Supervision

CRPO defines clinical supervision as a contractual relationship in which a clinical supervisor engages with a supervisee to discuss the direction of therapy and the therapeutic relationship; promote the professional growth of the supervisee; enhance the supervisee’s safe and effective use of self in the therapeutic relationship; and safeguard the well-being of the client.

CRPO considers clinical supervision key to the development of a competent professional.

Informal “peer supervision”, i.e. unstructured discussion of clients with colleagues, is not considered an acceptable form of supervision for registration purposes.

Supervision Requirements

Individuals in the following categories will rely on clinical supervision for registration purposes:

• Those in the process of fulfilling their requirements to become a registrant with CRPO – this includes students and others who are not yet registrants with CRPO.
• RP (Qualifying) Members – Qualifying registrants, as a condition of their Certificate of Registration, must receive ongoing clinical supervision while they are a Qualifying member. These registrants will need to complete a total of 100 hours of clinical supervision as part of requirements to enter the Registered Psychotherapist category. Qualifying members must continue to receive ongoing clinical supervision once they have completed the 100 hours required to complete the Registered Psychotherapist category requirements.
• Registered Psychotherapist Members – Members in the Registered Psychotherapist category must receive ongoing clinical supervision until they have completed a total of 1,000 direct client contact hours and 150 hours of clinical supervision. Should a registrant acquire 150 clinical supervision hours prior to completing 1000 direct client contact hours, they are still required to receive ongoing clinical supervision until both requirements are met for “independent practice.”

Requirements for Clinical Supervisors

Clinical Supervisor Criteria in Ontario:

1. The supervisor must be a member in good standing of a regulatory college whose registrants may practise psychotherapy.*
2. The supervisor must have five years’ extensive clinical experience.
3. The supervisor must meet CRPO’s “independent practice” requirement (completion of 1000 direct client contact hours and 150 hours of clinical supervision).
4. The supervisor must have completed 30 hours of directed learning in providing clinical supervision. Directed learning can include course work, supervised practice as a clinical supervisor, individual/peer/group learning, and independent study that includes structured readings.
5. The supervisor must provide a signed declaration that they understand CRPO’s definitions of clinical supervision, clinical supervisor, and the scope of practice of psychotherapy.

*College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, College of Nurses of Ontario, College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, College of Psychologists of Ontario, Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

CRPO staff may request evidence of the 30 hours of directed learning in providing clinical supervision and may also request a letter of verification and a statement describing the supervisor’s approach to providing supervision.

Upon request, a clinical supervisor should be able to provide their supervisee with a letter attesting to their competency, as set out in items 1 through 5 above. It is not necessary to submit this to the CRPO unless it is specifically requested by staff.