The CPCA would like to thank it's members, directors and keynote speakers for another successfull conference!
For highlights of the 2010 CPCA Conference as well as conference downloads please visit the conference page.
The Professional Insurance Program for CPCA administered through McFarlan Rowlands is coming up for renewal on September 1st. We are aware that there is another company soliciting some of our members, so we would like to take this opportunity to clarify the benefits of our program. In a free marketplace there are other providers that appear from time to time and seem to offer attractive rates and coverage only to disappear within a year or two. At this time it is important to review briefly our present insurance program.
McFarlan Rowlands developed and initiated our program over 20 years ago when there were no other insurance options available. Our program is designed specifically for the CPCA and its members and over time it has been adapted to cover all therapeutic modalities recognized by our association and performed by our members. The program also covers all clients of CPCA members regardless of age and interns pay the same premium as full members. Also as some of our members may be treating clients south of the border the policy was extended to cover both Canadian and US citizens.
Some of the other benefits offered by the CPCA program are:
- Coverage for e-therapy
- Coverage for copyright infringement
- Free legal advice
- Group benefits options (eg. Life insurance, Income Protection, Office Overhead, Personal Accident)
By comparison the other program takes a ‘one size fits all’ approach for ‘Canadian Therapy’ and includes more than seventy (70) therapeutic activities. Most of these activities are not practised by our members yet the program excludes some activities that members do practise. For example, it covers kinesiology, acupuncture, and registered massage therapy yet excludes Marriage & Family Therapy and Addiction Counselling. Finally this ‘one size fits all’ approach means that claims from all these activities are pooled together and as a result the premium paid by CPCA members will be impacted by the claims from all these other activities.
In short we believe that the McFarlan Rowlands CPCA professional insurance program provides the best insurance protection and the best value for our members.
We do however, understand the importance of keeping costs down and we are pleased to have negotiated a rate decrease of 15% for all members. This was possible due principally to our outstanding claims history and our competency-based requirements for membership. In addition and perhaps more significantly in recognition of our long standing relationship with McFarlan Rowlands and their relationship with the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association these new rates ($190 for the 1 Million limit , $225 for the 2 Million limit and $290 for the 5 Million limit) are guaranteed for three years.
"I have had a chance to review the CPCA's loss ratio as well as some general malpractice claims information. In the mental health field the most common malpractice claims are usually allegations of some form/type of professional incompetence or misconduct. As you can appreciate, in an opinion-based profession their will always be those who disagree with the opinion given and in turn seek compensation. Likewise, the most common general liability claims stem from allegations of libel or slander. Ninety percent of the time these claims never make it to court, but the legal expenses can be quite substantial. While some claims are unavoidable, the CPCA have been fortunate enough to remain virtually claims free since the program's inception. This reflects your association's high level of standards, as well as your member's competency."
Liability Insurance Program (172.46 kB)
Liability Insurance Application (91.32 kB)
Paul Hancock, CAIB
McFarlan Rowlands Insurance Brokers
380 York Street,
London ON N6B 1P9
(519)640-1265
(519)679-9744(fax)
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Regulation has indicated to the Transition Council that a Master's level requirement is not acceptable!
Read more... (see Note 2)
Canada's traditional mental health training models do not work. One in five Canadians suffer from a mental health issue.
- Access to mental health services have been hindered by the traditional mental health model.
- Provincial governments like Nova Scotia have been misled by special interest groups by the creation of legislation (Bill 201, credentialing regulation) that further limits access to mental health services.
- Limited access to affordable mental health training programs has discouraged candidates from entering the mental health field.
- This model has caused provincial governments to not meet the mental health needs in the lower and middle income populations because of credentialing and being a "low priority".
- Insurance companies and EAP providers have not met the mental health needs in the private sector because of credentialing and limiting sessions and (or) low level payment for services.
- Academic communities (e.g. Universities) have promoted high standards to higher credentialing (instead of competency)in mental health training
- Academic communities have associated "public safety" to higher credentialing instead of competency.
- Credential based Counselling Associations have lobbied for provincial regulation throughout Canada for a minimum Master's level credential, which would promote limited access to services.
All counsellors in Canada are protected by Human Rights Law. In particular, members of Counselling Associations who have been kept on "the outside" and have been subject to "hidden discrimination" by some government agencies, some insurance companies and some Employee Assistance Provider's (EAP's).
Ontario and British Columbia are leading the way with competency criteria rather than credential criteria for the regulation of psychological counsellors in Canada. Other provinces like Nova Scotia and Quebec who have pushed for credentialing will soon have to fall in line with competency criteria for psychological counsellors. If they don't adjust, then counsellors in Nova Scotia and Quebec who are competency based (e.g. CPCA members) cannot be prevented from working in those Provinces if they have registration with a "competency based" college from another Province. The Canada Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) is quite clear on insisting that if you are a counsellor practicing and a member of a regulatory body in one Province, you cannot be refused to practice in another Province.
The Task Group and the CPCA in B.C. are meeting with government officials on May 16th, 2011, to initiate a regulatory format for a "competency based" College of Counsellors for B.C.
CPCA Representatives Jim Wright, National President; Kristy Higgins, National Vice-President; and Tom Brooks, BC President, Task Group Representatives Duncan Shields, BCACC President, Jim Browne, BCACC Director and Glenn Griggs, CCPA Director met with Daryl Beckett, Director of Professional Regulation, Christine Massey, Executive Director and Anne Mar, Director of Mental Health & Addictions on Monday May 16, 2011 in Vancouver BC.
The following highlights summarize the results of the meeting:
Meeting of the Transitional Council of the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario
The Transitional Council (TC) met for its regular full meeting after the meeting in May had been cancelled to allow all committees to finish adjustments to the draft regulations in response to public stakeholder input.
The usual business of a Board meeting (call to order; approval of agenda) was followed by presentation by Stephen Cheng Sr., a Policy Analyst with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in Ontario.
Notes by Sabine Cox: 
Ontario Transition Council Reports 169.57 Kb
The Government of British Columbia Health Regulatory Department has asked the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA) and the Task Group to submit "facts" that report the pros and cons of the creation of a "competency based" College of Counselling Therapists for British Columbia:
BC Proposal Revised 450.62 Kb
The Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA) is a Canadian non-profit Society registered in accordance with the National Corporate Registry of Canada. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors which is elected annually by the members of the Association.
The CPCA has a long history of providing a regulatory body with the goal of ensuring the protection of the public and ensuring members of the CPCA are qualified to provide counselling services. The CPCA has recently commenced a legal action against the Provincial Government as a result of conduct which the CPCA believes discriminates against its members and affects the treatment of individuals who have gambling issues in British Columbia.
Read more...
The BC government seems not interested in a “diplomacy” approach to solve the Problem Gambling issue with the CPCA. Many of the BC gov’t Ministries (including Problem Gambling) have colluded with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (formerly the CCA and now the CCPA) and the BCACC, British Columbia Registered Clinical counsellors(RCC’s) and are minimum Master’s degree proponents. Also the CCPA are quite openly trying to lure CPCA, Master’s degree members to their Association, while promoting disparaging statements regarding the CPCA and its membership.
2011 Utendale Legal Commentary144.58 KB
The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and Mr. Bryce have agreed to allow the CPCA to post the Utendale case legal commentary at the Association's website. All rights in this Commentary remain with the BCACC and Mr. Bryce.
