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March 16, 2017
Message from the Registrar
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Deborah Adams
Registrar
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Consider the following scenario:
Mateo was asked by his colleague Esther to sign a Letter of Verification for an application to register with CRPO through the grandparenting route. In signing the letter, Mateo was attesting that he knew Esther to be an established practitioner of psychotherapy. Mateo liked and respected his colleague. He also knew how much she wanted to be a Registered Psychotherapist; she was the only person who worked at the clinic who was not an RP. But Mateo also knew that, within her role, Esther really wasn't providing direct client care or practising psychotherapy. Reluctant to create conflict with someone who worked right across the hall, Mateo signed the letter.
Does this situation sound familiar to you? As a self-regulated professional using a protected title, you are a member of a group of health care professionals who have an explicit obligation to the people you serve and, more broadly, to the public. This commitment involves:
As a Registered Psychotherapist, there may be times when you are asked to write letters or to complete and sign forms in your capacity as a regulated health professional. You may also have to authorize or create invoices for the psychotherapy services you provide. If you are an established practitioner, you may be asked to sign off on supervision hours undertaken with other therapists.
In all of these instances, Members should be mindful of the weight that the use of their protected title carries and of the commitment that you have made in becoming a Registered Psychotherapist.
If you have questions related to your practice, ethics or practice standards, please contact
practice@crpo.ca
.
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Message from the Manager, Registration - Review of Grandparenting Applications
Once submitted, an application undergoes a thorough review by staff to determine if the applicant's education or training and clinical experience demonstrates they meet the minimum requirements for registration to be grandparented into the profession.
Each application is reviewed on its own merits, focusing on the application content and other information provided by the applicant or third parties during exchanges with staff; any registration decision is based on the information gleaned in that process. Because this portfolio of evidence forms the basis of decision-making, it is quite possible that two co-workers employed by the same agency who submit applications with the same or very similar job roles, may result in one applicant being approved for registration and the other being refused. In short, it is the comprehensive picture of the applicant's education, practice history and clinical experience that will inform the final decision.
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Important Reminders
- Close of Grandparenting
- Membership Renewal
- Quality Assurance Program
1. Grandparenting Deadline Less Than Three Weeks Away: Complete Applications Must be Submitted by March 31, 2017
Grandparenting is a time-limited, alternate route to registration that allows current, established practitioners in Canada with appropriate education, training and clinical experience to apply for membership as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP).
All applicants wishing to pursue the grandparenting route to registration must:
- Create an online account on CRPO's Member Management System.
- Pay for and successfully complete the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence eLearning Module in either English or French, allowing at least three business days for the payment to clear the banking system (access to the Module is permitted only after the fee payment has cleared).
- Once the Module is complete, select the grandparenting application and pay the application processing fee, allowing at least three business days for the payment to clear (the payment must clear the banking system before March 31, 2017 to allow time for you to go back to the application and click Submit).
- Complete the online application - this means you should answer all questions with as much detail as possible so it is clear how your education and training, practice history and clinical experience demonstrate that you meet the minimum requirements for registration, ensure the three required documents are properly authorized and copies uploaded to your user account. This approach should minimize the need for staff to follow-up for additional information.
- Go back into the Member Management System and submit the application once the payment has cleared and the application is complete.
All of this needs to be done before 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2017. The application status will change from "Open" to "Received" once the application has been successfully submitted to CRPO.
Due to this imminent deadline, we are seeing a significant increase in the number of applications being submitted. This substantial increase in volume means that, while staff are working diligently to process applications, there will likely be an increased timeframe between when an application is received by CRPO and when staff review of that application begins.
Every application we receive undergoes a careful and thorough first-level review. This review is used to ascertain if an application is complete and accurate and gives applicants the opportunity to provide more information, if necessary, before it goes on to a second-level review. The second-level review is more detailed and is used to evaluate if an applicant's education, training and clinical experience meets the grandparenting criteria. It is also another opportunity for applicants to provide additional information or clarification if needed.
As of the date of this Communiqué, CRPO staff are working on first-level reviews of applications that were submitted in December 2016. A Registration Assistant may contact applicants with questions once the review of their application begins. If you have submitted an application, please monitor your account on the MMS for communication about your application and respond to any questions or requests for additional information as quickly as possible.
To ensure that applications are processed in a timely and efficient manner we have adopted the following approach to support these efforts:
- If a staff member has questions after the first review of the application, they will send a detailed message to the applicant through the Member Management System addressing the concerns.
- If more information is required after receiving the response, a staff member will follow-up for a second and final time.
- If we do not receive a substantive response within three months of the date of the second request for clarification, or the two attempts to elicit needed clarification fail to result in satisfactory information, the application may then be referred to a panel of the Registration Committee for further consideration and possible refusal.
Note:
Messages sent through the MMS are to relay action items only, they are not e-mail where the customary back and forth conversations and etiquette are necessary. Staff will send you a message through the MMS that normally requires some action on your part (e.g. answer a question, upload documentation, etc.). Once you've taken the action and have provided the information, please respond to the original message. Staff will confirm that the message has been received and if further action is required. If nothing more is required of you, please do not respond to the message as it negatively impacts processing time for staff to go into individual accounts to access messages with non-substantive content. If you need to ask a general question unrelated to the message, please e-mail
info@crpo.ca
.
Applications that do not clearly meet the grandparenting criteria, for one reason or another, are referred to a panel of the Registration Committee for a third-level review. This review panel includes professional members of Council (that is, practising Registered Psychotherapists) as well as publicly appointed members. The professional members bring their clinical perspective and experience to the process and work with the other panel members to ensure that registration decisions are fair and appropriate. Panels meet regularly but, over the coming months, they will also be working through an increased number of applications given the influx as the grandparenting deadline approaches.
We recognize the importance of registering qualified applicants as quickly as possible and staff will continue to work carefully and persistently to make sure the application and registration processes are thorough but efficient.
Remember: No grandparenting applications may be submitted after March 31, 2017.
You may also find it helpful to review the information for the regular route for registration to see if that option better suits your education or training and clinical experience since, after the grandparenting deadline closes on March 31, 2017, the regular route will become the primary route to registration with CRPO.
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2. Key Information about Renewal of Membership for 2017-18
CRPO Members are required to renew their membership on an annual basis, by March 31st of each year. Members are required to demonstrate ongoing currency in the practice of the profession (i.e. show they have completed 750 hours of broadly defined activities related to psychotherapy in a rolling three-year period), update CRPO with any changes to personal information and/or practice sites, report any conduct-related concerns and pay the associated fee. The Membership Renewal form for the 2017-18 year is now available under the "Renewal" tab found in Members' user accounts. Members will also find their fee invoice for the next membership year (April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018) under the "Invoices" tab.
The Renewal form must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2017, preceded by full payment of the annual membership fee, including HST. Please allow at least three business days for the payment to clear the banking system. Once the payment has cleared, you must remember to return to the online Renewal form and click "Submit" to send it to us before the deadline, or risk incurring a late fee of $78 +HST.
Transferring to the Inactive Category
Inactive Members are practitioners who, for one reason or another, are not currently engaged in the practice of the profession or need to take an extended leave from active practice, but wish to maintain membership with CRPO.
*
Qualifying Members and RP (Temporary) Members cannot transfer to the RP (Inactive) category.
The deadline to switch to the Inactive category for the upcoming 2017-18 membership year was March 2, 2017. As this deadline has now passed, if you would still like to transfer to the Inactive category you will need to contact CRPO in writing as soon as possible. However, there is no guarantee that your transfer request will be processed before March 31st and thus, your membership fee may be affected and you may also incur a late fee.
Note
: CRPO does not provide any credit, refund or reimbursement to a Member who moves from RP status to Inactive at any point through the registration year, which runs from April 1 - March 31.
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3. Quality Assurance Program: Act Fast to Meet Your 2017 Requirements
An important Quality Assurance (QA) Program deadline is approaching - if your date of initial registration falls between Oct. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2016, you are required to complete a Self-Assessment and begin a Learning Plan by March 31, 2017. If your date of initial registration falls outside of this window, please review the
Professional Development Guide
to learn more about your QA requirements.
Prefer to complete a French version of the tools? Access the French version on the QA Portal Introduction page by:
- Logging into your CRPO account.
- Clicking on the "QA" tab.
- Clicking the "Enter the QA Portal" button, which will bring you to the QA Portal Introduction page.
- Locating the French version of the tools available on the Introduction page.
Call for Peer Assessors - New Application Deadline
CRPO maintains a roster of peer assessors to conduct Peer and Practice Reviews (PPRs) as part of the Quality Assurance Program and we are currently looking to add to that roster. Peer assessors are CRPO Members who have been trained to conduct PPRs, which are structured, interview-based practice assessments.
Interested candidates should review the complete
role description
and must be available to participate in at least one teleconference interview (lasting approximately one hour) and at least one full day of group training in April.
If you would like to apply for this volunteer position with CRPO, please submit your resume to
QA@crpo.ca
on or before March 27, 2017.
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CRPO News
- Controlled Act of Psychotherapy
- Bill 87, Protecting Patients Act, 2016
- Upcoming Council Elections
- Understanding Your Invoices
1. Controlled Act of Psychotherapy
The controlled act of psychotherapy, if and when it is proclaimed, will be one of 14 "controlled acts" or healthcare activities which are restricted to members of certain regulated professions (psychotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists, physicians, psychologists and social workers). Five regulatory colleges recently created a
clarification document
and
YouTube video
to help individuals who provide psychotherapy services understand the distinction between psychotherapy as the controlled act and psychotherapy that does not fall under the definition of the controlled act.
We cannot determine if one's practice involves the provision of psychotherapy that falls outside the controlled act or if your combination of education and training and experience would meet the criteria for registration without a thorough review of a full application. This review process has been developed to ensure that each applicant has the opportunity to provide CRPO with all relevant information required.
When considering if you should apply for registration with CRPO, please review the
clarification document
as well as the
Info for Applicants
section of our website, which outlines the competencies as well as the requirements to qualify for grandparenting and regular route registration as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP).
If you believe that your practice may involve the provision of psychotherapy as it is contemplated by the controlled act (i.e. you are assessing and treating cognitive, emotional or behavioural disturbances by psychotherapeutic means, delivered through a therapeutic relationship) then your work falls within the scope of practice and you are encouraged to register. Moreover, if you are using the title "psychotherapist", "Registered Psychotherapist" or any abbreviation thereof, or if you are holding yourself out as qualified to practise as a psychotherapist in Ontario (no matter what title you may use), you are required to register.
Please note that the window to register through the
grandparenting route
closes on March 31, 2017. Anyone who wishes to register through this route must submit an application by this deadline. Anyone applying after this must apply through the
regular route
.
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2. Bill 87, Protecting Patients Act, 2016
The government of Ontario has proposed legislation,
Bill 87, Protecting Patients Act, 2016
,
that would, if passed, greatly increase the ability of regulatory colleges to protect patients and reinforce a zero tolerance policy of sexual abuse of patients by members. The proposed legislative amendments include:
- Expanding the list of acts of sexual abuse that will result in the mandatory revocation of a regulated health professional's license.
- Removing the ability of a regulated health professional to continue to practice on patients of a specific gender after an allegation or finding of sexual abuse.
- Increasing access to patient therapy and counselling as soon as a complaint of sexual abuse by a regulated health professional is filed.
- Ensuring that all relevant information about regulated health professionals' current and past conduct is available to the public in an easy-to-access and transparent way.
We are waiting to hear when this legislation will be passed. Please watch this space in future for updates. If you would like to learn more about CRPO's role in preventing and responding to sexual abuse of clients by Members, please
visit our website
.
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3. Upcoming Council Elections: Nominations Open April 3, 2017
Mark your calendars! Council elections for Districts 2 - North, 3 - East, and 4 - Central East, and a by-election for District 6 - Central West will take place between June 1 and June 30, 2017.
Members whose primary practice site is located in these districts (or primary residence if not practising) are eligible to become a candidate or vote in the election. Electoral districts are set based on information provided to CRPO by March 31, 2017. Members are responsible for reviewing their practice sites to determine whether they have selected the appropriate primary practice site.
Those wishing to become a candidate for election will be able to access the Nomination Package beginning April 3, 2017 on the
Council Elections
page of our website. Completed Nomination Packages must be received no later than 4:00 pm on Monday, May 1, 2017. Members are responsible for ensuring that they have followed all instructions for submitting their nomination. Nominations that are incomplete or that are submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
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4. Understanding Your Invoices
All invoices for payments required and previous payments made can be found in the "Invoices" tab when logged into your user account in the Member Management System (MMS).
On the main "Invoices" tab page you can:
- Find your account number, an eight digit number preceded by the letter "T", which is used for invoicing purposes and will appear on all invoices generated by the MMS. Your registration number will be a different number from your account number.
- Find any outstanding balance you have owing.
- View all of your invoices. Click on an invoice if you wish to view further details.
- View any payments you've made. The "Payments" section will tell you which invoice the payment was applied to as well as the amount paid. You can also click on the invoice to see the payment(s) made (if any).
When you would like to make a payment, look at the "Total" column of the invoices chart to ensure you pay the correct and full amount owing. In some cases there is a due date in effect for your invoice. Please be sure to make the payment well in advance of the due date since payments to CRPO can only be made through bank-to-bank transfer and may take several business days to clear the banking system. The "Status" column will indicate whether a payment has been received, or if we are still awaiting payment. Please allow at least three business days for the payment to clear before following up about the status.
Tax receipts can also be printed from here
. Once you click on an invoice, in the upper right hand side of the page you will see an option to "Print Official Tax Receipt."
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Did you know?
All applicants for registration and Members of CRPO are required to have proof of professional liability insurance (PLI) coverage in the amount and in the form required under CRPO's By-laws, either individually or through their employer.
To ensure compliance with the PLI requirements, CRPO will be conducting audits to obtain proof of members' PLI coverage. During such an audit, and upon request, the Member must provide proof of insurance (generally a copy of their insurance certificate or a letter from their employer), which must include the following information:
- policy number
- name of the insured that matches the name of the member
- address of the insured
- policy period
- coverage details
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It is the responsibility of each Member to make sure CRPO has your current contact information, updated within 30 days of a change, and ensure that the organization you work for does not block CRPO emails.
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