The following are summaries of three decisions of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee reflecting three different dispositions. They are provided for educational purposes. Information in these summaries has been altered to protect the privacy of both members and complainants, and to protect the confidentiality of the investigation process. The relevant substance of the allegations and outcomes remain unchanged.
Supervisee Self-representation: Decision – Advice to Member
The College received a complaint about a member’s conduct with respect to public statements made by the member’s supervisee. Specifically, this supervisee stated on her website that she was a Psychologist. This supervisee was not, in fact, a member of the College.
The panel of the ICRC considering this matter noted that the member did not appear to be aware of his supervisee’s online statements. The panel further noted that when this information was brought to the member’s attention, he addressed the issue in a timely manner and the inaccurate website information was corrected. The Panel also believed however, that the presence of inaccurate information regarding a supervisee’s professional status poses some risks to the public. In particular, the panel believed that inaccurate information could lead to misconceptions regarding the scope of services a supervisee can provide, as well as misunderstanding of the roles and duties of the supervisor. The panel therefore, decided to provide the member with Advice in this regard.
The Member’s Role in an Assessment: Decision – Take No Further Action
A client complained that a member’s report was inaccurate because the member did not indicate that most of the assessment was, in fact, conducted by an associate. The client stated that she only met with the member for half an hour.
The panel of the ICRC considering this matter did not believe that the member’s conduct posed a risk to the public. The panel noted that there was no disagreement between the member and the client with respect to the time they spent together. Furthermore, there was no indication or implication in the report that the member had conducted the entire interview or administered all the tests personally. The panel therefore decided to Take No Further Action with respect to the complaint.
Inadequate Information to Support Conclusions: Decision – Acknowledgement & Undertaking
The College received a complaint from an individual who underwent a psychological assessment at an insurer’s request. The client alleged that, for various reasons, the assessment was inadequate, and the conclusions were not based upon current, reliable, adequate and appropriate information.
The panel of the ICRC considering this matter noted that there were several issues with the report that posed moderate to high risks to the public. The panel believed that the tests the member chose to administer did not give an accurate picture of the client’s functioning. The panel also noted an apparent disconnect between the diagnoses made and the member’s recommendations. The panel was concerned that an inadequate assessment could negatively affect the client’s psychological health and well-being, as well as their future access to health services, entitlement to benefits, and overall standard of living. The panel therefore determined that an Acknowledgement and Undertaking, which included a coaching program to address and remediate these concerns, would be appropriate.