The College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario |
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Newsletter | January 2024 |
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In this issue…
- Get involved with the College: Board and Committee opportunities
- Changes to interprovincial remote (virtual) services
- Notice: System maintenance January 26 - February 6, 2024
- Quality Assurance update
- Opportunity: Capacity assessor training
- Practice Q&A: Advertising with testimonials and Google reviews
- Insights from Investigations: Communications is key
- Thank You: Bylaw consultation
- January Board meeting
- January poll and December results
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Important News
Information and Updates
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New Year, New Opportunities
Make this the year you get involved!
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2024 brings more opportunities for occupational therapists to get involved with self-regulation of the profession. Consider putting your name forward for a Board or Committee position.
- Board Chair Teri Shackleton shares her thoughts on why she decided to run for the Board.
- Board Director Sarah Milton explains why she encourages her peers to run for the Board.
- Registrar & CEO Elinor Larney talks about how changes to governance provide new opportunities on College Committees.
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Reminder: 2024 Board of Directors Elections
The nominations for the 2024 Board of Directors elections are closing soon. Nominations close on Monday, January 29, 2024.
The elections will take place in Districts 2 (Central West) and 3 (Central East) . There is one position available in each district. Eligible OTs can check your inbox for more details! 📧
Reminder: We reduced the number of electoral districts from six to three. Your district may have changed.
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Open Call for Committee Applicants
As part of governance modernization, by April 1, 2024, COTO will reduce the overlap in membership between the Board and all our statutory committees.
We have new openings across our committees. This is a great opportunity if you are an engaged professional who wants to get involved and learn more about the work of the College.
Occupational therapists who are interested can apply to be a Professional Committee Appointee. Professional Committee Appointees are registered occupational therapists who serve on our committees and are not a member of the Board.
- All appointments are for a three-year period commencing in April 2024.
- Meetings are generally 1/2 day and held virtually during business hours.
- Professional appointees are compensated for meetings and preparation time.
The deadline to apply is March 15, 2024.
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Changes to Remote (Virtual) Services
Effective December 1, 2023
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We are working together across Canada to reduce barriers and make it easier for occupational therapists providing interprovincial remote services (also known as virtual services).
New changes to providing interprovincial remote services will impact occupational therapists registered in Ontario providing services to clients in other provinces.
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Mark Your Calendar
Reminders and Dates to Remember
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System Maintenance
Sections of website will be frozen or unavailable from Jan. 26 - Feb. 6
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As part of a system upgrade, from Friday, January 26 at 12:00am to Tuesday, February 6, 2024, the following areas of the website will be frozen or unavailable:
- Applications
- Registrant Login
- Public Register (Find an Occupational Therapist)
We apologize for any inconvenience this interruption may cause.
If you have any other questions, contact info@coto.org or call 1-800-690-6570.
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Capacity Assessor Training
Interested registrants can apply now for capacity assessor training
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A "capacity assessor" is a fee-for-service health practitioner who is designated to determine whether an individual is mentally capable or incapable of financial or personal care decision-making as described in the Substitute Decisions Act (SDA).
The deadline to apply is February 29, 2024 at 11:59 pm.
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QA Update
Annual Learning Plan available this spring
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Welcome in this new year by thinking about you learning interests for 2024! Keep an eye out for information about the new Annual Learning Plan coming out in spring.
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You and Your Practice
Information and Resources
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Practice Q&A
Advertising with testimonials and Google reviews
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You asked us: I understand that client testimonials are not allowed when advertising occupational therapy services, but what about Google reviews?
What should I do if my company asks me to solicit Google reviews about my occupational therapy service? It seems that other health professionals in the company are doing so.
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Insights from Investigations
Communication is key: communications tips and considerations
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Occupational therapists often ask how they can avoid complaints from clients. While there is no way to 100% protect yourself from a complaint, the good news is that there are things you can do to promote good practice and help avoid a complaint.
What we commonly see is a breakdown in communication. Sometimes clients complain because they did not get the service or products they needed, and they believe this was the fault of the occupational therapist. Most of the time, the occupational therapist did not do anything wrong.
We have put together some communications tips and considerations to use when explaining your role, the role of others, or system and funding limitations to help build trust and understanding with a client.
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Looking for the Standards of Practice and other resources?
Tip: 📑 Bookmark the page for future reference!
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January Board Meeting
The College's Board of Directors is meeting January 25, 2024.
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Want to learn more about decisions that affect the profession and the public we serve? The next College Board meeting will be held on Thursday, January 25th, 2024.
Meetings are open to the public. Meeting dates and materials are posted online. |
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Thank You: Bylaw Consultation
Thank you for your comments on our bylaw consultation
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Thank you to all registrants who provided input and responses to the open consultation on Bylaw Part 18: Fees. Material will be reviewed at the January 25, 2024 Board of Directors meeting and the outcome will be shared in the Board Meeting Highlights. Board materials are posted on the College website. |
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Connect with Us
Take the latest poll
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January Poll & December Results |
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It serves to outline specific expectations for how occupational therapists can provide services that are culturally safer while upholding the human rights of all clients and people who work with occupational therapists.
The College’s resource was created to support occupational therapists in applying these principles to practice.
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Have you read the College’s resource on Culture, Equity and Justice?
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As information in this area continues to evolve, we will invite occupational therapists to give us their feedback for any improvements to the resource.
Look out for a short survey in February!
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In December we asked you: Did you know your voting district may have changed?
We received 125 votes and here are the results:
- 34.3% voted "Yes, I checked to see if my district changed." (43 votes)
- 65.6% voted "No, I didn't know. I will go check now!" (82 votes)
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Thank you for participating in our poll!
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Do you know someone who would like to be added to our mailing list?
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Any changes to your profile information in the last 30 days? Make sure you update your profile. |
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DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE IF YOU ARE A REGISTRANT OF THE COLLEGE.
If registrants unsubscribe, they will be contacted to re-subscribe. The College communicates to occupational therapists by email regarding changes to standards, mandatory registration requirements, public consultations and more. We strive to keep communication relevant and to a minimum.
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