Background
CRPO’s application process no longer involves reporting direct client contact (DCC) or clinical supervision hours when applying for registration in the Qualifying category. Documentation to report DCC and clinical supervision hours will be submitted after your application for initial registration is approved and you are issued a certificate of registration.
About Direct Client Contact
Direct client contact is any activity in which the client and the therapist are directly and formally engaged in the psychotherapeutic process. Ordinarily, this process occurs face-to-face, but other forms of direct contact, for example, using telephone, Skype, video-link, or even email (with appropriate considerations for privacy and confidentiality) are relevant. The client may be an individual, couple, family or group.
Also included in direct client contact are:
- interviewing for intake, as long as this activity is clinical in nature and then used to determine the nature and course of the therapy;
- interviewing, administering a test or conducting a formal assessment as part of a clinical interaction with the client; and
- facilitating or actively co-facilitating therapeutic sessions.
The following are not considered direct client contact:
- observing therapy without actively participating or providing follow-up to the client immediately after the observed session;
- record-keeping;
- administrative activities, including report-writing;
- conducting a psychometric assessment that primarily involves administering, scoring and report-writing, with little or no clinical interaction with the client; and
- providing or receiving clinical or other forms of supervision.
About Clinical 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.
Clinical supervision can be individual, dyadic or group. Group supervision may include structured peer group supervision if the supervision is formal and structured and includes at least one group member who meets CRPO’s definition of a clinical supervisor (see below).
Structured peer group supervision differs from group clinical supervision, in that the latter is led by a clinical supervisor, whereas the former includes at least one member who would qualify as a clinical supervisor but is an equal participant (not the leader). Structured peer group supervision often occurs in an institutional setting but may be formalized outside such settings.
Informal “peer supervision” i.e. unstructured discussion of clients with colleagues, is not considered an acceptable form of supervision for registration purposes.