CRPO Communiqué
July 2017
July 20, 2017


Message from the Registrar 
Deborah Adams
Registrar

On April 1, 2018 - three years after the proclamation of the College - any professional providing clinical supervision hours that would count for registration purposes with CRPO must:
  • be a regulated practitioner in psychotherapy in good standing with their College[1];
  • have extensive clinical experience, generally five years or more, in the practice of psychotherapy;
  • have demonstrated competence** in providing clinical supervision. **Refer to information found in purple box below  
As with all of CRPO's work, these requirements are intended to ensure that clinical supervision is being undertaken in a way that contributes to the safety and efficacy of Members' practice.
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Communiqué de l'OPAO - Juillet 2017 - Version française
In This Issue
Clinical supervision is one of the mechanisms through which newly qualified psychotherapists continue to develop the knowledge and skills acquired through their education and in early practice. Clinical supervision also constitutes a foundational element of quality assurance in a number of regulated health care and social service professions.

Supervision is necessary to improve client care, to develop the professionalism of RPs as well as to impart and maintain ethical standards in practice. Ultimately, the collaborative learning process that marks effective clinical supervision helps to ensure that clients receive psychotherapy that is safe, ethical and competent.
 
Members providing clinical supervision should be aware that the role and skill set required are distinct from those of psychotherapist, administrator and even teacher. Like psychotherapy itself, clinical supervision requires a distinct set of competencies and experience if it is to be of optimal benefit to the individual receiving supervision. CRPO believes that having at least five years of independent practice before undertaking the clinical supervision of a qualifying psychotherapist is a necessary foundation for this specific supervisory expertise.
 
For these reasons, Members are encouraged to approach the College's requirements with the intent of developing competence toward ensuring the richest possible experience for supervisees and cultivating their own practice as a supervisor. For instance, Members should draw from the variety of activities that comprise directed learning (i.e. course work, supervised practice as a clinical supervisor, individual/peer/group learning, and independent study that includes structured readings) as a way of being exposed to and incorporating emerging best practices into the supervisory relationship.
 
Over the coming year, the College will be working to further define the requirements related to supervisory competence and to develop resources that will be useful to both those who are seeking supervision and those who will be providing it. Part of this work will include:
  • considering if the activities making up the 30 hours of directed learning should be more prescribed (e.g. a cap on the number of hours that can be comprised of structured readings);
  • prohibiting the delegation of clinical supervision to an individual who does not meet the established requirements; and
  • articulating what is expected of someone with "extensive" experience.
Please look out for notices that these resources are being made available over the coming months. Specific questions can be directed to [email protected] or to the CRPO practice advisory service at (416) 525-8229.


**Relevant CRPO documents:


   
**In July 2016, CRPO's Registration Committee approved the following criteria for demonstrating competence in providing clinical supervision:


1. The supervisor must be a Member in good standing of a regulatory college whose members may practise psychotherapy.[1]
2. The supervisor must have five years' extensive clinical experience.
3. The supervisor must meet CRPO's "independent practice" requirement (completion of 1000 direct client contact hours and 150 hours of clinical supervision).
4. The supervisor must have completed 30 hours of directed learning in providing clinical supervision. Directed learning can include course work, supervised practice as a clinical supervisor, individual/peer/group learning, and independent study that includes structured readings.
5. The supervisor must provide a signed declaration that they understand CRPO's definitions of clinical supervision, clinical supervisor, and the scope of practice of psychotherapy. 

________________________________________________________________________

[1] If practising in Ontario: College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, College of Nurses of Ontario, College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, College of Psychologists of Ontario and Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
Message from the Manager, Registration

Applying for registration? Do I meet the requirements?

In the months since the close of grandparenting, staff have observed a growing number of applications where the applicant has not completed sufficient hours to meet the minimum registration requirements for their chosen route (this applies for both grandparenting and regular route applications, although grandparenting closed on March 31st and is no longer available). For example, we've seen applicants whose hours of education and training and/or clinical experience fall far short the minimum benchmarks.
 
An applicant must at least meet the minimum requirements for registration before they apply to CRPO.
 
To allow staff to expedite a full review, an application must be complete - this means the applicant should have answered all the questions in as much detail as possible to clearly show how their education and training, practice history and clinical experience demonstrate they meet the minimum requirements for registration. In addition, the required documents (e.g. general declaration and consent to release of information form, statutory declaration) must be signed, properly authorized and uploaded as part of the application. Applicants may wish to consider uploading additional documentary evidence that supports claims they've made in their application or that help to clarify any particular pathways, job roles or events.
 
When the content of an application is deemed to be woefully inadequate, staff will present the applicant with some options that may include, but are not limited to, asking the applicant to consider voluntarily withdrawing their application and reapplying when sufficient hours have been completed or, if the applicant applied via grandparenting but appears to be more suited to the regular route, informing them of this; both options will include payment of a new application processing fee.
 
It is in every applicant's best interests, therefore, to review the requirements for registration before submitting the application, seeking clarification from the College if there are questions. If an applicant finds they do not meet the minimum requirements, while they can create a user account, complete the Professional Practice and Jurisprudence e-Learning Module and begin completing the online form, the applicant should delay submitting the application until such time as they surpass the minimum benchmarks. Providing a clear and comprehensive submission will assist staff in determining whether or not an applicant meets the minimum requirements to become a registered member of CRPO, and allows them to bypass the third-level of review by a panel of the Registration Committee - an additional and necessary step in unclear or doubtful cases. 
 
Monica McPherson
Manager, Registration

2017 Council Election Results

Voting in the 2017 Council Elections closed on June 30th and results are now available. The following CRPO Members were elected to Council:
  • District 2 - North: Malcolm MacFarlane
  • District 3 - East: Shelley Briscoe-Dimock (Acclaimed)
  • District 4 - Central East: Kenneth Lomp
  • District 6 - Central West: Glorie Taponeswa Chimbganda (Acclaimed)
Running for election and voting are important responsibilities in a self-regulated profession. Many thanks to each of the candidates who stood for election and to those Members who voted.  

Website Update - Mandatory Reporting Information

The College has information on its website about when to report information to the College  or  other organizations  (such as a children's aid society or another professional regulatory body). We hope these resources are useful in clarifying Members' obligations.
 
Please see the Mandatory Reporting section of CRPO's website for more information and contact [email protected]  if you have any questions.
Did You Know?  

Members of CRPO must use the titles conferred by the College when acting in a professional capacity.
 
Your title is conferred when you become registered with the College. Your Certificate of Registration will identify the category in which you registered and the corresponding title to use when you communicate to others that you are a registered member of CRPO.
 
For example:
If you hold a Certificate of Registration in the Registered Psychotherapist category, the appropriate title to use in your written or verbal communications with others is "Registered Psychotherapist" or its acronym, "RP."
 
If you hold a Certificate of Registration in the Inactive category, the appropriate title to use is "Registered Psychotherapist (Inactive)" or "RP (Inactive)."
 
A complete list of the registration categories and their corresponding titles are available in CRPO's Professional Practice Standards for Registered Psychotherapists.
 
When you convey your name, title and other credentials in your written communications with others, including clients, colleagues and anyone else with whom you interact in a professional capacity, your title should appear prominently beside your name.
 
Here are some examples of acceptable ways to present your name, title and other credentials: 

  • Anna Persaud, M.Ed., RP, (C) OACCPP Manager, Northwestern Psychotherapy Clinic
  • Jean-Michel Chénier, M.Sc., Psychothérapeute Autorisé, RMFT
  • Sandra Smith, M.A., Registered Psychotherapist, Canadian Certified Counsellor (or CCC).
   
If you haven't already reviewed your written materials, including business cards, practice-related templates and forms (such as invoices, service agreements and handouts), websites and office signage, consider doing so since appropriate use of the title is necessary when you're acting in a professional capacity.
 
To learn more about the use of titles, review CRPO's Professional Practice Standards  and contact [email protected]  with any questions.

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