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- What is the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia?
- How does the College protect the public?
- What is an Occupational Therapist?
- How do I find an Occupational Therapist? Who pays the costs?
- How do I know if my Occupational Therapist is registered?
- What if I have a complaint about an Occupational Therapist?
- What happens once a complaint is filed?
What is the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia?
The college is a governing body established by the provincial government to regulate the practice of occupational therapy in British Columbia. The college's mandate is to serve and protect the public by setting practice standards; establishing programs and guidelines to ensure that BC occupational therapists practice safely, ethically and competently; and investigating complaints raised about registrant's practice.
How does the College protect the public?
The Health Professions Act governs the work and mandate of the college. Under this act, the college:
- ensures that occupational therapists practice in a professional and ethical manner
- monitors performance and competence through a quality assurance program
- hears complaints
- takes appropriate action when evidence is found that an occupational therapist is guilty of allegations.
What is an Occupational Therapist?
Occupational therapists are health care professionals who help people who have been challenged by accident, handicap, emotional problems, developmental difficulties or disease to develop or maintain independent lives and activities at home and in the community.
Occupational therapists use a variety of assessment and treatment techniques to address goals developed with their clients. Interventions may include the training of daily living activity and community life skills; prescription of specialized equipment; evaluation and modification of home, work or school environments; and related education and counseling. Occupational therapists are committed to health promotion, community integration and research activities that enhance the delivery of health care. They work in a variety of settings that include hospitals, schools, long term care facilities, private homes, and vocational evaluation/training centres. Many occupational therapists also have their own private practice.
How do I find an Occupational Therapist? Who pays the costs?
Finding an occupational therapist depends on the situation you are in. In BC, occupational therapists can work in both public and private practice settings. Occupational therapists in private practice charge a fee for their services, and can be accessed directly by the public.
If you are in a hospital, a doctor's referral is usually required to access the services of an occupational therapist. These costs are covered by the provincial Medical Services Plan. If you are injured on the job, workers compensation may cover the costs of an occupational therapist to help you get back to work.
In the case of an accident, your insurance company may hire an occupational therapist on your behalf.
For more information on finding an occupational therapist, contact the College.
How do I know if my Occupational Therapist is registered?
Phone COTBC. The college can provide you with the following information:
- the name and work address of each occupational therapist registered to work in British Columbia
- the practice category of the occupational therapist
- any conditions or restrictions that affect the occupational therapist's ability to practice
What if I have a complaint about an Occupational Therapist?
If you have a complaint about an Occupational Therapist, you should contact the Registrar of the College, either by email, phone or letter. For a complaint to be pursued, it must be provided in writing to the college. Complaints must also include your name and address, the name of the occupational therapist, and details about the event, such as the date, time, place and name of any other persons involved.
The College's Inquiry Committee has responsibility for investigating, and taking action on complaints or information that is brought to the attention of the College.
The committee consists of five members appointed by the COTBC board - one public member, one COTBC board member, and three registrants. The registrar of the college is also an ex-officio member of the committee.
What happens once a complaint is filed?
Once a complaint has been made, the College's Inquiry Committee will investigate the complaint in a timely manner. After investigating, the committee may:
- take no further action
- take any action it considers appropriate to resolve the matter
- request the registrant to not repeat the conduct
- request the registrant to take an education course
- reprimand the registrant -request the registrant to do or consent to any other action specified by the committee
- direct the registrar to issue a citation for disciplinary hearing
The committee may also limit or place conditions on the practice of an occupational therapist while an investigation is ongoing, or suspend a registrants license if it considers that action necessary to protect the public. If this occurs, the committee must inform the registrant of the reasons, and of their right to appeal that decision in court.
Once a decision has been made regarding the complaint, the committee must inform the board and the complainant of its decision. The complainant then has 14 days to appeal the committee's decision to the COTBC board.
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