Compromising Safety in the Name of Access

HEADLINE: Compromising Safety in the Name of Access

STATEMENT:

Ontario’s mental health system is already under immense pressure, and the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) warns that lowering professional standards will only make things worse. Recent CPBAO proposals threaten to strip away educational standards and safeguards, flooding the system with undertrained clinicians and putting the public at risk. Studies show that poorly trained providers are more likely to use unproven treatments and practice outside of their scopes, a dangerous gamble when dealing with complex conditions like depression, PTSD, autism, or ADHD. Psychologists and Psychological Associates have the advanced training needed in diagnosis, evidence-based care, ethics, and supervision to protect Ontarians and deliver effective outcomes.  

With youth mental health needs increasing and diagnostic presentations becoming more complex, now is the time to strengthen quality, not dilute it. Lowering standards is not just bad policy, it’s a direct threat to public safety. The OPA appreciates all efforts to advance an innovative strategy that strengthens both the quality and accessibility of mental health services in Ontario. However, the changes proposed by the CPBAO veer drastically from nationally recognized and well-respected high standards in Ontario and some other provincial jurisdictions. They significantly reduce the number of training hours for Master’s level clinicians, while simultaneously reducing the safeguards, such as the comprehensive ethics exam and eliminating entirely the oral licensing exam, arguably the most important gatepost before all registrants become fully licensed.

Why should Ontarians be concerned about the government and CPBAO accepting one of the lowest standards of training and weakening or eliminating licensing exams in Ontario? For complex mental health issues, Ontarians need access to highly trained psychologists and psychological associates who can accurately evaluate presenting symptoms, rule out other possible diagnoses, and provide evidence-based care. This expertise and advanced knowledge are what maximize the chances of effective treatment outcomes and protect the quality of mental health services people rely on.

Psychologists play a critical role in Ontario’s mental health system by offering evidence-based treatment and the diagnostic clarity that physicians, psychiatrists, and even the courts rely on in complex cases, such as in neuropsychological, custody, and forensic evaluations. Accurate diagnosis is essential, and the cost of misdiagnosis is high, both for individuals and the system. While increasing access to psychological services must remain a priority, simply expanding the number of practitioners without ensuring sufficient training risks more misdiagnoses, greater public confusion about provider qualifications, rising costs through title upgrades without substance, and increased disability claims from a flood of novice diagnosticians. The proper path forward is to expand access while maintaining the standards of care Ontarians deserve. 

Any proposed regulatory reform to the profession must safeguard quality and prioritize public protection, especially given Ontario’s growing youth mental health needs. We need to balance this with enhanced access. Ontario deserves the best of both when it comes to its mental health. 

Any calls to lower the standards in this province in the name of access do not make sense.

QUOTE:

"The OPA welcomes open dialogue on improving access to mental health care, but lowering professional standards is not the answer. Psychology has long been one of Ontario’s most trusted professions in healthcare. The best way forward is to work together on solutions that expand services while safeguarding the safety, quality, and trust that Ontarians expect and deserve.”

Dr. Laura Nichols, OPA President

CALL FOR ACTION:

In spite of the College Council's recent vote for changes designed to lower the standards, the OPA will continue to advocate for retaining training and accreditation standards that ensure psychologists will remain the trusted professionals the public has known. We welcome constructive dialogue with the College and Ministry.