CAP does not have practice advisors/consultants or a “guidance” department. CAP does not provide specific (or direct) practice, business, or legal advice, as it presents potential conflicts of interest with our primary public protection mandate (per Bill 46, Health Statutes Amendment Act).

Should you wish to consult about a specific client, specific business practice, or legal concern, you should contact the Psychologists' Association of Alberta, an expert colleague, a lawyer, and/or other sources of expertise.

The matter of incorporation is governed by the Health Professions Act (HPA) and not by CAP. However, we have written about this topic in the past because it is a question we receive a lot. Please see The CAP Monitor Issue 51 (pages 8-9). Note that the HPA section referred to in the article is 109. Information regarding incorporation begins at section 103 of the current HPA.

The short answer is that psychologists are not authorized under the HPA to operate as a Professional Corporation. CAP recommends that regulated members seek advice from an accountant and a (regulatory) lawyer about incorporating their business. CAP cannot provide guidance on titles of incorporation, such as Ltd., LLP, etc.. 

The basic information for out-of-jurisdiction practice is that a psychologist must follow the rules of the jurisdiction where the client is located. Some jurisdictions allow outside psychologists to practice with these clients on a temporary basis, but it depends. Some give official temporary permission (like we do), but a psychologist must apply. Many jurisdictions list this information right on the website (search courtesy registration or temporary permission or similar). You can read about CAP's own rules under the "Registration" menu, in a section entitled: "Courtesy (Temporary) Applicants". You will note an ACPRO Memorandum of Understanding document located there as well, which may change the restrictions on interprofessional practice depending on where the clients are that you wish to serve. 

CAP has also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Nunavut permits CAP regulated members to practice telepsychology to patients/clients in Nunavut from their offices in Alberta without obtaining a Nunavut license. Read the MOU here.

Further guidance regarding these kinds of questions is found in the following Practice Guidelines:

• Use of Technology
• Professional Regulation and Psychologists

Please note that "client" may refer to any person receiving services from a psychologist, including other psychologists receiving consultation or supervision services.

Generally, a psychologist registered with CAP may provide services to clients who are physically located in Alberta while the psychologist is physically located elsewhere. Because the clients are located in Alberta, the services remain subject to Alberta’s requirements for the practice of psychology and to CAP’s regulatory oversight.

However, the psychologist’s own physical location is also relevant. The jurisdiction in which the psychologist is located may regulate the provision of psychology services from within that jurisdiction, even when the clients are located elsewhere. Psychologists must therefore determine whether they are permitted to provide the services from that location and whether registration or authorization is required there (by asking the relevant jurisdiction, not CAP).

Standard 6.1.5 requires psychologists to:

“ensure they are abiding by all professional regulations of the jurisdiction in which the recipient of services and the psychologist are physically situated, and ensure they are registered in both jurisdictions if required by the relevant regulatory body(ies).”

Accordingly, a CAP-registered psychologist providing services to clients in Alberta from another jurisdiction must:

• continue to comply with Alberta legislation, CAP’s Standards of Practice, and other applicable requirements; and
• confirm and comply with any requirements of the jurisdiction in which the psychologist is physically located.

Whether the arrangement is permitted may depend on the requirements of that other jurisdiction and the particular circumstances of the practice.

First, read the section of the Standards of Practice on Competence. This includes a standard on adding new areas of practice. Ultimately, this is a self-managed endeavour that can be more or less robust depending on how the individual psychologist engages in it. The Standards of Practice suggest the need for things like consultation with experts, training, education, and supervision. 

If you want to provide a new professional service to clients, you must ensure that you have the competence to do so. To determine this, consider consulting widely enough to have meaningfully sufficient information about what competence in a certain area of practice requires. Then, undertake sufficient education, training, and supervision to ensure you are practicing competently. You should document your efforts and the steps you have taken.

There will not be a single nor simple answer to what it takes to build competence in a certain area of practice, but wide consultation with wise experts, meaningful reflection and self-assessment, and legitimate environmental benchmarking can certainly help. It is useful to consider competence in retrospect, as well. Imagine needing to justify working in an area that was never a part of your initial Supervision Plan. What would a group of your reasonable and well-informed peers expect from you to justify your work in that area and how would you support your claim at competence? 

Your yearly practice permit renewal includes a section where you declare the kind of work you do. Everything you do should be represented there. If you want to include specific activities undertaken to add new areas of competence, you may record this in your Continuing Competence Program. However, this is not a requirement. CAP does not require you to notify us about new areas of practice, specifically. We encourage you to keep your own records.

Questions of this nature fall under requests for guidance that CAP cannot provide.

Many questions about record retention, file release, and similar, are questions that involve legislation or are of a legal nature. In these cases, it is advised that psychologists seek professional advice from a regulatory lawyer, either privately or through their professional liability insurance provider (or both). 

As with all clinical issues and ethical decisions, it is helpful to consult broadly with trusted colleagues, clinical supervisors, and legal experts; to be open-minded, self-reflective, and diligent; and to document all consultations, courses of action, and course corrections.

Like many decisions psychologists make, you must decide about courses of action that most align with relevant standards and legislation, with fidelity to the ethics and rights that underpin our very standards and legislation. Navigating gray areas when no specific standard can tell you exactly what to do can be challenging, but broad consultation and deep reflection are the keys to arriving at a decision you can be confident in.

Beyond the section on Fees in the Standards of Practice, you can consult the Practice Guideline on Fees and Related Financial Information for Psychologists. If your question is not answered there, you are likely in the realm of consultation and deliberate reflection in order to come to a defensible answer. 

Supervision is a rich area of practice and comes with many important ethical considerations.

Importantly, supervision is a professional service and is thus governed by the Standards of Practice. Your work as a supervisor/supervisee should conform to those standards. Furthermore, the Standards for Supervision of Registered Provisional Psychologists hold just as much weight as the Standards of Practice, and you must be exceedingly familiar with these standards and follow them closely as a supervisor and supervisee.

Note that CAP has Supervision Consultants when needed (see the Registration and Supervision section of our website). Otherwise, a call to PAA's Professional Guidance Program or to other consultants/experts may be warranted.