The College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
Newsletter | July 2021
In this issue…
  • 2021 QA Requirements
  • COVID-19 Updates
  • Updated Resources: Virtual Services, Medical Assistance in Dying, and Decision-Making Framework
  • New Refund Policy
  • Case of the Month: Practising Occupational Therapy
  • Practice Q&A: Disclosing Personal Health Information
  • Now Available: Privacy Webinar Recording
  • HPRO: Equity & Anti-Racism Survey
  • June Board Meeting Highlights
  • Poll: Source of College Updates
2021 QA Requirements
PREP, SA and PD Plan are now available in MyQA
The 2021 Quality Assurance (QA) requirements are now available in MyQA.

Log in to begin your Professional Development (PD) Plan, Self-Assessment (SA) and Prescribed Regulatory Education Program (PREP). This year's PREP is on Ethics and Professionalism.

A reminder that your 2021 PREP is due October 31, 2021, as is the SA (for those occupational therapists required to complete one this year).

You can access your 2021 PD Plan now and make goals for this registration year. Your completed 2021 PD Plan will be due May 31, 2022.

Additional information is available on our website and on your MyQA page.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact qaprogram@coto.org
COVID-19 Updates
Updates to Directive #3 and Ontario in Step 3 of Roadmap to Reopen
On July 15, 2021, the Government of Ontario updated Directive #3 for Long-Term Care Homes under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007.

We recommend occupational therapists communicate with their employers (and the long-term care and retirement homes where occupational therapy services are provided) about processes and procedures in place to comply with Directive #3.

On July 16, 2021, the province moved into Step 3 of its Roadmap to Reopen. Fully-immunized and asymptomatic staff, caregivers and visitors are no longer required to be tested before entering long-term care homes.
Links to COVID-19 information and resources are in the College's dedicated COVID-19 section of the website. The latest updates are noted at the top of the page.

Please continue to check the College and government websites for the latest updates. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Avoid missing important updates from the College by logging in to your member profile to update your contact information.
Updated Resources
Virtual Services and Medical Assistance in Dying
Virtual Services

The College Virtual Services resource is now available. This updated document replaces the Guidelines for Telepractice.

Virtual services refer to using communication technologies to provide occupational therapy services when clients and occupational therapists are not together in-person.

The resource is available on our website in both English and French.

Contact our Practice Team if you have any questions: practice@coto.org
Medical Assistance in Dying

The College updated its resource on Medical Assistance in Dying (formerly known as the Guidelines for Medical Assistance in Dying).

The revised document is available on our website in both English and French.

Contact our Practice Team if you have any questions: practice@coto.org
Decision-Making Framework

The College updated the Decision-Making Framework resource (formerly known as the Conscious Decision-Making Framework). The resource is available on our website in both English and French.

Please note: we have retired the Conscious Decision-Making in Occupational Therapy Fillable Worksheet and the 4A Approach to Conscious Decision-Making.
New Refund Policy
New policy for refunds following a resignation
A new Refund Following a Resignation policy was approved at the June Board meeting and is retroactively in effect as of June 1, 2021.

Occupational therapists who resign their registration between June 1 and the last day of February will be issued a refund if the following conditions are met:

  • You do not owe money to the College
  • You stop practising occupational therapy and resign on or before the following dates:

Refund Periods and Refund Amounts

By August 31 - $557.28

By November 30 - $371.52

By last day of February - $185.76

If you meet the conditions, no action is required to obtain a refund. The refund will be processed at the end of the refund period to the original method of payment. If you paid by online banking, you will be mailed a cheque.

Contact the College at registration@coto.org if you have any questions.
Case of the Month
Practising occupational therapy
Janice is an experienced clinical occupational therapist who has worked closely with clients and their families. As a result of her work, Janice has gained insights into the complexity of health and the health system that supports individuals in need.

Janice recently interviewed for a position at an organization that coordinates health services. While she may survey clients and their caregivers, there is no clinical aspect in this potential job.

Janice has many questions about what this kind of career change would involve and if it would affect her status with the College. The job title is not "occupational therapist" so how can Janice know if she is still practising occupational therapy?
Practice Q&A
Disclosing personal health information
Question: When can personal health information be disclosed without consent?
Webinar: All Things Privacy
Information for health professionals and employers
If you could not attend the webinar on "All Things Privacy: Information for Regulated Health Professionals" with health lawyer and health privacy expert Kate Dewhirst, the webinar recording is now available on our YouTube channel.

Equity & Anti-Racism Survey
Survey on equity and anti-racism in health professions
The Health Professions Regulators of Ontario's Anti-BIPOC Racism Working Group have developed an Equity and Anti-Racism survey to explore how equity and anti-racism may influence the work of health profession regulators in Ontario.

Equity refers to addressing disproportionality between and across different groups while anti-racism refers to an active process of identifying and addressing racial prejudice and discrimination.

The survey closes July 31, 2021 and should take 8-10 minutes to complete.


If you have questions or concerns at any time about the study or the procedures, please contact the survey administrator Dr. Javeed Sukhera at me@javeed.ca.
Board Updates
June 24, 2021 College Board meeting highlights
The College's Board of Directors held a virtual meeting on June 24, 2021. View the key decisions in the highlights from the meeting.

Want to learn more about decisions that affect the occupational therapy profession and the public we serve? Meetings are open to the public and meeting dates and materials are posted online.
Poll: Source of College Updates
July Question & June Results
Where do you get most of your College news and updates?
College website (coto.org)
Emails and monthly newsletter
Colleagues and word of mouth
Social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Other (please send comments to communications@coto.org)
Last month we asked you: What content would you like to see added to the College updates email? Pick your top choice!

The top answer: All of the above, which includes: more information about College programs, updates on College strategic initiatives, more information on Board decisions, public videos and resources to share with clients, and reminders about existing College resources.

We will work to adjust future content! Thank you for participating. Your feedback is always valued.
Do you know someone who would like to be added to our mailing list?
They can sign up here. Have additional comments or suggestions for the College email news? Send your thoughts to communicatons@coto.org.
Any changes to your profile information in the last 30 days? Make sure you update your profile.
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.

20 Bay Street, Suite 900, Toronto, ON · 416.214.1177 1.800.890.6570 · www.coto.org · info@coto.org