Committee: Discipline

Discipline Decision: Pending

Reprimand

Hearing Date: April 17, 2024.

Summary:

THIS HEARING was held via videoconference on April 17, 2024.

ON READING the Notice of Hearing dated September 11, 2023 and the exhibits filed, including the Agreed Statement of Facts and Admission of Professional Misconduct and the Joint Submissions on Penalty and Costs, and on hearing the evidence and the submissions of counsel for the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario (the College), and the submissions of Christopher Saxton (the Registrant):

A. ON APRIL 17, 2024, THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE FOUND THAT THE REGISTRANT COMMITTED ACTS OF PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT PURSUANT TO:

1. Clause 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code (the Code), being Schedule 2 to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (the RHPA), and as defined in the following paragraphs of section 1 of Ontario Regulation 317/12 made under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007 (the Act):

a. Paragraph 1 – Contravening, by act or omission, a standard of practice of the profession or failing to maintain the standard of practice of the profession;

b. Paragraph 42 – Contravening, by act or omission, a provision of the Act, the RHPA or the regulations under either of those Acts;

c. Paragraph 50 – Failing to reply appropriately and within 30 days to a written inquiry or request from the College; and

d. Paragraph 52 – Engaging in conduct or performing an act relevant to the practice of the profession that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.

2. Clause 51(1)(b.0.1) of the Code as the Registrant failed to co-operate with the Quality Assurance Committee.

B. ON APRIL 17, 2024, THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE ORDERED THE FOLLOWING PENALTY AND COSTS:

1. The Registrant is required to appear before a panel of the Discipline Committee to be reprimanded immediately following the hearing;

2. The Registrar is directed to suspend the Registrant’s certificate of registration for four months, with the first two months to commence one month from the date of the order continuing uninterrupted, and with the remaining two months remitted on December 31, 2024 if the Registrant complies with the requirement in subparagraph 3(a) below, failure of which will result in the Registrant serving the remaining two months starting on January 1, 2025 to continue uninterrupted until March 1, 2025;

3. The Registrar is directed to impose the following specified term, condition and limitation on the Registrant’s certificate of registration:

a. From the date of this order to December 31, 2024, respond to all College communications requiring a response within 15 days of receipt; and

4. The Registrant is required to pay to the College costs in the amount of $3,027.50 in five equal monthly instalments of $605.50, starting one month from the date of the order.

Current status: Not yet completed.

Committee: Discipline

Discipline Decision: Decision with Reasons

Reprimand 

Hearing Date(s): June 27, 2023.

Summary:

THIS HEARING was held on June 27, 2023, via videoconference.

ON READING the Notice of Hearing of Hearing dated September 8, 2022, the Agreed Statement of Facts and Admission of Professional Misconduct dated April 18, 2023, and the Joint Submissions on Penalty and Cots dated April 18, 2023, and on hearing the submissions of counsel for the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario (the “College”) and the submissions of Christopher Saxton (the “Registrant”):

A. THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE FINDS that the Registrant has committed acts of professional misconduct pursuant to:

1. Subsection 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code, and as defined in the following paragraphs of section 1 of Ontario Regulation 317/12 made under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007:

a. Paragraph 47 – Failing to comply with an order of a panel of the College.

b. Paragraph 50 – Failing to reply appropriately and within 30 days to a written inquiry or request from the College.

c. Paragraph 52 – Engaging in conduct or performing an act relevant to the practice of the profession that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.

B. THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE ORDERS THE FOLLOWING PENALTY AND COSTS:

1. Requiring the Registrant to appear before a panel of the Discipline Committee to be reprimanded following the hearing.

2. Directing the Registrar to suspend the Registrant’s certificate of registration for a period of two months, to commence on the date of this order, however such suspension is to continue indefinitely until the Registrant successfully completes the term, condition and limitation set out in paragraph 3, below.

3. Directing the Registrar to immediately impose the following term, condition and limitation on the Registrant’s certificate of registration, all of which shall be fulfilled at the expense of the Registrant and to the satisfaction of the Registrar:

a. The Registrant shall comply with the outstanding ICRC order in respect of matter C2021-13 in strict accordance with its terms with the deadline to be calculated from the date that the order of the Discipline Committee in this matter becomes final.

i. The Registrant shall successfully complete, in the opinion of the Registrar, a course pre-approved by the Registrar on ethics and boundaries by January 27, 2024.

ii. The Registrar may approve reasonable extensions of any portion of the SCERP if requested in writing by the Registrant with reasonable grounds. In the absence of a letter issued by the Registrar granting an extension, the Registrant is required to successfully complete each portion of the program by the time specified above, or, if there is no time specified, within a reasonable time.

iii. The Registrant shall complete the SCERP at the Registrant’s own expense.

4. Directing the Registrar to immediately impose the following terms, conditions and limitations on the Registrant’s certificate of registration, all of which shall be fulfilled at the expense of the Registrant and to the satisfaction of the Registrar:

a. The Registrant shall successfully complete the College’s Jurisprudence e-Learning Module within six months of the date of this order; and

b. The Registrant shall respond to all College communications within 15 days of receipt.

5. Requiring the Registrant to pay the College costs in the amount of $3,027.50, in twelve consecutive monthly installments uninterrupted, with the first payment being due 30 days of the date of this Order. Payment one to eleven shall be in the amount of $252.29. Payment twelve shall be in the amount of $252.31.

Specified Continuing Education and Remediation Program

On February 19, 2021, the Inquiries Complaints and Reports Committee required the Registrant to complete a Specified Continuing Education and Remediation Program (SCERP) by completing a course on ethics and boundaries.

The College received a complaint that the Registrant may have engaged in unprofessional or unbecoming conduct.

Current status: Completed.