The College of Psychologists of Ontario is the regulatory college for the profession of psychology in Ontario, Canada. It sets the standards for the provision of psychological services by Psychologists and Psychological Associates. The College maintains a register of all currently registered practitioners.
Profile
Through its committees, the College carries out various responsibilities, such as:
Setting requirements for entry to practice and administer the oral and written registration examinations
Registering qualified Psychologists and Psychological Associates
Setting and monitoring practice standards and ethical behaviour of the profession
Providing educational materials and information to the public and the profession regarding the practice of psychology
Investigating complaints and addressing concerns about the quality of service delivered that have not been resolved satisfactorily between the client and practitioner
Publications
The College publishes a bulletin quarterly and began publishing an e-Bulletin in June 2010. Issues of the bulletin are available for both members of the profession as well as members of the public. The bulletin articles provide information about elections, changes within the council, regulation changes, amendments, and other current events relating to the College. A message from the current president is featured in the bulletin. The College of Psychologists of Ontario also prepare an annual report detailing its activities and financial affairs. Articles from the bulletin and the annual reports can be found on the official .
Affiliate organizations
These are various organizations affiliated with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards
Canadian Psychological Association
*Ontario Psychological Association
*Ontario Association of Psychological Associates
History
The College of Psychologists set the boundaries and standards that need to be met between psychologists and/or psychological associates and their client. These are outlined in the Standards of Professional Conduct. The College also provides steps that doctors need to take to protect a patient's privacy, in what is called the Privacy Requirements Checklist for Health Practitioners. These guidelines and policies were established for psychologists and psychological associates to implement consistency in service and satisfaction for patients in Ontario.
Founding
The College of Psychologists of Ontario was established in 1960 through the Psychologists Registration Act. In Canada, it became the first psychology regulatory legislation. The College recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of Psychology regulation in Ontario. The ceremony was attended by many former and current council members including Dr. Barbara Wand, Former Board member and chair, as well as Jack Schaffer, President of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Board.
The Council of the College of Psychologists of Ontario is the governing body of the College. The Council sets policies and provides leadership and direction to the profession. There are 18 Council member positions: eight professional members elected by the profession from across the province, one being a non-voting member; three appointed academic members; and, a maximum of eight members of the public appointed by the provincial government. The Council meets four times a year and meetings are open to the public.
Prospective members
In Ontario, there are two regulated titles respecting the practice of psychology. For the title psychologist, one requires a doctorate degree in psychology. For the title psychological associate, one requires a master's degree in psychology and at least four years of relevant, post-master's degree experience. For new applicants, each title consists of two types of certificates available according to Ontario Regulation 533/98, Registration.
The Certificate Authorizing Supervised Practice is intended for persons who have not previously been registered for psychological service provision in any jurisdiction, or who have been registered less than five years in a jurisdiction where the requirements are not comparable to Ontario requirements; or
The Certificate Authorizing Interim Autonomous Practice is intended for individuals:
