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December 2021
Covid Update
The College is aware that RPs have worked during the pandemic, adapting to provide safe, ethical, and competent care to their clients. As we head into the colder months when people will be spending more time indoors, we want to remind RPs to continue to be vigilant with infection prevention and control measures in their practices.
 
CRPO’s Developing a Return to In-Person Practice Plan was revised to reflect loosened public health restrictions while still suggesting a careful approach to providing in-person services. Staff will be reviewing this over the coming weeks to determine if further changes should be made to our guidance. Please continue to check the COVID-19 FAQs for RPs for general information and/or reach out to the Practice Advisory Service for responses to specific questions.
  
As you are likely aware, Ontario is offering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to a number of groups if at least six months have passed since their last dose. These groups include:
  • Individuals aged 50 and over (born in 1971 or earlier);
  • Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (including long-term care home and retirement home staff and designated caregivers)
  • Individuals who received a complete series of a viral vector vaccine (two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine); and
  • First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members.
 
If you are eligible, you can book your booster dose appointment through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre.
You can also book directly through Public Health Units that use their own booking systems, through Indigenous-supported vaccination clinics, select pharmacies, and through primary care providers
CRPO encourages registrants to be vaccinated if possible and to consider getting a booster shot in order to protect you, your family, and your clients.
RP Clinical Supervisor Caseload Survey
CRPO is currently conducting a clinical supervision policy review. We have created a short survey to learn more about the workload of current clinical supervisors and the plans of potential clinical supervisors. The information we receive will help us understand how potential changes could impact applicants and registrants. We are considering a similar survey on the needs of supervisees. This survey has 11 questions and should take about 10 minutes to complete.
Grey Areas around Testimonials
One topic CRPO’s Practice Advisory Service receives questions about is testimonials. A testimonial is a statement from another person about the quality of a registrant’s services. The statement could be in words or simply an online ‘star’ rating. It is professional misconduct to use a testimonial by a client, former client or other person in the advertising of the member or his or her practice. CRPO's Standard on advertising explains that testimonials are unreliable and "may also lead to concerns that clients have been pressured into providing them".

The Standard goes on to clarify that the rules do not prevent clients or others from writing reviews about registrants (e.g., on third party Internet sites for rating professionals), provided the registrant does not request them to do so, and provided the registrant does not influence which reviews are published. Note that if a registrant linked their advertising directly to a third-party rating or review site, this could be considered inappropriately using a testimonial.
 
People have asked about several grey areas. For example, what about a program funding application that asks clients to share their experiences? As this is not advertising, it would not be covered by the prohibition on testimonials. However, program evaluation would need to be done in a voluntary and objective way, so clients are not pressured to comment.
 
Another question we received was about a quotation promoting a registrant’s book. While in the broadest sense this could be considered a testimonial, there are factors that could mitigate concern. These include if the review focused on the content of the book rather than the registrant’s psychotherapy practice. Also, there would be less concern if a colleague wrote the review versus someone in a power imbalance like a client or former client.
 
Finally, can a registrant use testimonials for their non-psychotherapy practice, for example as a parenting coordinator? Caution would be advised if the field is related to psychotherapy and potential psychotherapy clients might rely on the testimonials.
 
The following are questions to help consider whether a statement is a problematic testimonial:
  • Is the registrant using the statement in advertising?
  • Does the registrant have a power imbalance with the person making the statement?
  • Does the statement make claims about the registrant’s practice? 
Clinical Group Supervision Size
As noted in the College’s May 2020 Communique, effective April 1, 2022, CRPO will only accept reported group clinical supervision hours that occurred in a group size of eight or fewer supervisees. The public is better protected by practitioners receiving high-quality clinical supervision through smaller group sizes.
 
Currently, up to 20% of group clinical supervision hours (i.e. a maximum of 30 hours, out of 150 total hours) can be completed in groups of nine to 12 supervisees, provided the clinical supervisor attests that learning is promoted for all supervisees in the group. All remaining group clinical supervision hours can include up to eight supervisees.
 
Registrants who have completed large group clinical supervision and wish to have the hours reviewed should submit their clinical experience hours to CRPO at their earliest convenience. Information and instructions on how to request a review of hours can be found on the Updating Clinical Experience Hours page. Group clinical supervision where nine or more supervisees were present will not be accepted after March 31, 2022, regardless of when the supervision took place. 
Council Meeting
The next regular meeting of CRPO Council will take place on January 27, 2022. Council meetings will take place via videoconference and will be live streamed for observers until further notice. 


Date: January 27, 2022
Time: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
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