The Provincial Government has released a series of FAQs about Professional Regulation and the new Health Professions and Occupations Act.
View FAQs: Professional Regulation – Province of British Columbia
The Provincial Government has released a series of FAQs about Professional Regulation and the new Health Professions and Occupations Act.
View FAQs: Professional Regulation – Province of British Columbia
In 2022, 11 BC health profession regulatory colleges, including the College of Occupational Therapists of BC, adopted an Indigenous cultural safety, humility, and anti-racism standard of practice. The standard sets clear expectations for how registrants of each college are to provide culturally safer and anti-racist care for Indigenous clients and patients.
The College’s purpose is to ensure the public receives safe, ethical, and effective occupational therapy services in British Columbia, as mandated by the Health Professions Act of BC. This includes occupational therapy services provided to Indigenous clients, who are disproportionately subjected to stereotyping, racism, discrimination, and prejudice which is unsafe.
As part of our ongoing efforts to live up to this new standard, the College has launched a new Cultural Safety & Humility section on its website. This section represents our ongoing efforts to share the truth, provide a deeper understanding of what cultural humility and safety is, and to provide supportive learning resources to occupational therapists and the public.
The new Cultural Safety & Humility section includes content for those who want to gain more insight into the College’s commitment to cultural safety and humility, learn more about the history of colonialism and its ongoing impact on Indigenous health and wellness, explore resources to further build their understanding, or review initiatives the College is taking to embed cultural safety and humility throughout our culture, governance, and daily operations.
In October 2022, Carin Plischke joined the COTBC team after more than six years on the Board, most recently as Board Chair. She recently worked with Registrar & CEO Kathy Corbett during the transition – as Kathy prepared to leave the College at the end of December. Carin has now fully stepped into the leadership role. This role has been redefined to better meet the needs of the College during the expected amalgamation of health-related regulatory bodies in the province.
We caught up with Carin to ask her a few questions about her decision to take on this important leadership role in a time of transition in the sector, on her experience and expertise in the field, and a few other things.
Q: What inspired you to take on the Registrar & Chief Executive Officer role at the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC)?
CP: I have been involved with COTBC as a committee member and Board member for several years. Through these experiences, I developed a strong commitment to COTBC, public safety and regulation. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences at the College, including working with the staff and team over the years. The opportunity to work with a fun, professional and dedicated team that is committed to public safety made this an easy decision.
I am excited about the future of health regulation in British Columbia. The planned updates to the Health Professions Act, the amalgamation of health care regulators/colleges, and the modernization of the regulatory framework – while challenging – will also provide new opportunities. I am inspired to be a part of and influence the vision of regulation ahead of us. It is rewarding to create something new and serve in the best interest of public confidence.
Like many organizations, we see this as a time to reflect on how the pandemic dramatically and quickly required us to shift our work priorities to support COVID-19 activities. As we have moved out of a pandemic and are in the next stage of COVID-19, where we are working to stay protected from it, it is energizing to re-initiate activities that we had to slow down or pause as COTBC supported registrants, the public and stakeholders on key pandemic activities.
I have to say that I am incredibly thankful to the COTBC staff for their work and quick adaptability throughout the pandemic keeping the mission of the organization at the forefront.
We are starting to re-prioritize activities and because we are still in the process of refocusing our attention in many important areas, there may be shifts in previous planning & timelines as we get our planning in place for the year ahead. We appreciate the patience and kindness that registrants have shown through this transition and want to ask for a bit more patience as we review, revise and update plans.
Q: What do you feel that you bring this to this role?
CP: My clinical and leadership experiences in the public, private, not-for-profit and government sectors have provided me with a breadth of experiences that have shaped my ability to think strategically and systematically through a broad lens. In addition, as an occupational therapist, I have worked in various clinical roles (acute care, plastic/burns, primary care, home care, long-term care, orthopedics, etc.). This has given me a deep understating of this role. I have been an occupational therapist and registrant of the College for many years, and I believe that this is beneficial because I can relate to our registrants and have a good understanding of the profession from several perspectives.
As a health care leader, I have led large transformational projects in several organizations, including the repatriation/amalgamation of home support services into the public sector. I have had the humbling experience of working as the Chief Operations Officer with the BC Ministry of Health, with the Office of the Seniors Advocate. This experience taught me how important it is to have public representation and voices in our organizations. Collectively, my clinical and leadership experiences provide me with the ability to lead transformational change as the government is making the most significant changes to the oversight of regulated health professions in our history.
Q: There was a transition time, with the Registrar & Chief Executive Officer Kathy Corbett staying on until the end of December 2022. What benefits do you feel that this overlap between you and Kathy provides to the College, your registrants and the people of British Columbia?
CP: I am extremely grateful for my time with Kathy; her mentorship is setting the stage for success for the College and our public protection mandate. Kathy has been with COTBC for more than 20 years; her knowledge, experience and network is expansive.
The transition time with Kathy is providing me with a significant amount of organization-specific operational information. I am leaning into Kathy’s network, meeting colleagues and stakeholders – which is assisting me in developing and sustaining a foundation of knowledge that will support the organization going forward. Both Kathy and I are intentional in our time together to set COTBC up for the growth and changes ahead of the College – while sustaining our history. I want to thank Kathy for her kindness and generosity in sharing her knowledge.
Q: You were a Board member (and Board Chair) for quite some time. How will your experience on the Board help you in your new role?
CP: My experience on the Board provided me with the knowledge and skills to work in a regulatory environment. Being a member of the Board, which is responsible for good governance, has embedded the mandate of the College – public safety – in me. I have a context of our operations including registration, practice support, complaints and standards – in addition to our governance activities.
I feel confident in my ability to step into the leadership of COTBC and am thankful that I am not starting from “ground zero,” particularly with the changes that are actively occurring around us with the introduction of new health legislation and the future amalgamation.
My experience as a Board member that I most appreciate as I transition into my new role is my existing relationship with the COTBC staff. I am thankful that we know each other and enjoy working together. I want to thank the COTBC team for the warm welcome. We have already hit the ground running.
Q: What do you wish that registration or the people of British Columbia knew about the College that they may not know?
CP: While there is a dedicated – small and mighty – team of staff at the College, there are countless people who participate in supporting our mandate – they include occupational therapists, the public and other stakeholders – all that contribute their time, expertise and skills to the work of the College. Their work assists in shaping the work and operations of the College, which translates into safe occupational therapy practice and public safety. I thank past, current and future partners and participants for their contributions.
Q: Is there anything else you want to share with us?
CP: The College has always been a place where registrants and the public can and do call – and feel encouraged to call. I want to continue our safe and open culture moving forward. I look forward to connecting with all stakeholders that have an interest, a question or a concern. I am here to listen, respond and help COTBC move forward in continued success.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband. You can find me hiking, kayaking, reading or in my greenhouse.
Bill 36, the Health Professions and Occupations Act, has received Royal Assent and is now law in British Columbia.
Read our frequently asked questions document (PDF) to find out what this means for the people of British Columbia.
Bill 36, the Health Professions and Occupations Act, has received Royal Assent and is now law in British Columbia.
After going through three readings and the Committee stage, the Health Professions and Occupations Act received Royal Assent November 24, 2022.
When the new legislation is in force, it will replace the Health Professions Act as the governing legislation for health regulatory colleges in BC.
The BC Government has not yet released an implementation schedule and in force date for the Health Professions and Occupations Act. BC health regulatory colleges, including COTBC will continue to operate under the Health Professions Act until the in force date for the new legislation.
COTBC will communicate with registrants, applicants, and other stakeholders as more information is confirmed about the Health Professions and Occupations Act.
More information
Patients the focus of new health legislation
Bill 36 Health Professions and Occupations Act (3rd reading, November 24, 2022)
The College is looking for a registrant to join the Quality Assurance Committee.
The Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) is responsible for carrying out the duties prescribed to it under section 26 of the Health Professions Act, including administration of the quality assurance program and scheduling of the quality assurance program cycle.
We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Committee members bring valuable perspectives to guide committee activities and support informed and good decisions for our public protection programs. We welcome members of equity-seeking groups to consider serving with the Quality Assurance Committee.
The QAC is comprised of four registrants and two public representatives appointed by the Board. Appointments are three-year terms, up to a maximum of nine years (or three terms).
QAC members meet in person about three times per year for a one- or two-day session, typically in Vancouver. They may also meet virtually as needed. Some pre-reading is required in preparation for meetings, but no other work is usually required in between.
Members receive an annual honorarium of $525.00 and are reimbursed for travel and expenses in accordance with the College’s expense policy.
If you are interested, you must be a full registrant in good standing and understand the College’s public protection mandate.
Please see Careers & Partnerships on the COTBC website to download and complete the Committee Member Expression of Interest form and email it to the College by December 15, 2022 at qaprogram@cotbc.org. Questions can also be sent to the same email address and we will be pleased to follow up.