Licensure is Here!
Dear Readers,
I am very excited to let you know of the progress we have made with licensure FINALLY! And so I wish to share a few urgent details on the matter.
Licensure of all practicing psychologists and counsellors has been approved and mandated by the Council of Professions Allied to Medicine (CPAM) (formerly called the Council of Professions Supplementary to Medicine). This is the Council that will adjudicate all matters related to licensure as a practicing professional, ethical issues / concerns and will also approve and monitor continuing education units (CEUs)
JamPsych had to be approved and registered by the Council and one representative elected to sit on the Council, and that person is the President. Other professions governed by CPAM include nutritionists, dieticians, audiologists, and physiotherapists, to name a few. The Council members meet once per month.
All practicing psychologists and counsellors are being asked to submit their applications (available here) with supporting documents by March 9, 2016 with a fee of J$4000.00 for first-time applicants (April 1, 2016 – Mar 30, 2017). Subsequent renewals will attract an annual cost of $2000.00 and at that time, on April 1, 2017, proof of 18 CEUs will be required for the past year. These documents are to be sent to Registrar, CPAM, 1st floor, Rooms 1-3, 50 Half Way Tree Road, Kingston 5.
As you may have realized, the Council works through the associations which they register, and as such all applicants for licensure must be active (paid-up) members in JamPsych in order to become licensed. This is mandatory according to CPAM’s regulations.
Licensure will be offered in 5 categories at 2 levels: Clinical Psychologist, Counseling Psychologist, Educational or School Psychologist, Applied-Social Psychologist and Professional Counsellor (in addition to the Associate (Masters) levels in each category). Each level will also include a notation regarding the qualification for conducting psychological assessments. Please see our Scope of Practice on our website for details of same.
Feel free to send an email to jampsychpresident@gmail.com or jampsychmembership@gmail.com for any further clarification.
Other Details about Licensure
Fees sent by post should be paid by cheque or money order, made payable to The Council Professions Supplementary to Medicine, and crossed “a/c payee only”. No other method of payment sent by post will be accepted. No application will be considered unless fees have been paid. Registration fee is non-refundable.
Should you apply for registration in a name other than that appearing on your academic or professional qualification, evidence of name change is to be submitted; for example, a certified copy of a marriage certificate.
Before you sign your application form, you should read, date and sign the Council’s statement relating to Infamous Conduct.
On acceptance of your registration, the following particulars are entered in the Council’s register:
· Full name, title, decoration and honours
· Home address, practice address
· Academic or professional qualifications, as approved by Council and you may use the title “State Registered”
· Where supporting documents are not in English, the document must be translated, verified and sealed by an approved institution.
Any additional academic or professional qualifications acquired after initial registration may be added, if Council approves them.
In addition to your home address, each registrant is required to provide a practice address. You are also required to notify Council of any change of your addresses.
Please note that initial registration is prerequisite to employment, and re-registration is necessary to protect your professional status.
The Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act (1965), and Regulations relating thereto, legislates registration and re-registration.
