Registered Psychotherapist Defence Lawyers

Registered Psychotherapist Defence Lawyers for all of Ontario

Despite being a relatively new College, the lawyers at Damien Frost & Associates LLP have experience defending Registered Psychotherapists across Ontario.

If you are being investigated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario or have received notice that your practice is being examined, it is important to speak to a lawyer as soon as possible to protect your professional reputation.

Registered Psychotherapist complaints lawyer for the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario

If you have been notified by the College that a complaint was made against you or that the College received information alleging that your practice has fallen below the College’s standards, you should seek immediate legal assistance.

Complaints or allegations of professional misconduct can come to the College’s attention through various ways. A patient or family member could submit a written complaint about your practice or conduct, or an organization or employer can provide information about an incident. No matter how a complaint comes to the College’s attention, you should seek immediate legal assistance. The lawyers at our firm can help respond to complaints and investigations and do everything possible to avoid action being taken against you, which would put your reputation and career at risk.

A complaint has been made against me, now what?

Upon receipt of a written complaint, the College is required to provide you with a copy of the complaint and the opportunity to respond in writing to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (“the ICRC”) within thirty (30) days. A complaint made about your practice or conduct to the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario is a serious matter.

Your written submissions to the ICRC will then be provided to the person or organization that made the complaint, who will have the opportunity to provide any further information if necessary. The ICRC will then have to decide how to adjudicate your matter. The ICRC can decide to take no action, offer advice or recommendations about your practice, order that you take additional training or courses, issue a written caution, or refer your matter to the Discipline Committee for a hearing. If the ICRC decides to do anything other than take no action or offer advice, the matter will be made public and posted on the College’s website and your profile. Given the risks that the ICRC’s decision can result in damaging your professional reputation, or result in being referred to the Discipline Committee for a hearing, it is critical that you get the assistance from an experienced lawyer to assist you in responding to a complaint and writing submissions to the ICRC. Our lawyers have significant experience representing registered psychotherapists and writing submissions to the ICRC. Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your matter.

What is a Report of Investigation?

Like a complaint, the College can investigate your practice if it receives information from an individual or organization that you have committed an act of professional misconduct. For example, the College may be notified by a former employer that you were terminated after an incident with a patient where confidential information was disclosed to third parties without the patient’s consent. If you receive notice that investigators have been appointed to investigate your practice, you should speak to a lawyer. At the end of the College’s investigation, you will be provided with a report summarizing the incident and allegations of professional misconduct made against you.

Upon receipt of the report, you have the right to make written submissions to the ICRC. Like responding to a complaint, written submissions to the ICRC should be drafted by a lawyer with experience representing registered psychotherapists before the College.

Given the range of options available to the ICRC to adjudicate your matter, you should seek legal assistance to respond to the College or the ICRC on your behalf. An unfavourable decision from the ICRC can have a serious impact on your professional reputation and standing, as they can be posted on the College’s website and your public profile. Contact our firm today to schedule a free consultation to discuss how we can help to protect your reputation and do everything to avoid being referred to the Discipline Committee for a hearing.

Lawyers for Matters before the Discipline Committee of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario

Our lawyers have significant experience representing registered psychotherapists and other healthcare professionals before the Discipline Committee. Hearings before the Discipline Committee are just like trials. Being found guilty of professional misconduct can significantly impact, or even end your career. The Discipline Committee can impose a wide range of penalties, all of which can cause irreparable damage to your reputation and career.

In addition to the penalties imposed following a discipline hearing, all decisions made by the Discipline Committee are published on the College’s website and your public profile. Hearing before the Discipline Committee are open to the public and are taken seriously by the College, who will have its own lawyer present to prosecute the case against you. Given the stakes of a finding of professional misconduct, you should seek immediate legal assistance if you are provided with a Notice of Hearing or advised that your matter has been referred to the Discipline Committee.

Apart from conducting contested hearings before the Discipline Committee, our lawyers are also experienced in dealing with the College and negotiating favourable resolutions to protect your professional reputation and ability to practice. Before deciding whether to have a contested hearing or accept the College’s position on a guilty plea, you should have a lawyer who is experienced dealing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists provide you with an opinion regarding the strength of the College’s case and your chances of success at a contested hearing.

Contact Damien Frost & Associates LLP Today!

Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation to discuss how our lawyers can help and provide you with the guidance and experience that your case deserves. We can provide you with an opinion on the merits of your case and do everything we can to protect your licence and reputation.