The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) supports measures to remove barriers that are challenging equitable access for Ontarians to the care that Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) are well-positioned to provide.
A strong regulatory environment means that all stakeholders in the health care system can be confident in the quality of care provided by RPs. The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario is committed to establishing and maintaining the standards for qualified and accountable psychotherapy services in Ontario. As the provincial regulator of Ontario’s more than 8,200 RPs, protecting the public is our primary mandate.
The scope of practice of RPs is the “assessment and treatment of cognitive, emotional or behavioural disturbances by psychotherapeutic means, delivered through a therapeutic relationship based primarily on verbal or non-verbal communication.”[1]
Since 2015, CRPO has established and implemented regulatory mechanisms that provide accountability for safe, ethical and competent psychotherapy practice, including:
- ensuring anyone applying for registration with CRPO meets rigorous educational standards before they can practise as an RP or use the protected title “Registered Psychotherapist”
- establishing and enforcing standards and guidelines for the practice and conduct of registrants
- upholding the quality of care by developing a robust quality assurance program to ensure registrants continually improve their skills and knowledge
- responding to complaints and reports about the care provided by registrants
The public has grown to expect that RPs will be accessible partners on their care teams, whether in private practice, community health care organizations, or in hospitals. However, some challenges in the delivery system remain, impeding access to care that RPs are well-positioned to provide. By leveraging the growing number of RPs within the system broadly, the province’s mental health care services could be better optimized, resulting in improved access to appropriate continuity of care with providers and in the setting of choice.
[1] Psychotherapy Act, 2007, S.O. 2007, c. 10, Sched. R, section 3.