Communiqué

August 2023

MAiD Survey

CRPO is collecting data to determine the extent to which RPs currently service Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) seeking clients, and the level of interest RPs hold in participating in the upcoming MAiD expansion. The feedback from this 26-question survey will assist the College in the development of supportive materials and will be provided to Ontario’s Ministry of Health to assist in decision-making.

Under the current framework, a non-terminal individual can access MAiD provided they are assessed and meet the following eligibility criteria: be eligible for health services funded by the federal, provincial or territorial government, be at least 18 years old and able to make healthcare decisions for themself, have a grievous or irremediable medical condition, make a request for MAiD free from outside influences, and provide informed consent.

Individuals who otherwise qualify but only have a mental disorder as the sole cause of “grievous and irremediable” suffering will become eligible in March 2024. At present, it is not known whether the existing assessment protocols will change or be amended for individuals with a mental disorder as the sole underlying medical condition. As a result, the College is preparing for all scenarios and potential levels of involvement. Registrants are currently able to act as preliminary assessors, a role which does not fulfill the requirement for two physicians or nurse practitioners to sign off on the application.

If you wish to complete the survey, follow this link. The College will issue more correspondence once the survey results are reviewed and there is a clear direction forward.

Examination Extension Policy

The Examination Committee recently approved an Examination Extension P olicy which provides RP (Qualifying) registrants with the criteria against which an exam extension request for the first or third exam attempt deadline will be considered.

Supervision Tool

CRPO is seeking feedback on a draft Supervision Tool. The tool was approved by the Examination Committee to support RP (Qualifying) registrants in preparing for the Registration Exam and to assist with determining upgrading activities after two failed exam attempts prior to making a third attempt. Registrants that complete one or more of the feedback surveys as part of the pilot will be able to claim professional development hours towards CRPO’s Quality Assurance Program requirements. Anyone can participate in the pilot, including grandparented registrants and registrants that have already passed the exam. The draft tool and feedback surveys for the tool can be found here.

Feedback on the content and format of the tool is due by October 16, 2023. Feedback on the use of the tool and feedback after receiving an exam result is due by January 31, 2024. Feedback received from individuals will be anonymized prior to consideration by the Examination Committee.

Quality Assurance Program Information Sessions

Want to learn more about CRPO’s Quality Assurance Program? We’re offering an online information session to help registrants better understand the program.

CRPO’s Quality Assurance Program is intended to encourage registrants to be self-reflective and think critically about their practice, their professional growth, and their obligations as regulated health professionals. The College is required to monitor registrant participation in professional development activities and conduct peer and practice reviews, which includes the new cased-based assessment (CBA). Join us to learn more about your quality assurance requirements and resources that are available to support you in meeting them.

Pre-registration is required. Cl ick here to register for one of the following sessions:

Dates

Friday, September 8, 12:00-1:00 pm

Monday, September 18, 12:00-1:00 pm

Thursday, October 12, 1:00 pm -2:00 pm

Dual practice: Can I incorporate non-psychotherapeutic activities in my practice?

Many registrants have education, training, and experience in non-regulated professions in addition to their psychotherapy training. Sometimes these unregulated activities complement psychotherapy treatment; in other cases, the situation is less clear. In all instances, registrants are encouraged to consider their role(s) carefully.

Read our Practice Matters article for information.

Cross-border therapy

The number one inquiry to CRPO’s Practice Advisory Service continues to be about cross-border therapy. This includes questions such as:

Can an RP continue to work with a client who is leaving Ontario?
Can an RP accept a client who lives outside Ontario?
Can an RP continue to work with Ontario clients if the RP moves outside of Ontario?

To understand what applies to your practice, try CRPO’s cross-border therapy tool and go to our Practice Matters page for further resources on electronic practice.

Education Program Recognized

The Master of Counselling program at the City University of Seattle is the latest educational program to receive academic recognition from CRPO. This means that the program sufficiently enables students to develop the required competencies for entry-to-practice in psychotherapy. Visit our web site for more information about the recognition process or to review the other recognized programs.

Clinical Experience from Education Program Recognized

At its most recent meeting, the Registration Committee granted clinical experience (CE) recognition to the Toronto Art Therapy Institute’s Graduate Level Diploma in Art Therapy. This program has been added to the website.

Students from this program no longer need to submit individual confirmation forms to report clinical experience hours. Students should contact their program to request that they report the total number of practicum hours (direct client contact and clinical supervision) to CRPO.

Students from programs without clinical experience recognition and registrants updating CE hours after graduation will still need to submit detailed confirmation forms.

Ongoing Standards Consultation

There is still time to comment on CRPO’s draft revised Professional Practice Standards! Visit our Public Consultation web page and fill out the survey by September 17. We have created an abridged version of the draft revised standards so that registrants who do not have time to review the full version can still provide feedback.

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.