Skip to content
  • Final Day for Registration Renewal!!
  • A+ A- Reset
  • Search
  • Registrant Login
Subscribe YouTube
College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia

Is Your OT Registered?

  • For the Public
    • What Occupational Therapists Do
    • Patient Relations Program
    • How to File a Complaint
    • Public Notices
  • For Occupational Therapists
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Registration
      • Current Registrants – Renewal
        • Registration Cards & Receipts
        • Update Your Contact Information
        • Currency Hour Requirements
        • Taking a Leave or Resigning
        • Practising Outside British Columbia
      • Returning to Practice
      • Canadian Educated Applicants
        • Notes for New Graduates
      • OTs Registered in Another Province
      • Internationally Educated Applicants
      • Practice Across Jurisdictions
      • Applicants – Apply For Registration
      • Criminal Record Check (CRC)
      • Fees & Insurance
      • Application FAQs
    • Quality Practice
      • Quality Assurance Program FAQs
      • My QAP
      • Annual Continuing Competence Review
      • Competence Screening & Assessment
      • Improving Competence
    • Practice Supports
      • Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada
      • Case Studies
      • College Webinars
      • Learning Modules
      • Podcasts
      • Ask a Practice Question
      • Practice Resources
    • COTBC Newsletter
  • Standards
    • Code of Ethics
    • College Bylaws
    • Essential Competencies
    • Practice Standards & Guidelines
      • Indigenous Cultural Safety, Humility, and Anti-Racism
      • Infection Prevention & Control
      • Consent
      • Managing Client Information
      • Professional Boundaries
      • Conflict of Interest
      • Prevention of Sexual Misconduct
      • Supervising Support Personnel
    • Scope of Practice Statements
    • Advisory Statements
  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • Strategic Plan
    • Annual Reports
    • Our Board of Directors
      • Our Committees
    • Our Staff
    • Careers & Partnerships
    • COTBC News
  • Contact
  • Cultural Safety & Humility
    • Our Commitment to Indigenous Anti-Racism, Cultural Safety & Humility
    • History, Colonization & Impacts on Health Care
    • Indigenous Anti-Racism Cultural Safety and Humility (IARCS&H) Resources
      • IARCS&H-Related Legislation & Reports
      • Land Acknowledgements
      • IARCS&H Learning Opportunities
      • IARCS&H-Related Websites
    • Our IARCS&H Initiatives

Registrants Invited to Review New Competencies

December 8, 2021

The College is pleased to announce the release of the Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada, a single set of competencies that clarifies occupational therapy as a profession in Canada to advance safe, effective, and ethical patient care. It is an important milestone for the profession as this document will ultimately replace four competency documents used in Canada.

The Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada was developed with guidance from occupational therapists and stakeholders across Canada and steered through a tripartite collaboration of the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations, the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy University Programs, and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

Implementing the new competencies will take time. A timeline for rollout over the next year is being established. There is considerable work to do internally at COTBC to move forward on integrating the new competencies into our regulatory programs. A sound implementation plan will determine an effective date for the new competencies.

The College has partnered with the other OT regulators in Canada to develop an e-learning module anticipated for launch soon to help registrants familiarize themselves with the competencies and understand how to apply them to their practice.

Why is this new set of competencies important?

The new Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada reflect the broad range of skills and abilities required of all occupational therapists in Canada at every stage of their career. They also serve to guide various profession quality assurance processes such as provincial regulatory activities, accreditation of educational programs, entry-level examinations, and continuing professional development. The goal of the competencies is to reduce confusion, ensure consistency, and avoid duplication.

What should BC-registered occupational therapists do with the new competencies?

Occupational therapists in BC should stay informed and understand how to apply the new competencies into their practice. The College will provide more information about the timeline for the rollout in BC. Our goal is to ensure we have done all we can to support registrants to learn about and know when they will be accountable to the new Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada.

Inquiries or requests for information may be sent to info@cotbc.org.

This project was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program.

Posted in COTBC News, COTBC Newsletter, COTBC Newsletter - December 2021 | Tagged competencies

Post navigation

Recording of COTBC 2021 Annual General Meeting Available
Public Input on Informed Consent

Recent Posts

  • February 22, 2023

    Career Opportunity

    Published by natasha

    Do you have a background in regulatory issues or legal matters? Consider joining us in a p…

    Read More »

  • February 15, 2023

    Registrar’s February Monthly: Bill 36, Projects, New Position

    Published by webadmin

    From the desk of Carin Plischke, COTBC’s Registrar In this news post, we share highl…

    Read More »

  • February 6, 2023

    FAQs About Professional Regulation and New HPOA

    Published by natasha

    The Provincial Government has released a series of FAQs about Professional Regulation and …

    Read More »

  • January 23, 2023

    COTBC Launches Indigenous Anti-Racism, Cultural Safety, & Humility Section on Website

    Published by webadmin

    In 2022, 11 BC health profession regulatory colleges, including the College of Occupationa…

    Read More »

News Archives

Share On: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia

Suite 402
3795 Carey Road
Victoria, BC V8Z 6T8

Office Hours
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Weekends & Statutory Holidays: Closed

Tel: 250 386-6822
Toll Free (BC): 1-866-386-6822
Fax: 250 386-6824

info@cotbc.org

The COTBC office is located on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) peoples, including the BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁ,UTW̱ (Tsawout), W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), and W̱SÍḴEM (Tseycum) First Nations, who have had a special relationship with this land since time immemorial. We are grateful visitors here where we conduct our important work.

Copyright © 2023 College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia, all rights reserved.
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map
  • Privacy Policy
  • to top