Please replace all previous version of these procedures with this one.
This document should be read in conjunction with the Regulations of the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP). These can be obtained from the EAP office, and will be available in all four languages of the European Association for Psychotherapy or EAP (French, English, German and Russian). Many documents can also be obtained from the EAP web-site: www.europsyche.org. The procedures for recognising National Awarding Organisations (NAOs) and European Wide Accrediting Organisations (EWAOs) are included in these regulations. Further information can be obtained from the co-chairs of the European Training Standards Committee (ETSC), at the EAP office.
Application forms are available from the EAP web-site or from the Head-Office.
The ECP regulations apply to two actions of the EAP: the award of the Certificate, and the creation of a register of Certificate holders. Both of these actions are taken on behalf of the European public as well as on behalf of the practitioner. This is recognized in the fact that many ECP holders advertise this fact, for example by posting a plaque on their wall or displaying their certificate in their offices.
The award of the ECP to a practitioner attests to that practitioner's competence in psychotherapy. A member of the public who goes to an ECP holder can therefore know that he or she is consulting a competent practitioner. However it does not guarantee the ethical standing of a practitioner. The way that professions do that is to maintain a register, and to remove from the register a practitioner whose practice falls below the standards of ethics (or competence) expected of that profession.
The creation of a National Register of ECP holders is therefore as essential an action in the creation of a European profession of psychotherapy as is the award of the ECP.
The ECP may be awarded on the completion of a training done by a EAPTI (European Accredited Psychotherapy Training Institute) that has been accredited by an NAO of the EAP as fulfilling the requirements of the EAP.
This training must also have been approved by the relevant EWAO.
The ECP may also be awarded on the recommendation by an NAO that a practitioner has been long established in the profession and that he or she has accumulated theoretical understanding and practical competence at least as great as that of a practitioner who has completed an accredited training. Each practitioner recommended by this grandparenting procedure must be approved by the relevant EWAO or, if there is none, a special panel of the the European Wide Organisation Committee (EWOC) and the National Umbrella Organizations Committee (the NUOC). This special Grandparenting Accreditation Panel (GAP) is chaired by Mony Elkaïm and Isabelle Crespelle. Correspondence should be sent to them at the EAP head office. It is likely that GAP will meet three times a year, at the time of the Board meeting. Applications for the ECP by grandparenting cannot therefore be dealt with continuously throughout the year for practitioners whose modality is not represented by an EWAO.
For those practitioners whose modality is recognized by an EWAO, EWAOs have agreed to nominate a representative in each country who can act on the behalf of the EWAO as their signatory. It is expected that each NAO will negotiate with the EWAO about this nomination. Once a local representative of the EWAO has been appointed, this should simplify and speed up the process of grandparenting so long as the EWAOs make available to the Registrar the names of each of the authorized signatories.
It has been agreed by the EWOC, and notified to the Board, that each EWAO has six weeks from the date of receiving the name of a practitioner being recommended for the ECP to reply to the NAO as to whether or not the recommendation is approved. If no letter is received by the NAO within six weeks, then the NAO may send the recommendations to the GAP with a letter explaining the circumstances. The GAP will then consider the recommendations at its next meeting.
EWAOs and GAP are reminded that if they do not approve the name of a practitioner, they must provide grounds for their decision to the NAO.
Any recommendations received by the Registrar will not be considered unless the names are submitted on the forms agreed at the Board meeting in Dublin, in June 2000. The Registrar is aware that this might seem unnecessarily bureaucratic, but it has become essential as to ensure that every country follows the same procedures, and no countries are singled out to have favourable or unfavourable treatment; using these forms will result in fewer delays to the process of registration.
Copies of the form are attached to this letter, and have been placed on the EAP web-site. They are available in English, German, French and Russian. NAOs may translate the forms into their own language so long as the exact wording and format is retained. Forms that have been translated into other languages should not be used until they have been submitted to the registrar for approval. Forms should use the logo and title of EAP and not the logo or title of the NAO. Although the NAO awards the ECP, the ECP is owned by the EAP and the process of awarding it is determined by EAP.
A separate form should be completed for each applicant. The forms should be signed by an authorized named person in the NAO and by the EWAO for that modality or, if there is no EWAO, by the chair of GAP. The GAP requests additional documentation (a detailed CV of about 2-3 pages, in English).
Please note that it is the responsibility of the NAO to obtain both signatures. It is important that all part of the form are completed otherwise it may be necessary for the registrar to return the forms to the NAO, causing delay in the award of the ECP.
The completed forms or copies of them, duly signed, should be sent to the Registrar at the address shown at the end of this document. Forms should be sent by post and NAOs are advised to keep copies of the forms before sending them (and to keep the complete file with copies of Certificates).
In order to ensure that all the details on the register of ECP holders are correct, a practitioner registration form has been devised. NAOs must also ensure that each practitioner who is being put forward for grandparenting has a copy of the practitioner registration form to complete. Copies of this are obtainable from the office and on the web. A copy is also appended to this letter. They are available in English, German, French and Russian. NAOs may translate the forms into their own language so long as the exact wording and format is retained. Forms that have been translated into other languages should not be used until they have been submitted to the registrar for approval. Forms should use the logo and title of EAP and not the logo or title of the NAO. Practitioner registration forms will normally be sent to the NAO in the fist instance. NAOs may wish to send a copy of the practitioner registration form to the Registrar and keep the original in their own files. An original print of the personal photograph, and not a copy, should also be sent to EAP Head-Office.
NAOs are also responsible for obtaining the registration fee of each practitioner and sending it on to the EAP head office. This should normally be done only when the NAO has been notified that the award of the ECP has been authorized.
No ECPs can be awarded until a copy of the completed practitioner registration form has been sent to the registrar and the fee has been received in the main office.
The Registrar or his/ her office will keep a record of each applicant, when the Registrar's approval was received, when the fee was received, and when the individual registration form was returned. When all three are complete, the head office will prepare an ECP and send it out to the practitioner. This record will be held in a database which will be accessible over the world wide web to users registered by EAP, who have been given access privileges with a password. Normally, access will be granted only to the Registrar and the registry staff, to nominated persons in the head office, and to the webmaster
The date that the Certificate is sent out will be the date of first registration.
The ECP is awarded for five years, however; registrants must renew their registration fees (30 euros per year for Western Europe countries) every year to ensure that the register of ECP holders is accurate and up-to-date as holders of the certificate and to ensure the political action.
NAOs must ensure that they have procedures in place to deal with a complaint against any practitioner whom they recommended for the award of an ECP. Should EAP receive a complaint against a holder of the ECP, this will be referred to the NAO for action and the NAO will be asked for a report. The names of practitioners may be removed from the register of ECP holders for the following reasons.
1) Failure to pay the registration fee, or to provide re-registration details.
2) Failure to provide a current address
3) On the advice of the National Awarding Organisation responsible for the practitioner.
4) That a practitioner has been awarded the Certificate for more than five years and has not undertaken the continuing professional development that may be required by the EAP.
Numerous requests to change entries on the register have been received since it was created. Changes to the name of the registrant need to be authorized by the NAO. Changes to the postal address used by EAP may be made at any time that they occur, as an up-to-date address is required by EAP for contact to be maintained with registrants. Other changes will normally only be made at the time of re-registration.
The value of the Certificate will depend partly on its uptake by psychotherapists in Europe, and partly by the extent to which it is adopted by governmental, statutory authorities and insurers. It is important that holders of the Certificate, as well as the officers and other representatives of EAP, continue to promote the ECP. The importance of the register is different. It will be published and circulated widely and will be used by referees and clients to find potential psychotherapists. Each practitioner on the register therefore benefits directly.
All documents should be sent to the following address:
Open Association of Psychotherapy
Rosenbursenstrasse 8/3/8
A-1010 WIEN (Austria)
and/or
Serge GINGER
183 rue Lecourbe
75015 PARIS (France)
E-mail: ginger@noos.fr
Summary
What NAOs should do now
Make sure that you have copies of the grandparenting forms
Make sure that you have plenty of copies of the practitioner registration forms
If you want to translate them, do so, but do not change the wording or the format and send the translations to the Registrar for approval
Check that your grandparenting procedures have been approved by the ETSC. Make sure that you have copy of the relevant minute
Think of the modalities in which you want to grandparent practitioners. Contact the EWAO for that modality, if there is one, and ask the EWAO to appoint a representative in your country. If the EWAO does nominate a representative, send the name to the EAP Head-Office and to the Registrar.
What NAOs should do when they want to grandparent a practitioner
· Follow the grandparenting procedures that have been approved by the ETSC
Complete the form entitled Notification by the NAO of recommendations for the award of the ECP by grandparenting' (the notification form). Complete one form for each applicant. If there is an EWAO for the modality, send the forms to the nominated representative of the EWAO in your country. If there is no nominated representative, send the forms to the delegate of that EWAO to the EAP. If there is no EWAO for that modality, the form should be sent to the chairs of the GAP, Mony Elkaïm or Isabelle Crespelle at the EAP head office. Please note that the GAP will ask some additional information about each practitioner (detailed CV in English).
If you have sent the form to an EWAO and they have not replied within six week, you may send the form to the GAP with an explanatory letter, and they will consider approval. In such a case GAP needs a detailed CV in English for each practitioner.
The NAOs must also send out the practitioner registration form and a request for payment of the fees to each practitioner who is being grandparented. This may be done at any time, but it is likely to cause less frustration if the NAOs send out this form once the practitioner's name has been approved by the EWAO or the GAP. Usually it's sent by the EAP¨head-office.
When all the forms have been completed, the NAO should send to the Registrar:
1. a completed notification form for each applicant, duly signed by the NAO and the EWAO
2. and to the office: completed practitioner registration forms and a passport photograph for each practitioner being grandparented
3. a fee for each practitioner being grandparented.
Nominate a representative in each country which is intending to grandparent practitioners, and inform each NAO of the contact details for their representatives, copying this correspondence to the EAP and the Registrar.
Assist NAOs to identify which labels' or types of practice are covered by their EWAO.
Make sure that EAP has the correct names and contact details of their delegate on its web site and in its records. If correspondence about approval should go to another officer of the EWAO let EAP, and the NAOs, have the contact details.
Reply promptly to all communications from the NAO
Acknowledge the list of recommended practitioners received
Decide on whether or not to approve it within five weeks.
Provide written reasons for not approving names
Return the signed forms, or the unsigned list with a letter explaining why it cannot be signed, to arrive back at the NAO within six weeks of the list arriving in the EWAO office
Keep records of all lists processed, and all correspondence sent
Make sure that all the NAOs are informed about its procedures.
Let NAOs know if there are additional documents that the GAP requires
Inform NAOs and the Registrar about any changes in contact details
Deal with all outstanding approvals at each of its meetings if possible
Create an e-mail list of NAOs so that NAOs may query the registrar by e-mail about the interpretation of the registration process.
Check grandparenting applications to ensure that 1. the notification forms are completed and 2. all the practitioner registration forms have been received.
Correspond with NAOs or EWAOs about missing information
Check that the ECP regulations are being followed during the grandparenting process
Issue information from time to time about problems that arise
Report regularly to the Executive and to the Board about the register
Maintain a database recording the progress of all ECP applications (currently in existence)
Maintain records and file copies of all notification and practitioner registration forms
Enter new practitioner registration details onto the register
Liaise with the head office to complete the register of ECPs that have already been awarded
Liaise with the head office in Vienna to ensure that the database kept there is as complete as possible
Supervise the transfer by the EAP head office of registration records on to the world wide web.
Create restricted access to these records, and add to them progress fields so that both the Registrar's office and the Head office have information about the progress of all applications
Ensure that the database entries are complete before authorizing the issue of ECPs
What the EAP administrator should do:
A copy of the register, as a Filemaker Pro database, is now accessible via the Web to those with password privileges.
When any information about the award of an ECP practitioner arrives, the administrator puts it into the database and makes a notation about who made the change to the database, and what needs to be done. Once all the correct information is obtained, the administrator can let the office in Vienna know. They will have added a note to the same database when the fee has been received, and can check this before issuing the ECP, using the address details already in the database.
This procedure means that the Registrar, the office in Vienna, and the administrator of the ECPs can all check at any time on the progress of an application, for example to answer a query. Because the database is passworded it cannot be entirely accessed by the public, but it becomes a simple matter to upload selected records to the public domain when it is appropriate to do so.
Fifth revision, 27 Jan 01, by Digby Tantam
Sixth revision, 7 Nov. 04, by Serge Ginger.
For use by National Awarding Organizations (NAO) only
To assist the office in dealing with your recommendation of grandparents' for the ECP, you are asked to use this form and follow the procedures accompanying it. Please use a separate sheet for every applicant.
|
Name of Practitioner |
Address for use in register |
EWAO or modality if no EWAO |
I, the duly authorized officer of the relevant European Wide Accrediting Organization or the chair of the GAP confirm that: the EWAO/ the GAP has no objection to the names being put forward for grandparenting
|
Signature of authorised officer |
Name and Official status |
Date |
Name of EWAO or write GAP' |
I, the duly authorized officer of this National Awarding Organization, confirm that:
1. this organisation currently has each of the practitioners whose names appear on this from in membership or on a list of registered practitioners
2. they have been selected according to this organization's grandparenting procedures previously approved by the European Training Standards Committeee (ETSC)
3. the practitioner(s) will be bound by this organisation's code of ethics and their disciplinary procedures
4. this organisation has procedures to hear complaints against each of these members, and that it may remove any of them from membership
5. this organisation will immediately notify the Registrar of EAP of any practitioner who has been removed in this way.
6.
|
Signature of authorised officer |
Name |
Date |
Name of NAO |
Please complete every question. Information will be made available to enquirers. Nov. 2004
|
PLACE |
Shaded information will be published on the internet.
1) Last Name:..........................................................
2) Any other last names under which you have been
previously registered as
an ECP holder:
3) First Name(s):........................................................
4) Title(s):..................................................................
5) o Female o Male 6) Date of birth: .......... / .......... / ..........
(Day) (Month) (Year)
The following address will be published in the ECP register:
7)Professional
address: Street:....................................................................................................................................
City: ...................................................................................................................................................................
Country: ...............................................................................................................................................................
Postal code: ................................................................................................................
Phone No.: .................................................................................................................
Fax No.: .....................................................................................................................
Email address: .............................................................................................................
Home page:.................................................................................................................
8) Other address: Street:..........................................................................................................................
City: ...........................................................................................................................
Country: .....................................................................................................................
Postal code: ................................................................................................................
Phone No.: .................................................................................................................
Fax No.: .....................................................................................................................
Email address: .............................................................................................................
Home page: ................................................................................................................
9) Which address should be your registered address?
o professional address o other address
10) If you received the ECP as a result of graduation from an accredited training organizations, (EAPTI) what is the name of that organization?....................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
11) National awarding organisation (NAO) which recommended you for the ECP:................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
12) In which country are you currently practising?................................................................................................
13) Which NAO currently registers you and would be the relevant country to deal with complaints or disciplinary matters in which you are involved?
..
If this is not the NAO of the country specified in (11) please explain why .
14) Write here any modality or modalities of psychotherapy that appear under your name in the register of the NAO specified in (12): ..................................................................................................................................................
15) Native language: ...................................... 16) Other languages spoken: .......................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
17) Do your practice premises have facilities for disabled people? o Yes o No
EAP has an active programme of continuing professional development and of research.
If you do not wish to receive mailing about CPD or about research, please tick here. o
False information may lead to the removal of your name from the Register of ECP holders. Failure to notify the Registrar of the Association of changes of the registered address details given above may also result in your name being removed.
I'm aware that I'll have to pay an annual fee (30 euros per year for Western countries, and less for Eastern ones) for the maintenance of the European Register of Psychotherapists (ERP) and for the political action in favour of an official recognition of this specific profession.I have read the above and agree to its conditions.
Date:...................................... Signature:.......................................................................................................