Credentialing Requirements

Criteria for Listing

A. Regular Registrant Category

Recognizing the current diversity of entrance to practice requirements in Canadian provinces/territories, the following options have been adopted:

1(1) Eligibility for listing with the Register requires that a psychologist meets all the following criteria:

(a) Be registered, certified, or licensed as a psychologist for the independent practice of psychology in the province or territory in which the psychologist practices.

(b) Have a doctorate degree acceptable to the regulatory organization in the province or territory in which the psychologist practices.

(c) Have two years of supervised experience in health service, of which at least one year is postdoctoral and one year (may be postdoctoral year) is in an organized health service setting. (total min. 3000 hours)

1(2) Notwithstanding subsection 1(1)(a) above, a psychologist who practises in a province or territory which does not have statutory provisions for the registration, certification or licensing of psychologists, may be listed in the Register provided:

(a) They hold a doctorate degree acceptable to the Register;

(b) Meet the requirements of subsection 1(1)(c) above.

2(1) Notwithstanding section 1, the following criteria of membership may be substituted for those in section 1:

(a) Be registered, certified, or licensed as a psychologist for the independent practice of psychology in the province or territory in which the psychologist practices, and

(b) Have a doctorate degree acceptable to the regulatory organization in the province or territory in which the psychologist practices and have attained 4 years of acceptable experience in a health services setting, (total min. 6000 hours)

2(2) Notwithstanding subsection 2(1)(a), a psychologist who practices in a province or territory which does not have statutory provisions for the registration, certification or licensing of psychologists, may be listed in the Register provided they:

(a) Hold a doctorate degree acceptable to the Register and have attained 4 years of acceptable experience in a health services setting; (total min. 6000 hours)

B. Temporary Registrant Category

3(1) Notwithstanding Sections 1 and 2, a psychologist who:

(a) is registered, certified, or licensed as a psychologist for the independent practice of psychology in the province or territory in which the psychologist practices, and

(b) has a doctorate degree acceptable to the regulatory organization in the province or territory in which the psychologist practices.

(c) is engaged in the provision of psychological health services in an organized health service setting or a health service setting within the meaning of those terms in this by-law but who has not yet accrued the experience necessary for permanent listing, may be temporarily listed in the register for a period not to exceed six years from the date of initial temporary listing.

3(2) As a condition of temporary listing, the Registrant shall be required to provide such information regarding her/his program of practice in health service settings the Register may from time to time require.

3(3) Temporary Registrants shall acknowledge that the temporary listing does not give them any other rights beyond those of the temporary listing and that they must satisfy all requirements established by the Register before permanent listing is granted.

Explanatory Note

Psychologists admitted to temporary listing are subject to the same general conditions and the same privileges as regular Registrants. However, they must also complete an Annual Report on their provision of psychological health services. Temporary Registrants subsequently receive an annual letter confirming the accrued experience which has been recognized by the Canadian Register. When the criteria for regular listing have been meet, Temporary Registrants are transferred to the permanent list without any special charge or other formality.

C. Retired Registrant Category

Registrants

4(1) who have been Registrant Members for a period of a least ten (10) consecutive years; and,

4(2) who had been registered, certified or licensed for the independent practice of psychology for a period of at least ten (10) consecutive years with a regulatory body in the province or territory in which he/she practised; and,

4(3) who attest to the fact that he/she is no longer engaged in the active practice of psychology, may be admitted to the Register of Retired Registrants.

D. Associates Program

Criteria of Eligibility:

Eligibility for listing in the Associates Program requires that an individual meet the following criteria:

1) Be a graduate student in a recognized education and training program leading to licensure as a psychologist.

Duration:

Associates may remain in the Associates Program for a maximum of seven years. An extension of this period will be considered for approval.

Definitions

1) A Health Service Psychologist is defined as a psychologist, certified/licensed or registered to practice independently in his/her province/territory, who is duly trained and experienced, and whose professional practice includes the delivery of health promotion, or preventive services, or assessment and therapeutic intervention services to individuals, couples, families, or groups whose growth, adjustment, or functioning is actually impaired or is demonstrably at risk of impairment.

1b) Registrant or Canadian Registrant means a Registrant of the Canadian Register of Health Service Psychologists (CR / CRHSP); CR-NR Member means the standing that Canadian Registrants have that is recognized by both CRHSP and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.

2) An Organized Health Service Setting is an organization, institution or agency, or part thereof, established to provide health and/or mental health care services, with defined health service programs and a defined system of supervision. They could include a general hospital, a mental/psychiatric hospital or a rehabilitation hospital, an auxiliary hospital, a mental health/rehabilitation clinic or centre local de services communautaires (CLSC), centre de services sociaux (CSS), and psychology services of school boards, colleges and universities, as well as others as may from time to time be designated by the Board of Directors.

3) A Health Service Setting is an institution or organization or part of an institution or organization established and clearly identified as existing for the provision of health services, or an office, or equivalent facility from which a health service psychologist offers a psychological service to a client or clients for a fee.

4) Supervised Experience means acceptable experience under the supervision of a person acceptable to the Board of Directors.

5) Registered, Certified, or Licensed means registered, certified, or licensed by a provincial/territorial regulatory organization for the independent practice of psychology in that province or territory.

6) Independent Practice means practice without the statutory or regulatory requirement for supervision.

7) Four years of post-doctoral experience (without the qualifier “supervised”) means a minimum of 6000 hours of acceptable experience in the practice of psychology accrued over a period of not less than four years. This definition applies to Criteria 2(1), and 2(2).

8)

i. One year of supervised experience means a minimum of 1500 hours of acceptable experience which includes at least 100 hours of direct individual supervision, over a period of not less than 12 months.

ii. In the case of group supervision, two hours shall count as one hour in calculating the aggregate total.

iii. Acceptable supervised experience refers to direct, formal contact with an experienced psychologist who is responsible for the educational development and guidance of the supervisee. Acceptable supervised experience does not include classwork, or other course related experiences.

iv. Acceptable supervised experience is that in which health services in psychology are directly provided by the applicant to individuals or groups of patients/clients. The applicant’s own personal growth experience (e.g., personal therapy, encounter groups) is not acceptable. Supervision of others is not acceptable.

9) Some applied graduate teaching can at times be construed as acceptable health service experience if this teaching is designed to provide graduate students with health service skills (e.g., diagnostic abilities, interviewing skills, therapeutic intervention skills). Direct face-to-face supervision of clinical cases is a prime example. Such teaching, however, can never comprise more than 75% of the aggregate hours of health service experience necessary to qualify for listing.

10) For the purpose of determining eligibility for the Register of Retired Registrants, “No longer engaged in the active practice of psychology” means no longer providing psychological services as that term would be understood in any Canadian jurisdiction.

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