Policies & Resources

Members of the OAMHP are governed by our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice regulation. For further clarification, we've also outlined documentation pertaining to what we consider an accredited institution for the purposes of applying for membership; as well as, supervisory requirements to participate in the liability insurance program we offer. 

This section also outlines federal and provincial laws that mental health professionals must be aware of and follow.

OAMHP Policies

Privacy Legislation

Every OAMHP member who is in independent practice should be aware of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Health Care Consent Act. Everyone who has a private, independent practice will need to have the following documents on file:

  • A full privacy policy, and an appointed privacy officer (usually the practitioner herself or himself);
  • A brochure or outline of the information contained in this document which is to be handed out to clients. This information needs to on to them in "user-friendly" language; and.
  • A confidentiality agreement, signed by the client, indicating that they have read, understood and have agreed to the contents.

If you are in independent practice and employ staff or hire consultants, you must have similar such documents for them as well.

If you work for an agency, an EAP provider, a community health centre, or a similar organization, it is likely that the organization has its own privacy policy in place. You should check to make sure you are aware of the contents, and that the clients you are seeing on their behalf have access to an information brochure.

There are ten principles contained in this legislation and you need to be able to document how you are responding to each principle.

Your client brochure should also contain an explanation of the Federal government's position with respect to businesses (in this case, practices) conducting commercial activities, and point out how you are responding to PIPEDA to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of your clients and your staff.

Applicable Canadian privacy legislation has been in place since January 1, 2004. As a mental health professional, it is essential that you have a privacy policy in place that includes:

  1. A user-friendly client brochure; and,
  2. A confidentiality agreement.
For more information, please view The Privacy Tool Kit created by the Privacy Commission.

Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics is intended to guide members in their everyday conduct, thinking, and planning, and in the resolution of ethical dilemmas; that is, it advocates the practice of both proactive and reactive ethics. It also is intended to serve as a guide for the development of our Standards of Practice. 

Standards of Practice

Members are expected to ensure that their activities and/or those conducted under their direction comply with relevant statutes and regulations that apply to the provision of mental health services as outlined by the Standards of Practice.

Privacy Policy

The document below governs the collection and use of personal information by OAMHP. 

By-Law Documentation

Below you'll find the OAMHP By-Laws, as voted upon and approved by the membership at the last Annual General Meeting.

In order to access this document, you will be prompted to log in to your OAMHP account.

Once logged in, click the document library tab to view the current By-Laws.

Email Broadcast Policy

The OAMHP offers the opportunity to share your mental health related event, training, job posting, office space advertisement or service to over 3,000 mental health professionals across Ontario.

Before submitting a request, please take a look at our policy regarding what we accept as appropriate content to share with our members.

Accredited Institutions Criteria

Our Association will consider any academic credentials obtained from an accredited post-secondary institution in Canada and the U.S.

'Accredited' for purposes of admissions signifies that the program or institution is:

1) Recognized at the Provincial level by the relevant ministry of training as a degree-granting institution (ie Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) or;

2) Listed in the U.S. Department of Education Accreditation database

3) Canada-wide accredited schools (see the list here)

Additionally, the online Masters in Counselling Psychology programs at Yorkville University and Athabasca University also meet our criteria for accredited institutions eligible for admissions.  Graduates of programs from any of the above institutions can be considered for membership with the OAMHP.

For credentials obtained outside of Canada and the U.S., any degrees received overseas (and relevant to your practice as a mental health professional) must be evaluated by an equivalency service for consideration in the admissions process. The three services that we recognize (at the suggestion of the Government of Ontario) are:

After we have received an equivalency report on your credentials we will be able to determine what, if any, type of membership we can offer to you. The OAMHP needs only the document-by-document report; we do not need the course-by-course report.

Supervision Policies

General, Certified and Retired members are able to access the group liability insurance rate without supervision.

Student and Affiliate members must be supervised by an eligible supervisor to access the group liability insurance rate.  Supervision for insurance purposes denotes a formally established relationship of consultation with a senior/regulated mental health services provider in the event that a member should meet a practice issue beyond their expertise.

An eligible supervisor is either:

  • A certified member of OAMHP (they have the letter ‘C’ in their membership number); or
  • A member of a regulated mental health college (e.g. a registered psychotherapist, psychologist, social worker with MSW, psychiatrist or physician with two years of training in psychotherapy). Your supervisor’s college must have a mental health focus.

If you are a student or affiliate member looking to access the group liability insurance rate, a letter from your eligible supervisor must be sent to the OAMHP and contain the following information:

  • OAMHP member’s full name;
  • Supervisor’s full name;
  • Their certification number with OAMHP or their registration number with their college;
  • The letter must explicitly confirm that the supervisor is certified with OAMHP or registered with the name of their college;
  • Two to three sentences about the supervision arrangement; and,
  • Their signature and contact information
  • Current date

The letter can be

  • Scanned and emailed to membership@oamhp.ca
  • Faxed to (416) 298-9593
  • Mailed to 586 Eglinton Ave E., Suite 410, Toronto, ON  M4P 1P2

Resources

Proclamation of the Controlled Act of Psychotherapy

Legislative changes concerning psychotherapy were proclaimed into force on December 30th, 2017. These developments affect those who practise psychotherapy and/or those who wish to use the title “psychotherapist”.

On April 1, 2015, the government proclaimed into force the provisions of the Psychotherapy Act which created the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

What does this mean for you?

As of December 31st, 2019, the performance of the controlled act of psychotherapy is restricted to members of the following regulatory colleges:

Information About Professional Regulation

In Canada, the regulation of trades and professions is done at the provincial level. The typical model for professions is self-regulation. Self-regulation refers to an approach or system where regulatory powers are delegated (in the case of the CRPO, through the Regulated Health Professions Act by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care) to a body that is comprised of members of the profession and that has the responsibility of protecting the public’s right to safe, effective and ethical health care.

Registration with CRPO

This video is a quick and easy way for new registrants to get oriented to their obligations and timelines once they've joined CRPO.

Registered Psychotherapists Insurance Committee (RPIC)

Helping RPs gain inclusion in third-party benefits!

The OAMHP is a key member of the Registered Psychotherapist Insurance Committee (RPIC), a joint committee dedicated to advancing third-party insurance coverage and recognition of RPs.

Click here for more information.

Associations and Directories

Research and Educational Resources

Have a resource you think should be here?

Contact services-coordinator@oamhp.ca to propose the addition of a new resource!