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.
