July 2026

Communiqué

Welcome to the July edition of the Communiqué. In this issue you will find important updates, regulatory insights and news from the College to support the practice of psychotherapy. At the beginning you will find time sensitive updates and information, followed by “good to know” and least urgent news and updates. 

CRPO COUNCIL MEETING UPDATE

CRPO Council met on June 11, 2026 and elected its new Executive Committee, whose term will begin on October 1, 2026. The newly elected officers are Kathleen (Kali) Hewitt-Blackie, RP (President), Heidi Ahonen, RP (Vice-President), Anabel Helen, RP (Member at Large – Professional), and public members Steven Boychyn and Jeffrey Vincent as Members at Large.

Council also reviewed an external governance evaluation report, which found that the College demonstrates a strong commitment to public protection, provides well-prepared meeting materials, and offers effective educational programming. The report recommended improvements in role clarity, onboarding processes, and succession planning to further strengthen Council effectiveness.

Council approved several policy updates. It endorsed a new Social Media Guideline to help registered psychotherapists use digital platforms safely, ethically, and professionally. It also updated policies related to public member appointments, Registrar/CEO succession planning, and Council observers. In addition, committee appointments were confirmed and new signing officers were ratified.

The next Council meetings will be held on October 1 and December 3, 2026.

Please refer to Council Highlights for complete meeting update.  

CBA UPDATE: 2026 SPRING CBA RESULTS AND WHAT'S AHEAD

2026 Spring CBA results

1244 registrants completed the case-based assessment (CBA) between April 24 and May 3, 2026. The table below illustrates the overall results.

Staff sent individualized CBA Feedback Reports to all registrants who completed the Spring CBA. The CBA Feedback Reports outlines each person’s outcome and next steps. Depending on the outcome, registrants may be asked to complete self-directed professional development or participate in peer coaching. Peer coaching is provided by Registered Psychotherapists trained by CRPO. 

Several factors contribute to the high success rate:

•       greater awareness of the CBA among registrants
•       enhanced preparation resources 
•       ongoing improvements to CBA cases 
•       accessibility and universal design features
•       strong registrant engagement with CRPO's Professional Practice Standards. 

Quality Assurance Program outcomes are confidential. CRPO does not post CBA or other peer and practice review outcomes on the Public Register or share this information with current or future employers.

2026 Fall CBA – October 23 to November 2, 2026

Staff sent Fall CBA notifications to 1547 registrants. Those registrants were asked to complete the questionnaire linked in the notification email by July 10, 2026. The questionnaire includes a deferral form for registrants who need to request a deferral. 

Staff will follow up with anyone who have not completed the questionnaire. Our goal is to help registrants complete this step and avoid non-compliance with their Quality Assurance Program requirements.

Questions about the Fall CBA?

Email us: QAassessments@crpo.ca

Book a phone call with QA staff

More information about the CBA is available on our website.

UNDERSTANDING SCOPE OF PRACTICE AND COMPETENCE

IN-PERSON PEER CIRCLE EVENT: SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 

The Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP) and CRPO are co-hosting an in-person peer circle event on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Peer circles, facilitated by RPs, offer a safe, collaborative environment to explore professional grey areas, reflect on practice, and ask questions. Participation can count towards your Quality Assurance Program requirements.

Registration details are found here and on CRPO website. 

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Save the Date: September 22, 2026, 12:00pm-1:30pm

Interprofessional Webinar on Intimate Partner Violence: Attendees will hear from subject matter experts on intimate partner violence with a focus on topics discussed in the most recent Domestic Violence Death Review Committee annual report.



 Further information and a registration link will be provided in future Communiqués.

NEW SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINE

CRPO’s Council approved a new Social Media Guideline at the June 11 meeting. The guideline discusses Standards of particular relevance, when conducting oneself and posting on social media. As always, all Standards continue to be relevant.

The College continues to accept and review requests for guidance. If you think additional or new guidance is needed on a particular topic, you can submit requests here: Guideline Request Submission Survey. 

CRPO IS DEVELOPING A NEW, VOLUNTARY SELF-IDENTIFICATION DATA COLLECTION INITIATIVE

The College already collects information that is required under legislation and the By-laws to regulate the profession, such as contact, registration and practice information. The new self-identification initiative is different. It will give registrants the option to share information about aspects of their identity to help the College better understand the diversity of the profession and identify potential barriers within its regulatory programs and processes.

Collecting self-identification data is an important part of CRPO's commitment to addressing discrimination in its policies, processes and practices. Understanding who is registered helps the College evaluate its regulatory activities through an equity lens and supports a more inclusive approach to regulation.

Providing self-identification information will be entirely optional. The College recognizes that trust is essential to the success of this initiative and is committed to developing clear policies, strong privacy protections and transparent governance so that registrants can make informed decisions about whether to participate.

Over the coming months, CRPO will share more information about the initiative, including what information will be collected, how it will be protected, and how it will be used.

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.