91视频

No. You鈥檙e free to decide whom to provide services to and are not obligated to accept every new client referral. There are many reasons why you may not be able to accept a client, including scope/competence, caseload, waitlist length, or proper 鈥渇it.鈥�

When deciding whether to discontinue services, the client鈥檚 needs and best interests should always come first. That said, there may be valid reasons you can鈥檛 continue, such as retirement, closing your practice, if you can no longer remain objective (Standard 12.1) or if the service is no longer likely to benefit the client ().

However, even when there is a valid reason, you cannot discontinue services unless at least one of the following applies:

• the client requests the discontinuation,
• the client withdraws from the service,
• reasonable efforts are made to arrange alternative services,
• the client is given a reasonable opportunity to arrange alternative services, or
• continuing to provide the services would place you at serious personal risk.
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You should give clients reasonable notice before discontinuing services and referral options for alternate services (Standard 2.3). Sources for referrals could include:

Psychological services

• Transfers to known referral sources
• Referral to other psychologists/psychological associates searchable through the
• Referral to the Ontario Psychological Association鈥檚 electronic 鈥溾��
• Referral to the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals

Applied behavioural analysis services:

• Transfers to known referral sources
• referral to other RBAs searchable through
• Referral to Autism Ontario鈥檚
• Referral to
• Referral to the (鈥极狈罢础叠础鈥�)

Reflection questions:

• Is discontinuing services in the client鈥檚 best interests?
• Have I given enough notice based on the length or nature of each specific case/treatment?
• Have I made a reasonable effort to arrange for alternate services or provide the client with referral options?

If the client doesn鈥檛 respond to repeated attempts to contact them, you may consider this a withdrawal from services. In this scenario, you should document your outreach attempts and send a final notice advising them that if they don鈥檛 respond, you will consider them to have withdrawn from services.

If a client asks to discontinue services, services end immediately. This is similar to a client withdrawing consent for services.

In cases where services end due to a fee increase, and the client is unable or unwilling to pay the new fee, you and the client may determine together the best approach to 鈥榳ind down鈥� services. Ideally, services would continue until a transfer to another provider is secured.

See above for more information on expectations and resources for referrals when discontinuing services.

Reflection questions:

• Have I documented the attempts made to contact the client?
• Have I notified the client that I am considering them to have withdrawn from service?
• Have I worked with the client to determine whether a referral is needed?

No. If you are retired, inactive or no longer a registrant (resigned), you cannot provide any psychological or applied behaviour analysis services of any kind. This includes direct client care, whether independently or under the supervision of another registrant. It also includes, but is not limited to, activities that require application of graduate-level education, training and experience relevant to the profession, such as:

• Consultation
• Program development and evaluation
• Supervision
• Research
• Education and training
• Scholarly activities
• Administration

However, you may still provide information about services you provided while you previously held a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Autonomous Practice.

For example, you may be able to:

• hold yourself out as an expert at a trial involving a former client if they are not providing any new services,
• provide a summary report of past services you delivered while holding an autonomous practice certificate for a third party (without adding any new information/conclusions),
• do administrative work for your practice that does not require application of graduate-level education, training and experience relevant to the profession,
• Respond to access to information requests from former clients.

If you decide to move to a retired certificate and you are the Health Information Custodian (HIC), you must arrange for the secure storage and maintenance of client records in the event of your incapacity or death, and inform 91视频 of these arrangements before you stop providing services. If possible, your designate should be another 91视频 registrant or another health professional (Standard 9.6).

You are not required to maintain liability insurance when holding a retired certificate. However, you should understand how your insurance coverage works, as many plans are 鈥渃laims-based鈥�. This means that registrants must be insured at the time that a complaint is filed, which may be after you stopped providing services.

You may wish to consult with a legal professional before ending your coverage to help you assess the likelihood that a complaint may be filed, as the risk generally decreases over time.

Reflection Questions:

• Have I appointed a designate for your health records and notified 91视频?
• Do I have the appropriate liability coverage for my situation?