Board Election Results
December 06, 2012
It is with pleasure that we announce the results of the most recent Board election. Angenita Gerbracht from Prince Rupert and Darlene Russell from Penticton were re-relected, and we welcome new Board member Lindsey McMitchell from Port Coquitlam. Their terms of office begin on February 1, 2013. Many thanks to Lorraine MacDuff from Nanaimo for putting her name forward to serve on the College Board.
Responsible self-regulation is dependent upon the leadership and the commitment of the professions’ members to take on the roles of governing the profession in the public interest. Next year, consider nominating or accepting a nomination to stand for election. Thanks to everyone who voted.
New Deputy Registrar to Begin January 2013
November 29, 2012
Cindy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position of Deputy Registrar. She is currently registered with the College of Occupational Therapists of Alberta and has a strong history of working in the professional regulatory environment. From 1997-2004 Cindy was the Registrar of the Alberta Association of Registered Occupational Therapists, now known as the Alberta College of Occupational Therapists. Cindy is also a Certified Management Consultant and for the past seven years has been a consultant leading projects for both regulatory organizations and government agencies. With expertise in facilitation, project management, policy development and clinical practice standards, Cindy brings a breadth and depth of experience well grounded in the regulatory context and well suited to the role of Deputy Registrar.
Cindy will be moving to Victoria to begin her position in January 2013.
Chair’s AGM Address
November 28, 2012
It is an honour to serve as Chair of COTBC and build on my leadership competencies with the support of an outstanding board. I joined the Board in February 2010 as a newly elected member and serve on the Registration Committee. It was definitely a steep learning curve. Over the last two years I have gained utmost respect as a registrant for the work, not only provincially but also nationally and internationally, by our capable Registrar Kathy Corbett and Deputy Registrar Susan Mulholland, as well as our Director of Communications and Project Manager Mary Clark. Their exemplary work and initiatives have empowered the Board to make informed decisions on behalf of registrants and fulfill the mandate of COTBC.
Self-regulation is a privilege and carries with it the responsibility of ensuring safe, ethical and effective occupational therapy care. One of the ways in which occupational therapists are able to do this and protect the public interest is by participating in the Continuing Competence Program. The program consists of three parts: competence maintenance, assessment and improvement. Although competence maintenance has been in effect since 2006, it is now under review, and I am thrilled that close to 35% of our registrants took the time to complete the survey to help inform its re-development. As we move closer to 2014 and the launch of the assessment component, i.e. the Continuing Competence Exam, the occupational therapy community is abuzz over the prospect of writing an exam. However, I am concerned when I hear therapists say they would rather leave the profession of occupational therapy for other related fields that utilize their skills than write a competence exam. Today I’d like to encourage you to embrace the dreaded “C” words by seeing continued competence in a new light.
In my small corner of the BC Interior and as an owner of a small private paediatric practice, I was motivated to become involved in COTBC by a need to broaden my own confidence and competence both personally and professionally. I don’t have a long list of lofty accomplishments that have prepared me for my new position as Chair of our regulatory College, but I place a high value on citizenship. In fact I suspect a high value on citizenship has likely attracted many of us to the profession of occupational therapy. Occupational therapy has provided me with a baseline of skills that promotes good citizenship.
I am a great collector of quotes that have guided my life. I am particularly fond of one I would like to share with you from journalist and politician Joseph Howe, who championed responsible government in Nova Scotia in the mid 1800s. This quote, posted above my work desk for many years, has guided my citizenship and practice as an occupational therapist. “When I sit down in solitude to the labours of my profession, the only questions I ask myself are, What is right? What is just? What is for the public good?”
I am the voice of the average, ordinary occupational therapist trying to carve out a career I am passionate about in this place we call paradise. It is easy to remain comfortable and at times complacent. I’m sure many of us working alone, or in small places, or in isolated parts of the province can attest to this.
However, as an individual and a professional I feel I need to take steps to ready myself in order to survive in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. The 21st century calls upon us to become not only learners but critical thinkers, innovators, collaborators and contributors.
My experience is that occupational therapists are master critical thinkers. We analyze and integrate information from many different constructs in the person/environment interaction in our quest to provide best service to our clients. If we are to be passionate about what we do as occupational therapists, we need to feel competent in our practice.
Competence maintenance, assessment, and improvement starts the conversation that leads us to build and affirm our skills. When we feel competent we gain confidence in our abilities and, in turn, the public gains confidence in our ability to deliver competent, ethical and safe practice.
Competence leads to collaboration. In everyday life successful collaboration allows us access to more understanding and appreciation of new ideas, not only with our clients but amongst ourselves, other professions and the public at large. When we collaborate we contribute by giving back what we learn and educating others in the process, and the cycle continues.
The journey of self-regulation includes an exam, and the feedback from the exam opens up new opportunities for practice enhancement. I encourage you to embrace change, seek competence and confirm your confidence as you join the conversation, and collaborate and contribute to the dialogue regarding the Continuing Competence Program.
New national website assists occupational therapists to register
September 25, 2012
Victoria, BC – The Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations launched its website today, demystifying the registration process for occupational therapists in Canada.
“This website is for anyone wanting to register and work as an occupational therapist in Canada,” Kathy Corbett, ACOTRO’s president stated. The site is full of information on how to get registered, the various stages and players in the assessment process, and the documents required, she added.
Established in 1989, ACOTRO is a national organization whose goal is to promote consistency and excellence within the occupational therapy regulatory environment across Canada. Its membership is comprised of the ten provincial regulators who are mandated to protect the public by regulating the practice of occupational therapy in Canada.
“It can be confusing, especially to those educated outside Canada, to understand the registration requirements in this country. Each province has its own regulatory standards and processes, and if you move from one province to another, you have to re-register,” Corbett said.
www.acotro-acore.org is the product of ACOTRO’s Harmonization Project, an initiative funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. The Harmonization Project aims to harmonize registration standards and processes across the country by creating a consistent, fair and transparent approach to the assessment of internationally-educated applicants’ educational qualifications and competencies. This website supports us in that effort.
ACOTRO’s bilingual website brings all the information together, explains how registration works in Canada, responds to frequently-asked questions, and directs interested applicants to the right resources and sites in order to get registered. Visit www.acotro-acore.org to view the site.
For more information, please contact:
Kathy Corbett,
President, ACOTRO and Registrar of the College of Occupational Therapists of BC
kcorbett@cotbc.org
Message from CAOT-BC
September 25, 2012
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of CAOT-BC, I would like to thank the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia for according us this important opportunity to contact all registrants in the province. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, to briefly describe our activities, and to invite new CAOT-BC members.
Download Giovanna’s full letter
Subscribe to the CAOT-BC blog to keep up to date on their activites.
