Strategic Plan 2026-2030

Leading the transformation of how mental illness is understood, experienced and treated.

The RANZCP Strategic Plan 2026–2030 sets a clear direction for the College as we enter our 80th year and look ahead to the future of psychiatry across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

It reflects the scale of the challenges facing mental health systems, the ambition required to meet them, and the College’s responsibility to support psychiatrists and the communities they serve.

Developed through extensive consultation with members, staff and stakeholders, the Strategy sets out a deliberate and ambitious program of reform. It will guide how we train, support and represent psychiatrists; strengthen our governance and organisational foundations; and position the College to play a more influential role in shaping contemporary mental health systems.

At its core, the College exists to ensure that psychiatry remains a skilled, trusted and evolving profession, capable of meeting the changing needs of communities.

Our Purpose is:

To lead, connect and be accountable for strengthening psychiatry in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

To help transform how mental illness is understood, experienced and treated, the College will focus on four strategic priorities:

• A future-ready and sustainable College
• A thriving psychiatric profession
• Collaborative system leadership
• Trusted partnership with communities

These priorities are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. A future-ready College enables a thriving profession. A thriving profession strengthens system leadership. Together, these create the foundation for trusted partnerships with the communities we serve.

Across these priorities, the College will deliver major reforms to achieve meaningful and sustained impact, including:

• Transforming education and training, including a whole-of-program redesign of the Fellowship Program
• Strengthening governance and organisational effectiveness, enabling clearer decision-making, accountability and member value
• Expanding and sustaining the psychiatry workforce, aligned to the needs of communities and mental health systems
• Positioning the College as a system leader, shaping models of care, policy and workforce strategy

Through this Strategy, the RANZCP is committed to strengthening psychiatry and helping transform specialist mental health care so it is more accessible, responsive, equitable and resilient for the years ahead.