CRPO Communiqué
November 2016
November 14, 2016

Dear CRPO Member or Stakeholder;

This month's Communiqué includes important reminders about the close of grandparenting, membership renewal and professional liability insurance. It also provides information about CRPO's Client Relations Program and an open career opportunity at CRPO for a Registered Psychotherapist. We hope this month's Communiqué is a useful resource.
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Important Reminders
    1. Close of Grandparenting
    2. Renewal Information
    3. Professional Liability Insurance Requirement
1.  Close of Grandparenting: The Countdown to March 31, 2017 Is On!
Grandparenting is a time-limited, alternate route to registration which allows established practitioners in Canada with appropriate education and training and clinical experience to apply for membership as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), without having to write the Entry-to-Practice Registration Examination. The grandparenting route is only available until March 31, 2017.
 
With just over four months remaining in which practitioners may apply for membership via the grandparenting route, if you are eligible, or you know a colleague who has expressed interest in registering with CRPO but hasn't yet applied, please share this reminder. If you've already started the process, this might be a good time to log into your user account to review your profile and move things along. This will ensure there is plenty of time to seek answers to any questions you have, complete and submit the application well before the March 31st deadline.
 
We are already seeing an increase in the number of applications being submitted and anticipate significantly higher volumes in the days leading up to the close. Avoid the late rush and secure a place in the queue!
 
Staff are working to ensure that applications continue to be processed in a timely and efficient manner, and we have adopted the following approach in support of efforts to tighten the process: 
  • If a staff member has questions after the first review of the application, they will send a detailed message to the user's online account 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 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.
No grandparenting applications may be submitted after March 31, 2017.


If you have questions after reviewing the requirements, please send them to info@crpo.ca.
 
2.  Key Information about Renewal
CRPO Members are required to renew their registration on an annual basis, in March of each year. The Registration Renewal Form for the 2017-18 year will be available beginning in January 2017, under the "Renewal" tab found in Members' user accounts. In addition to the online Renewal Form, Members will find their registration fee invoice for the next registration year (April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018) under the "Invoices" tab.
 
Renewal Forms must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2017, preceded by full payment of the annual registration fee, including HST. Please allow three business days for your 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. 
 
Given the large number of registered Members and the amount of information in the Renewal Form, it normally takes a regulatory body several months to review all registration renewals. Members can continue to practise as usual while their renewal is being processed.
 
Registration staff will contact a Member if there are questions about their renewal (e.g. about currency hours, or if more information is required). We will not be individually notifying Members after we have completed processing their renewal, nor will Members receive a new Certificate of Registration for every registration year.
 
Detailed instructions will follow early in the New Year. If you have general questions about the renewal process, please send them to info@crpo.ca .

3.  Professional Liability Insurance Requirement 
CRPO Members are required to have in place at all times, professional liability insurance (PLI) that covers all practice sites/employers, even if they are in between employment or practice opportunities. The only exception is when a Member transfers into the Inactive category because they do not plan on practising for an extended period of time.
 
While CRPO accepts coverage provided by a Member's employer, we strongly encourage Members to obtain individual coverage. Individual policies are available through several psychotherapy professional associations. Having appropriate individual coverage ensures that Members meet CRPO requirements while in-between employment or practice positions. It can also provide coverage in circumstances where an employment-based policy may not do so (e.g. where a Member is terminated and the employer reports the Member's conduct to CRPO).
 
It is a Member's responsibility to ensure the liability insurance coverage meets the form and amounts set by CRPO.  During both the application for registration and renewal processes, Members will be asked to confirm if they have the requisite coverage in place for each practice site/employer and we will conduct audits seeking documentary proof of Members' PLI coverage. During such an audit, and on request, the Member must provide proof (generally a copy of their insurance certificate or a letter from their employer), which includes the following information:
  • policy number;
  • name of the insured that matches the name of the Member;
  • address of the insured;
  • policy period; and
  • coverage details.
Practising without adequate PLI coverage may be considered an act of professional misconduct.
 
Preventing and Responding to Sexual Abuse of Clients by Members

It is the responsibility of every health regulatory college to develop a program, known as the Patient (Client) Relations Program, aimed at preventing sexual abuse of clients by members and dealing with instances of abuse when they do occur.
 
CRPO's Client Relations Committee met for the first time in September 2016. The role of the Client Relations Committee is to oversee the Client Relations Program. The Committee will continue to meet to build upon these measures. CRPO is committed to protecting clients from sexual abuse by Members and affirms a zero-tolerance approach to sexual abuse of clients by Members.
 
For more information about CRPO's client relations program, please visit our website .
CRPO Career Opportunity for RPs - Part-Time Practice Advisor

CRPO is currently recruiting a part-time Practice Advisor. This is an exciting opportunity for a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) to contribute to the ongoing work of CRPO. The main role of the Practice Advisor is to develop and share practice tools, resources and reflections with internal and external stakeholders. The position is geared for an actively practising RP who would serve at CRPO one day per week. This amount of time may grow if mutually agreeable.
 
RPs are invited to review the role description. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume by Nov. 28, 2016 to the attention of Mark Pioro, Acting Registrar, via e-mail to info@crpo.ca, subject line: Practice Advisor. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.