified Practising membership, you'll need to meet the CPSP eligibility requirements listed above. You will need to provide evidence of 1000 hours of speech pathology practice in the previous 5 years, and if you are changing partway through a membership period you will be required to pay the difference in fees for that period.

Further information can be found in policy 2.04 Non Practising Membership

Extended career breaks

If you are taking a break of more than 5 years, you may need to complete the Return to Practice program before you can reinstate your CPSP status. You can read more about the program here.

If you would like to discuss your options further, you can reach out to our membership team by emailing [email protected] or by calling us on 1300 368 835.