CONTINUING COMPETENCE PROGRAM Competence—the combined knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgment required to provide professional services. (Health Professions Act RSA 2000 cH-7 s1(1)(f )) Annual participation in the Continuing Competence Program is mandatory for every Occupational Therapist registered to practice in Alberta, as set out in the Health Professions Act RSA 2000 cH-7 p3 and the Occupational Therapists Profession Regulation AR217/2006 s13. The Regulation specifies that ACOT’s Continuing Competence Program is comprised of a self-assessment questionnaire, a practice challenge log, a competence maintenance log and a competence portfolio. A refresh of the Continuing Competence Program (CCP) was undertaken in 2019 with the goal of ensuring that it accurately captures the continuous learning activities undertaken by each registrant to maintain and enhance competent practice. The CCP is now comprised of a Self-Assessment and Learning Plan. The Learning Plan incorporates the practice challenge log and competence maintenance log requirements of the Occupational Therapists Profession Regulation as well as the competence portfolio. Registered Occupational Therapists must complete the Continuing Competence Program components prior to applying to renew their practice permit. Registered members who do not comply with the requirements of the Continuing Competence Program cannot proceed with permit renewal.
As per the Health Professions Act (cH-7 s51.1(1)) , if the competence committee, registration committee or Registrar believes a regulated member has intentionally provided false or misleading information about his/her/their Continuing Competence Program, they must refer that information to the College’s complaints director. COMPETENCE COMMITTEE REPORT Competence Committee members from ACOT Council, ACOT staff and 13 Occupational Therapists representing diverse areas of clinical and non-clinical practice in Alberta, worked intensely from April–July 2019 to undertake a review of the Continuing Competence Program (CCP). Feedback from registrants about the CCP was analyzed along with data from a literature review and environmental scan, resulting in recommendations for Council’s consideration and approval. Approved changes to the CCP were implemented in October 2019. Multiple resource materials were developed to support registrants in navigating the updated CCP and understanding what was expected for them to include in their CCP submissions. Twenty-nine information sessions were offered between October 2019–January 2020, which were attended by almost 1000 Occupational Therapists from across the province. The Competence Committee’s next steps include updating the policies and procedures for audits of CCP submissions and evaluating whether the updated CCP is accurately capturing the continuous learning activities undertaken by each registrant to maintain and enhance competent practice.
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ALBERTA COLLEGE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019–2020
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