CRPO Communiqué
March 2018
March 14, 2018


Message from the Registrar 
Deborah Adams Registrar


As of March 1, 2018 CRPO had 5,954 members. We expect to hit 6,000 before the start of the 2018-19 fiscal year which begins on April 1st; an impressive milestone for both the College and the profession just 12 months after the close of grandparenting. This growing number of regulated professionals plays a significant role in the health and well-being of the people of this province.
 
Ensuring that Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) do this important work in a manner that is safe and effective is at the core of CRPO's mandate. As we approach the beginning of a new fiscal year, CRPO is looking at how best to take positive steps in the governance of the profession. As a result, at its February meeting, Council approved a budget that included the cost of beginning a formal strategic planning process over the next year.
 
In preparation for this planning, we are looking at holding town hall meetings in various locations as one way of engaging with members. Our goal is to create an opportunity for dialogue with RPs who work in different parts of the province, in a wide variety of settings, using many approaches to practices that serve diverse client populations. CRPO wants to make sure that members have the information they need about their regulatory body and - even more importantly - that we hear about the challenges members face in providing excellent care, what you would like the public to be made aware of and what issues you feel the College should be looking at as we move forward.
 
We will be using a number of mechanisms to connect with members as we start to plan these initiatives. I would encourage you to consider participating in the consultations as the planning process will benefit from the wide range of voices and perspectives that I know members have to offer.
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In This Issue
Important Information About Renewal of Membership for 2018-19

CRPO members are required to renew their membership on an annual basis, before the end of March each year. The Renewal form for the 2018-19 membership is now available under the "Renewal" tab found in members' user accounts . In addition to the online Renewal form, members will find their membership fee invoice for the next year (April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019) under the "Invoices" tab.
 
Members are advised to pay the membership fee early in the renewal period, but no later than March 27, 2018 to allow at least three business days for the bank transfer payment to clear before the deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on April 3, 2018 (Please note CRPO's office will be closed on Friday, March 30, 2018 and Monday, April 2, 2018 for the Easter holiday). Once the payment has cleared, you must remember to return to the online Renewal form and click "Submit" to send the Renewal form to us before the deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on April 3, 2018, or you will incur a late fee. 
 
It normally takes a regulatory body several months to review all membership renewals. Members can continue to practise as usual while their renewal is being processed.
 
Note: Please be sure to keep a record of your login information for your CRPO user account. We receive a high volume of requests for forgotten information and answering these inquiries is very time consuming for staff and takes away from processing renewals, thus causing a delay and ultimately costs the College and the members.
 
Registration staff will send a message through members' user accounts if there are questions about their renewal (e.g. about currency hours, or if more information is required). Members will not receive a new Certificate of Registration for every membership year (except for major changes to information such as a name change) but any changes to names, employers or practice sites will be updated on the Public Register.
 
Detailed instructions for completing your renewal can be found in the Guide to Completing Your Membership Renewal . If you have general questions about the renewal process, please visit the  Renewal page of CRPO's website or contact us using the "Messages" tab through your  CRPO user account .

Updating Practice Sites and Contact Information
Members must ensure that they have provided up-to-date information for their practice sites and personal contact information (e.g. home address, phone number, email address). This information is necessary to communicate with members, identify practice sites on the Public Register and establish eligibility to be nominated and vote in annual Council elections. 
 
Carefully review the information found in your Renewal form to ensure it includes any changes that may have been omitted, including any changes indicating your primary practice site.
 
Resignation of Membership
Any CRPO member who wishes to resign their membership should understand what it means to resign. Resignation means your membership with CRPO ceases. Annual renewal and participation in other College programs, such as the Quality Assurance Program, would no longer be required.
 
A non-member may not:
  • Use the title "psychotherapist", "Registered Psychotherapist" or any abbreviation or variation thereof in any language.
  • Hold oneself out as qualified to practise as a psychotherapist in Ontario (no matter what title one uses).
  • Perform the controlled act of psychotherapy* once it is in effect (January 1, 2020).
* Treating, by means of psychotherapy technique, delivered through a therapeutic relationship, an individual's serious disorder of thought, cognition, mood, emotional regulation, perception or memory that may seriously impair the individual's judgment, insight, behaviour, communication or social functioning.
 
A former member wanting to return to practice at any future date must submit a new application for registration and pay all associated fees. The former member would also need to demonstrate that they meet all registration requirements at the time of re-application. Specifically, those members who were initially registered through the grandparenting route would not necessarily meet the regular route requirements. No refunds of membership or other fees will be made. If any fees are owed by you to CRPO, you will need to be in good standing with the College before re-applying.
 
Resignation and Quality Assurance
Former members, who resigned at any point during a Quality Assurance review process, including the Professional Development tool review and Peer and Practice Review, should expect to resume these processes in the event of re-registration with the College.
 
Resignation and Outstanding Investigations
  • If a member resigns during, or as a result of a complaint/investigation into their conduct, a notation to this effect will be made on the Public Register.
  • If the former member then re-applies for registration with the College, the outcome of re-application may be affected by the decision to resign.
  • If re-registered as a member, the complaint/investigation process may resume.
  • If a complaint or report is received after a member has resigned, the College can still investigate and prosecute conduct that occurred while the person was a member.
Professional Liability Insurance
Former members are advised to maintain run off liability insurance coverage for a reasonable time period after the last date of practise (please consult with your insurance provider for more information).
 
If you would like to resign your membership with CRPO, you may do so at any time by completing and uploading the  Membership Resignation form to your CRPO user account and notifying the College through the "Messages" tab in your CRPO user account. To avoid receiving late notices, incurring a late fee and having your membership suspended for non-payment of fees, your Membership Resignation form needs to be submitted no later than March 27, 2018. No matter when you resign your membership, no refunds will be given for any fees already paid. 
Suspension and Revocation for Non-Payment of Fees

CRPO members must renew their membership by the renewal deadline each year. For the upcoming 2018-19 membership year, the deadline is April 3, 2018. Any member who does not meet all of the renewal requirements within the stipulated deadlines risks suspension of their membership with CRPO. After the stated renewal deadline, any member who has not completed the requirements for renewal incurs a late fee and is given an additional 30 days to complete outstanding requirements (e.g. pay fees in sufficient time for the payment to clear ahead of the new deadline, submit the online Renewal form, etc.). Periodic reminders are sent, however, if the outstanding requirements are not completed in time, the member is suspended.
 
Note: Any member who does not maintain professional liability insurance in the form and amount required in CRPO's By-laws may also be suspended. Under this circumstance, unlike suspensions or revocations for non-payment of fees, if/when the member is reinstated, the former suspension notation remains visible on the Public Register.
 
What are the implications of suspension and will it affect my practise of the profession?
In effect, the suspension means that a member has forfeited their good standing with the College, is no longer a member of CRPO, and so is not permitted to use any restricted title, practise or supervise the provision of psychotherapy for the purposes of registration with the College, nor hold themselves out as qualified to practise as a psychotherapist in Ontario. In other words, if a member sees clients or provides clinical supervision to other practitioners who see clients, these services must cease effective from the date of the suspension, as must use of the restricted title. In the interest of public protection, the suspension is also reflected on the Public Register.
 
How do I return to good standing?
To return to good standing, any member who is suspended needs to submit the online Renewal form or any other documentation as required, pay any outstanding fees (i.e. the annual membership fee, late fee and the additional penalty fee levied by the Registrar to lift a suspension). The Registrar will lift the suspension if they are satisfied that the former member has paid the outstanding fees, has professional liability insurance coverage in the amount and form required under the By-laws, and will be in compliance on the anticipated date on which the suspension is to be lifted with any outstanding requirements or orders issued by CRPO's statutory committees (e.g. Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, Discipline, Fitness to Practise or Quality Assurance Committees).
 
When the outstanding items are completed and conditions satisfied, the member is reinstated to good standing, details of the suspension are removed from the Public Register and the member is permitted to resume practice of the profession and use of the title.
 
Revocation and Reinstatement
If the Registrar suspends a Certificate of Registration and the member does not take the steps outlined above to lift the suspension, the Registrar has authority to revoke the member's certificate two years after the day it was suspended. Again, this status will be reflected on the Public Register.
 
If a former Member, whose Certificate of Registration was revoked because they failed to pay a fee that is required to be paid in accordance with the By-laws, wishes to return to active practice, the Registrar has the authority to reinstate the certificate if certain conditions are met. The former member will have to satisfy a panel of the Registration Committee that they are competent to safely practise psychotherapy, will pay the outstanding fees, have professional liability insurance coverage in the amount and form required under the By-laws, and will be in compliance on the anticipated date on which membership is to be reinstated with any outstanding requirements or orders issued by CRPO's statutory committees (e.g. Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, Discipline, Fitness to Practise or Quality Assurance Committees).
 
For more information about the conditions associated with suspensions and revocations, see sections 23 - 27 of the Registration Regulation .
 
If you have any questions about suspension, please contact us using the "Messages" tab in your CRPO user account . 
Upcoming Council Elections

Regularly scheduled elections for positions on Council will take place from May 23, 2018 to June 22, 2018 for Districts 1 - West, 5 - South West and 6 - Central West.
 
Those wishing to become a candidate for election will be able to access the nomination package beginning March 23, 2018 on the Council Elections page of our website. Completed nomination packages must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 23, 2018. 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.
 
Each member's electoral district is determined by their primary practice site, or if the member is not practising the profession, their place of residence. Members' electoral district assignments will be updated based on the information collected with the close of the renewal period on April 3, 2018, so it is important to carefully review your Practice Profile page to indicate your primary practice site. 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.
 
Further information about the role of Council members and the election process is set out on the Council Elections page of our website, as well as in CRPO's By-laws . Additional information about Council elections will be included in future communiqués. Questions about Council elections can be sent to [email protected] .
Update on the Controlled Act of Psychotherapy

Work on responding to the Minister's direction in his December 21, 2017 letter compelling the College to undertake the drafting of a regulation as well as policies, standards and guidelines clarifying the practice of and the controlled act of psychotherapy is underway. 
 
The Controlled Act Task Group (CATG) established by CRPO to lead this work is reviewing a considerable body of resources to inform their work. A plan for engaging stakeholders will be developed to ensure that the CATG is able to consider the issues and concerns of invested individuals and organizations.
 
Based on the steps and timelines that are required to propose any new or revised regulation, the following changes have been made to Council meeting dates in order to meet the July 1, 2018 deadline:
  • March 29th - additional meeting to allow for deliberation on the draft regulation.
  • June 28th - Council meeting currently scheduled for June 7th moved to June 28th in order to allow Council to consider stakeholder feedback before approving the regulation for submission to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.  
Attending Council Meetings - Policies and Guidelines

CRPO's Council meetings are open to the public for anyone to attend. Because of considerable interest, we require observers to reserve a seat by contacting staff no earlier than 15 business days ahead of any meeting at [email protected] to make your reservation. Please review the full Reservation Policy on the Council Meetings page of our website for more information.
 
If attending a meeting, we ask that you check in with reception when you arrive and please arrive on-time to limit disruptions. If you arrive late we may ask that you wait for a break in the agenda before entering the room and may give your seat to someone else who has arrived on time and is waiting for an open spot, thus resulting in you losing your reservation. If you are planning to attend a Council meeting, please refer to our Council Observer Guidelines and Rules of Conduct for more information about expectations of observers.
 
Question Period Policy
CRPO is committed to communicating openly with interested stakeholders. If you have a question that you would like to have answered by the full Council in an open meeting, please refer to our Question Period Policy for more information about how to submit such a request.
 
Please refer to the Council Meetings page of CRPO's website for all information about attending a Council meeting, to access Council meeting materials and to view a full list of Council meeting dates for the year.
CRPO Now Accepts Payment from Tangerine

Along with the other major domestic banks and credit unions, CRPO now accepts bank-to-bank transfer payments from Tangerine. CRPO does not accept credit card payments, Interac e-transfers, PayPal, etc. If you bank with Tangerine and wish to make a bank-to-bank transfer payment to CRPO, please use the payee name "COLLEGE OF REGISTERED PSYCHOTHERAPISTS AND RE". 
Opportunities for Participation
  1. Public Consultation: By-law Review
  2. Electronic Practice - Call for Participation in Focus Group
  3. Consent and Capacity Survey
1. Public Consultation: By-law Review
At the February Council meeting, College staff and Executive Committee recommended amendments to CRPO's By-laws, which fall into two categories: (1) technical, administrative changes and (2) fee changes.
 
1) Technical, administrative changes
These proposed amendments are intended as 'housekeeping' items, removing out-of-date content and correcting non-controversial issues.
 
2) Fee changes
These proposed amendments are intended to incorporate reasonable fee changes, which are in alignment with other regulatory bodies with similar membership size, to best position the College to carry out its regulatory mandate over the longer term.
 
Council discussed the proposed amendments and approved their circulation for 60-day public consultation in accordance with CRPO's By-laws: " Circulation of certain by-laws (2) A by-law shall not be made under clause (1) (l.2), (l.3), (s), (t), (v), (w) or (y) unless the proposed by-law is circulated to every member at least 60 days before it is approved by the Council.  1998, c. 18, Sched. G, s. 22 (5)."

To provide your feedback, please review the proposed amendments and then complete our  short survey. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and will be open until May 14, 2018. 
 
We thank you in advance for taking the time to provide your feedback.

2. Have an electronic practice? Help create new member resources!
Based on member interest and trends in the profession of psychotherapy, CRPO is in the process of developing member resources on electronic practice. These resources include a guideline on electronic practice and an electronic practice security self-check tool. We need your help to ensure these tools will be useful to CRPO members.
 
We are looking for six to 12 qualified individuals to participate in a focus group where attendees will be asked to contribute their knowledge and experience regarding electronic practice. Participants must be members of CRPO and meet the following qualifications:
  • have been in engaged in the electronic practice of psychotherapy for at least one year OR have an informed opinion on the subject that has been communicated in one or more peer-recognized publications, lectures or conferences;
  • be in good standing with the College; and
  • not be engaged in a proceeding before any College committee.
The focus group's main task is to identify how the resources can be improved so they are relevant and effective. Participants will also be asked to share relevant examples from professional practice to illuminate key issues or principles.
 
Register Now
The focus group registration process involves the following steps:
  1. The focus group will take place via webinar on April 5, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Use this link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/462923371671863810
  2. Before your registration is confirmed, your qualifications will be reviewed by CRPO staff. In addition, the professional backgrounds of the participants will be considered in an effort to reflect the diversity of the profession and views on the subject matter under consideration.
  3. Once your registration has been reviewed, if you are selected as a focus group participant, you will receive an email that asks you to confirm your participation.
We thank you in advance for your interest.

3. Your Input Requested - Consent and Capacity Survey
A member's ability to assess a client's capacity and engage the client in the informed consent process are key aspects of professional practice. It is clear that these topics are of great interest to CRPO members - they are among our most frequently asked questions.
 
CRPO is part of a working group of Ontario-based health regulatory colleges that came together to discuss how to improve member understanding of their legal and professional obligations with respect to consent and capacity. The Consent & Capacity Working Group's first task is to survey members/registrants of the health professions in Ontario to gain an understanding of their current knowledge of consent and capacity. Results of the survey will identify whether it will be useful for the colleges who are part of the group to work together to create educational materials about consent and capacity. If it is feasible to work together, the survey results will likely inform the direction of that work.
 
It only takes 10 minutes to complete the survey. Your responses are anonymous and will be aggregated before the survey results are analyzed by the working group.
 
Complete the consent and capacity survey by April 15, 2018.
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