Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Report |
This August, CPRO received a letter and report from Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC). The DVDRC “assists the Office of the Chief Coroner in the investigation and review of deaths of persons that occur as a result of domestic violence, and [makes] recommendations to help prevent such deaths in similar circumstances.” The report contained the following recommendations relevant to CRPO registrants (please note the reference to “counsellors” can apply equally to Registered Psychotherapists):
- Given the high co-occurrence between addictions and intimate partner violence, it is recommended that there be more education and training for counsellors who work with clients with addiction problems and who may disclose intimate partner violence.
- It is recommended that there be routine screening in every case where there are indicators of intimate partner violence. This would include a thorough assessment of risk and risk management of the case.
- When a counsellor is not trained in risk assessment or does not have the time to complete a thorough risk assessment due to high caseload or lack of resources, the counsellor should refer the client to agencies that specialize in intimate partner violence risk assessment and risk management (e.g., victim services).
Registrants are also reminded to remain attuned to the need to assess and verify the safety of both parties individually and throughout the entire course of therapy.
CRPO will consider development of additional guidance or resources. In the meantime, registrants are encouraged to use their professional judgment in applying the recommendations as appropriate to their circumstances. The following resources may be useful in considering these issues:
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QA Enhancement Project - Webinar Recording |
The College has started the work of developing and implementing a revised Quality Assurance (QA) program that supports a right touch, risk-based approach to regulation and professional development that focuses on regulatory obligations. The key objectives of this overhaul are to provide more meaningful QA opportunities for registrants and to ensure that College resources are appropriately focused on RPs who have been identified as having gaps in their knowledge, skills or judgement.
Enhancement work on the QA program is being done in phases to allow the inclusion of perspectives from registrants and stakeholders. This approach ensures that we have the benefit of input from RPs and others who have lived and professional experiences that reflect the diversity of registrants and the Ontarians they serve, with an explicit goal of ensuring that the resulting program is inclusive.
On September 22, CRPO hosted a webinar for registrants to hear and ask questions about the planned changes. The presentations and related materials are all available online:
Please stay tuned for more updates as we will be providing information as the project progresses.
Registrants are asked to keep in mind that QA program requirements related to annual professional development continue. If you need information about your obligations or the deadlines, please review the QA Program Requirements document
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Access to Care Statement Update |
CRPO’s mandate is to regulate the profession in the public interest. One of our regulatory objectives is to: “Promote access to psychotherapy services within the system.” This means reducing barriers to entry into the profession as well as promoting trust in the profession and the regulatory system. To preserve this trust, CRPO cannot advocate on matters seen as promoting compensation for registrants. Remuneration issues are within the role of professional associations. To assist stakeholders in providing background about the regulation of RPs, CRPO’s Council approved a Position Statement on Access to Care. Stakeholders can refer to this document in their efforts to promote access to services provided by RPs.
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Cross-border Therapy Tool |
CRPO’s most common Practice Advisory inquiry topic is cross-border psychotherapy, that is, where the therapist and client are not physically present in the same jurisdiction. In response, CRPO created this tool (English version, French version) to assist stakeholders.
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Is your Public Register Profile Up to Date? |
One of the professional obligations of a registrant of the College is to ensure their practice information is up to date at all times. If you start working with a new employer, have moved practice locations, or are no longer practising at a certain site, you must update your information within 30 days of the change. We recommend periodically checking your Public Register profile to ensure your information is accurate. If changes are needed, you can update this information directly in your CRPO user account by going to the “Practice information” page.
When creating entries for your practice sites, you’ll be asked to provide several pieces of information. Some of the information is published on the Public Register, such as the employer’s name, business address, and telephone number. Other information, such as start date of employment and job title are not published on the Public Register. It is important to ensure you enter the correct information in each field. For example, do not include job titles in the employer name field.
For more information on what you can update directly in your account, see here.
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As more people in Ontario receive a COVID-19 vaccination, things like the provincial vaccination passport and the issue of mandatory vaccinations are more of a focus in the media. The Practice Advisory (PA) service is seeing questions related to these issues as registrants work to navigate how to best provide safe, ethical care to their clients.
The College is conscious of the fact that RPs may be providing care to people who are experiencing vaccine mandates, passports and the politicization of what should be a personal medical decision through a lens of trauma. RPs may be called on to create a safe place for clients who are vaccine hesitant, particularly Black and Indigenous people and others who have experienced health care inequities because of racism. For some registrants, this will need to be balanced with managing their own health and well-being concerns, especially if providing in person care. RPs are encouraged to consult with peers, to seek supervision if they need it and to ensure that they are operating with the most current information related to infection prevention and control best-practices. The College’s Practice Advisory service is also available to answer standards related questions.
CRPO continues to add to the COVID-19 FAQs to provide up to date public health information and to try to address concerns we hear about through the PA service. You are encouraged to check this page for support. Recent additions deal with asking about vaccine status, whether masks are needed in offices that allow 2 meters of physical distancing and what is required from medical exemptions from a vaccine mandate.
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New Clinical Supervision Resource Available |
Are you interested in providing clinical supervision for the purpose of registration with CRPO? Or do you want to check whether your potential supervisor meets CRPO’s requirements? You can use the Clinical Supervisor Self-Assessment Tool to review whether someone meets CRPO’s criteria for clinical supervisors.
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CRPO’s Accessible Customer Service |
CRPO respects the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities. College Council and staff are committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities receive accessible services with the same respect, quality, and timeliness as do others.
CRPO is working to incorporate good accessibility practices in its processes and operations such as offering alternative communication formats (e.g., html, PDF, MS Word, audio, large print).
CRPO welcomes feedback regarding improving our services and programs as we work toward being barrier-free. Please direct all questions and/or requests to accessibility@crpo.ca
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The next regular meeting of CRPO Council will take place on December 2, 2021. Council meetings will take place via videoconference and will be live streamed for observers until the further notice.
Date: December 2, 2021
Time: 9:30 am to 12:00 pm
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Follow our feed for the latest on new resources, Council election
updates, governance decisions and more!
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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. |
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