Communiqué

September 2023

version française

Indigenous Pathway Survey

Thank you to those who have already responded to the invitation to contribute to the College’s efforts to explore an inclusive and respectful path for Indigenous practitioners who wish to register. We are grateful that so many people responded. 

We are holding an initial listening session. We want to make sure that we are centering the perspective of Indigenous RPs and Indigenous Peoples who are working in mental health or helping roles who might wish to seek registration with the College. 

If you identify as an Indigenous person from the land now known as Canada and are interested in being part of an initial listening session, the invitation survey will be open until September 29.  

Please use this link to share your contact information and someone from the College will follow up with you. 

Late Requests to Write Registration Exam

With each Registration Exam sitting, CRPO receives a high volume of emails from registrants who miss the deadline and are enquiring about exceptions to sign up for the exam late. A significant amount of time and resources are required to coordinate an exam sitting. As such, the deadline for CRPO to receive a final transcript/credential assessment and for a registrant to confirm intent to write is approximately 10 weeks prior to the exam date. CRPO is unable to extend the deadline for any reason, including exceptional circumstances.

For more information about CRPO’s communication with RP (Qualifying) registrants regarding the exam, the first exam attempt deadline, and potential impacts to employment and clients if a deadline is missed, see this website post. 

Professional Liability Insurance Audit Underway

All CRPO registrants (other than those in the Inactive category of registration) are required to have and maintain professional liability insurance (PLI) coverage at all times, regardless of whether they are practising. CRPO regularly conducts PLI audits in which randomly selected registrants are required to provide documentary proof of their PLI coverage.

College staff launched a PLI audit on August 25, 2023. Registrants selected for the audit have been notified by email and must provide documentary proof of their PLI coverage within 30 days. Any registrant who does not provide evidence of coverage required may be suspended. 

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 quality assurance requirements and resources that are available to support you in meeting them.

Pre-registration is required. Click here to register for the final session on Thursday, October 12, 2023, 1:00 to 2:00 pm.

Tips for a successful CBA result 

Prepare 

• Read the Standards
• Watch our video and review the guide

Practice 

• Try some practice questions
• Discuss practice issues with your peers 
• Check with your association for preparation courses that might be available

During the assessment 

• Have a copy of the Standards available for reference (Available as a PDF or on the web)
• Answer all 30 questions. A quick way to check is to look at the numbers across the top of the page. If something is entered in the answer box, a line appears through the number. 
• If you have time left, check your answers and ensure the following: 
• All five answer options are entered (each letter is entered once), e.g., A B C D E 
• There are no repeated or missing letters, e.g., NOT A A B C D 

Are Your QA Professional Development (PD) Requirements Due? 

If you registered with CRPO in an odd-numbered year (i.e., 2015, 2017, 2019 or 2021), your PD reporting cycle ends on December 31, 2023. This means you will need to submit an attestation form declaring whether you completed the required PD activities during your reporting cycle.  

Eligible registrants will be notified when the attestation form becomes available in their CRPO user account. The attestation will be available in November and is due December 31, 2023. We recognize December is a busy time of year for many registrants. If you are planning down time at the end of the year, please complete the attestation early. 

Here are the PD activities that all registrants must complete during every two-year reporting cycle: 

1. Submit at least one self-assessment through your CRPO user account during the reporting cycle.  
2. Complete at least 40 hours of relevant learning activities. Maintain a learning record and supporting documentation in a professional portfolio. We encourage you to use one of our PD templates to track your learning activities. 
3. Submit an attestation form before your due date. (We will notify you when the attestation form is available). 

*NEW* This year’s attestation form includes a new question that asks registrants to confirm they have reviewed 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. For information, see “Duty to Report Training Review” on our website.

Registrants should retain documentation (e.g., certificates of participation) that can verify their participation in learning activities in their own professional portfolio. Registrants are only required to submit documentation when requested by the College. 

Are you planning on going inactive or retiring this year? 

If you receive notification that you are required to complete an attestation form, you must complete the form before December 31, even if you plan on going inactive or retiring. 

Registrants in the Inactive category are expected to engage in professional development and maintain up-to-date records in the event that they return to active practice. As part of the return to active practice process, you may be asked to demonstrate that you are up to date with your professional development requirements. You may find it helpful to review the Quality Assurance Program Policies.  

Need more info? Check out the QA page and our Professional Development FAQ or email your questions to QA@crpo.ca. 

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.