Introduction

In Canada, the regulation of trades and professions is done at the provincial level. The typical model for professions is self-regulation. Self-regulation refers to an approach or system where regulatory powers are delegated (in our case, through the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care) to a body that is comprised of registrants of the profession and that has the responsibility of protecting the public’s right to safe, effective and ethical health care.

The professional regulator’s duty to protect the public interest makes its role different from other professional organizations, such as associations. Registration in professional associations is voluntary. These associations exist to advocate on behalf of their registrant. This means that their role is to further the economic, employment, professional and political interests of their registrant.

Governance

CRPO is governed by a Council of nine professional registrants elected by you, their peers, and as many public registrants as are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council. Working with College staff, the Council regulates the practice of psychotherapy in Ontario to protect the public interest. This work includes:

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Elections

Elections are an opportunity for registrants to take part in the regulation of their profession either by running for election to Council or by voting in their electoral district.

CRPO registrants are designated in eight electoral districts that represent geographical areas of Ontario. Elections take place on a rotating schedule and not all districts have elections at the same time. Registrants whose primary practice site is located in the districts having an election (or primary residence if not practising) are eligible to become a candidate or vote in the election.

Professional registrants of Council serve an important role by contributing their profession-specific knowledge and experience toward fulfilling CRPO’s Mission: To develop standards and procedures to regulate psychotherapists in the public interest, striving to ensure competent and ethical practice within a professional accountability framework.

The experience of working on Council is engaging and rewarding and provides the opportunity to gain breadth of understanding about the profession in the context of our regulatory environment.

More information about the role of Council registrants is available on the Council Elections page of our website and questions can be directed to elections@crpo.ca.

To learn more about CRPO, visit the About Us section of our website, which includes further information about:

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Practice Advisory Service for Registrants

CRPO offers a practice advisory service that Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) can access in order to discuss matters relating to professional practice, ethics and standards.

The structure of the practice advisory service is such that RPs can be matched with a practice advisor who has a related professional background. Our six practice advisors are fellow RPs with extensive clinical experience.

RPs who have practice-related questions, who are facing ethical conundrums, or who simply want to discuss professional practice, are invited to connect with an advisor by:

Or

  • Phone: 416-479-4330, ext. 222

You will hear back from a registrant of the CRPO practice advisory team within three to five business days.

Concerned about a particular registrant’s practice?

The practice advisory service is designed to provide information and resources to registrants about professional practice. If you have a complaint or concern about a particular registrant’s practice, please contact complaints@crpo.ca.

Limitations of the Practice Advisory Service

The practice advisory service is meant to be an educational resource. Information provided by the College or the College’s practice advisors is not intended to replace the advice of a lawyer, expert in professional practice or other appropriately qualified professional. If you have specific concerns about your professional obligations, please consult with a qualified professional.

The College retains records of your communications with the practice advisory service, mainly to ensure the quality of the service and to inform the development of registrant resources. The communication will remain confidential and will only be shared  if the information in the communications is deemed relevant to a proceeding before a College committee or there is reason to believe that a registrant has engaged in professional misconduct that would result in harm to a person or group of persons.

Practice Matters

The practice advisory service publishes Practice Matters, an occasional publications on clinical topics that emerge as key trends. Many topics are not clear-cut, but it is important to be aware of basic principles and practice standards.

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Resources for Registrants

The Resources section of CRPO’s website is a one-stop shop for all of the documents you need access to. The resources are also broken down by topic area, including Legislation & Governance, For RegistrantsComplaints & Discipline and publications. The Publications section includes annual reports as well as archived links to our monthly communiqués. If you notice that you aren’t receiving the monthly communiqué, you can easily join our mailing list.

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