October 2024

Communiqué

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Quality Assurance Program Updates

Notifications for the 2024 PD Cycle and the 2025 Spring CBA will be sent the first week of November. Please ensure your contact information is up to date in your CRPO account and be sure to read all College email communications. 

 

2024 PD cycle for those registered in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022  

If your initial date of registration fell in the year 2016, 2018, 2020 or 2022, you have an important deadline coming up. Your mandatory professional development (PD) requirements under the Quality Assurance (QA) Program must be completed before December 31, 2024. The attestation will be available for eligible registrants on November 1, 2024 and is due December 31, 2024. We will notify you when the attestation is available in your CRPO account. Please note you will be asked to attest that you have completed training (e.g., self-directed reading or an appropriate training course/webinar identified by the registrant) on the duty to report child abuse and neglect. 

 

2025 Spring CBA: How will I know if I’ve been selected? 

The 2025 Spring CBA is scheduled from April 25 to May 4, 2025. If you are selected, you will receive an email from QAassessments@crpo.ca through a platform called SurveyMonkey. The email will have a link to a brief questionnaire that asks you to confirm your participation and other details about your practice. The questionnaire also includes a deferral form if needed. 

 

Non-compliance: What happens if I miss a QA deadline? 

Registrants are required to participate in all aspects of CRPO’s Quality Assurance Program.  

 

When a registrant misses a QA deadline, College staff follow up with a reminder email that outlines next steps, including a potential reminder fee if another deadline is missed. Ultimately, if a registrant continues to miss their QA deadlines, or doesn’t respond to College communications, they risk receiving an administrative suspension. QA Team members reach out through email, telephone, and Canada Post before issuing an administrative suspension. 

 

Need more information?  

 

Visit the Professional Development FAQ section of our website. 

Watch our QA Program Information Session (recorded October 2023).

Watch the QA Town Hall (recorded September 23, 2024).

 

Email: qa@crpo.ca for PD cycle questions QAassessments@crpo.ca for CBA questions.

Quality Assurance Program Policy Revisions: CBA Selection Criteria

The Quality Assurance Committee approved revisions to the QA Program Policies on September 13, 2024. Among the changes were updates to the selection criteria for the case-based assessment (CBA).  

 

These changes apply to registrants who are returning to active practice from the Inactive category as well as registrants who are reinstated after suspension or revocation.  

 

The revised policies state that registrants who are returning to practice and have low currency hours or are returning to a new practice area may be selected to complete the CBA, as determined by the Registrar. 

 

Read the revised QA Program Policies

Removing HST and Billing

Q: How do I manage billing now that psychotherapy services are exempt? Before June 20, I included GST/HST in my total fee for ease of billing. May I stop remitting GST/HST to CRA but keep my billing the same for clients? 


The Practice Advisory Service has received several questions from RPs and members of the public asking how to manage the changes to billing, now that psychotherapy services are GST/HST exempt. Specifically, some registrants are asking if they can stop remitting GST/HST to CRA but keep their overall fee for clients the same. 


Read our Practice Matters article for more information.

Infection, Prevention and Control Resources

As regulated health professionals, CRPO registrants play an important role in keeping Ontarians safe and healthy.


Infection prevention and control (IPAC) is an important consideration for all health professionals, including Registered Psychotherapists. CRPO recognizes that IPAC considerations vary depending on the profession and care setting. By implementing basic IPAC practices, psychotherapists can play a crucial role in maintaining the health and safety of their clients. These practices include regular hand hygiene, ensuring a clean and sanitized therapy environment, and following guidelines for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. By adhering to these practices, psychotherapists can help reduce the risk of infection transmission and contribute to the overall well-being of their clients and the broader community. 


Public Health Ontario offers a wide range of resources to help health professionals address IPAC best practices across a variety of health settings and professions.  


In preparation for the respiratory season, CRPO encourages all registrants to review and become familiar with best practices in IPAC.   


The following resources are available on Public Health Ontario’s website. 


Resource list 


IPAC Landing Page https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/Health-Topics/Infection-Prevention-Control  

Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) IPAC landing page contains links to foundational resources (e.g., best practice recommendations, surveillance reports, checklists and audit tools) on various topics. In addition, the Featured section highlights new or timely resources.


Routine Practices and Additional Precautions (RPAP) https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/Health-Topics/Infection-Prevention-Control/Routine-Practices-Additional-Precautions  

This Public Health Ontario webpage on Routine Practices and Additional Precautions has resources to support best practice implementation of routine practices and precautions in health care settings across the continuum of care including, but not limited to, pre-hospital care, acute care, complex continuing care, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care, chronic care, ambulatory care and home health care. 


Organizational risk assessment 

Infection Prevention and Control Organizational Risk Assessment for Clinical Office Practice (July 2024) https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/I/24/ipac-organization-risk-assessment-clinical-office-practice.pdf?rev=47f4c1303b6e42898e62c95adb13669e&sc_lang=en  


Online courses https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/Education-and-Events/Online-Learning/IPAC-Courses  


  • IPAC for Health Care Workers 

IPAC for Health care Workers is a series of seven modules provide education in the basic skills and knowledge all Ontario health care workers need to have. This course will help learners improve their IPAC knowledge to help decrease the risk of transmission of infection in health care.  


  • IPAC for Non-Clinical Staff  

The IPAC for Non-clinical Staff course is a series of eight modules designed for people who do not have formal health care training and work in a congregate living environment. It will provide learners with the IPAC knowledge they need to keep themselves, their clients and their co-workers safe from infections in workplaces like shelters, group homes, residential treatment centres and other facilities.  

 

IPAC Programs  

Best Practices for Infection Prevention and Control Programs in Ontario in All Health Care Settings, 

3rd Edition https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/B/2012/bp-ipac-hc-settings.pdf  


The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations for specific activities and for the adequate and appropriate resource allocation for IPAC programs across the continuum of health care delivery in Ontario. 

Boundaries – Part 1

In this year’s Communiques, we have been highlighting aspects of the Professional Practice Standards, which came into effect on January 1, 2024. In the first of a two-part series, this month covers boundaries, which are addressed in various CRPO standards and documents.  

  

Revised Standard 1.7: Dual Relationships expects registrants to "maintain professional boundaries, both online and in person.” Helpful definitions contained in Standard 1.8: Undue Influence and Abuse explain the difference between a “boundary crossing”, which may be helpful, neutral, or harmful, and a “boundary violation”, which is always harmful. The updated (2023) Jurisprudence Manual also contains commentary about boundaries, expanding on some common forms of boundary crossings or violations. These include self-disclosure, giving or receiving gifts, ignoring established customs, and touch. Standard 1.7 and the Jurisprudence Manual also comment about how these principles apply online, such as on social media. 

  

Boundary violations can be a precursor or indication of a dual relationship or even abuse of a client. These issues make up a large number of complaints and reports to CRPO. It is helpful for registrants to be aware of related concepts and standards. 

Town Halls – Hear What’s Going on with Your Regulator

CRPO has been hosting monthly virtual town hall meetings since April to engage with registrants on a variety of topics. If you missed any of the first three town halls, recordings are available via CRPO’s YouTube channel

 

On Tuesday, October 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EST, CRPO staff will be hosting on the topic of L'annee en revue et l'annee a venir: le point sur le travail de l'OPAO. 

  

The town hall will be held remotely, and you can sign in using this link: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85464972323?pwd=pW8TQ86j87ZgHFXqwjfdcdkNKYMygc.1 

  

Before the session, please take a few minutes to let us know what questions you would like us to answer about the above topic. You can access this pre-town hall survey using this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MX6B9RF The survey will close October 23 and responses received will be integrated into the presentation. 

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Webinar

On November 14 from 12-1pm EST, CRPO is hosting a webinar on MAiD and working with clients and family or loved ones of people who wish to pursue a medically assisted death. CRPO will be joined by panelists Andrea Warnick (MA, RN, RP) and Colleen Mousseau (M.Ed., RP) of AWC Grief Support.  

  

Andrea is a Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Nurse whose passion lies in helping individuals, families and communities support people of all ages who are grieving an illness or death in their lives. With years of nursing and counselling experience both in Canada and abroad and a Masters degree in Thanatology (the study of dying and death) Andrea brings to her work a rare mixture of medical and psychosocial expertise.  

  

Colleen is a Registered Psychotherapist, a servant-leader and builder of strong teams. With over 25 years of experience in developmental and community mental health agencies across Ontario, she is skilled at providing direct grief and trauma support to people of all ages. In addition to her clinical work, Colleen offers clinical consultation and grief and trauma education to professionals both individually and in large groups. 

  

Those interested in attending can register for the webinar here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L2FNTMJ. The Zoom link will be sent out before the webinar.

For CRPO registrants: Please do not unsubscribe. CRPO uses email to communicate with registrants about important College updates. If you choose to unsubscribe, it is then your responsibility to regularly check our website to keep yourself informed about your College obligations. It is the responsibility of each registrant 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. CRPO may collect information about whether a recipient has read a message. CRPO may use this information for communication planning and record-keeping.