Jacqueline Jesso

This matter came before a Panel of the Discipline Committee on October 9, 2002.

Background
From 1996 to 1999 Ms. Jesso was working with a client who was receiving psychiatric services. The client had a severe personality order and had attempted to commit suicide in the past. She also experienced frequent crises. Prior to treating the client Ms. Jesso’s experience with psychiatric clients had been limited to group work or work within a multi disciplinary team. When she started to work with this client, Ms. Jesso was advised to watch her boundaries with the client as negative transference had been an issue in the past.

The Allegations and Agreed Facts
Ms. Jesso crossed appropriate professional boundaries and failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession in relation to this client. Examples of the boundary violations included that Ms Jesso:

had excessive contact with the client
acted outside the therapeutic role, including as a friend to the client
made personal and intimate self disclosure to the client
made inappropriate remarks to the client
inappropriately used holding and touching
gave the client inappropriate notes, letters, cards and tapes
made inappropriate visits and visits of a questionable nature to the client
failed to follow an appropriate means of disengaging her services related to the client
failed to employ the use of clinical reasoning and evidence based practice when applying the use of newly learned techniques with the client.

The Member’s Plea
Ms. Jesso admitted the allegations as specified above and the fact that her conduct constituted professional misconduct.

Decision
The Panel agreed that Ms. Jesso’s conduct constituted professional misconduct.

Summary of Penalty and Costs
Counsel for the College advised the panel that a Joint Submission on Order had been agreed upon. A summary of the Joint Submission on Order is as follows:

That Ms. Jesso be reprimanded by the panel, the fact of which would be recorded on the public register.
That the Registrar suspend Ms. Jesso’s certificate of registration for a period of four months.
That the Registrar impose a term, condition and limitation on her certificate of registration that Ms. Jesso successfully complete, in the opinion of the Registrar, a program of monitoring and supervision for a 24 month period.
That the Registrar impose a term, condition and limitation on her certificate of registration that Ms. Jesso provide any current and future employer or organization that he contracts work from with a copy of the discipline hearing summary for the next 3 years if she has been hired based on her skills as an occupational therapist.
That the Registrar impose a term, condition and limitation on her certificate of registration that Ms. Jesso submit an article on boundary violations to the College which reflects on the boundary violations that occurred, warning signs, effects on the client and what she would have done differently. This article will be printed in the College newsletter.
That Ms. Jesso pay $5000 towards the costs and expenses of the College’s costs and prosecution.

The panel acknowledges the mitigating factors which included the fact that: (1) this was Ms. Jesso’s first finding of professional misconduct, (2) she cooperated with the College investigation and the admission of her conduct was forthcoming (3) she was considerate of the client as the client was not required to testify (4) her conduct demonstrated no malice and was well intentioned. The panel also recognized the aggravating factors in that (1) it was a serious breach of boundaries done a number of times in a number of cases (2) the client is vulnerable, and these incidents may lead her to harm (3) the nature of the breaches are such that they are difficult to address as they are a part of Ms. Jesso’s personality, make up and her desire to do good and be compassionate and (4) she has demonstrated an interest to continue in the field of mental health.

In addition to appearing on the website, this summary will be available in the annual report. Please feel free to contact the Manager of Investigations & Resolutions should you require additional information.