COMPLAINTS AND DISCIPLINE The Alberta College of Occupational Therapists investigates and manages complaints about Occupational Therapists in accordance with the Health Professions Act . As the body responsible for regulating Alberta’s Occupational Therapists, the College takes its responsibility of protecting and serving the public seriously. Public interest is forefront in the complaints process. All regulatory matters must balance protecting the public and ensuring fairness to the complainant and the regulated member. To be considered a formal complaint that requires action, it must be submitted in writing and signed by the complainant. The Complaints Director is responsible for reviewing all formal written, signed complaints against regulated members of the Alberta College of Occupational Therapists. Following the review of a formal complaint, as per the Health Professions Act, several action steps can be taken by the Complaints Director. These action steps include: • encouraging the complainant and the investigated person to communicate with each other and resolve the complaint; • making a referral to the formal Alternate Complaints Resolution process as described in s.56 of the Health Professions Act; • requesting an expert to assess and provide a written report on the subject matter of the complaint; • conducting or appointing an investigator to conduct an investigation; or • dismissing the complaint if satisfied that it is trivial or vexatious, or that there is insufficient or no evidence of unprofessional conduct.
Following an investigation, a complaint can be dismissed or referred to a Hearing Tribunal. If a complaint is dismissed by the Complaints Director, the complainant has the option of submitting an appeal of the dismissal to the Hearings Director, who will then assemble a Complaint Review Committee (CRC) to review all documentation relating to the complaint and its dismissal. Following the CRC review, the dismissal will either be upheld, investigated further or the complaint will be referred to a Hearing Tribunal. The following data is based on formal complaint activity for the 2019–2020 year, as well as cumulatively from proclamation under the HPA in 2006 to February 29, 2019.
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ALBERTA COLLEGE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019–2020
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