1 . cautions-in-person ( cautions ), 2 . undertakings , and , 3 . specified continuing education or remediation programs ( SCERPs ).
Proposed changes were approved Council and will be in effect as of January 1 , 2017 . To learn more about the consultation , please visit About Us > Consultations at www . coto . org .
Standards for Consent
Draft revisions to the Standards for Consent were reviewed and discussed by Council . The practice standard will now be circulated for stakeholder feedback .
Council Elections
Election of Council Executive took place following the Council meeting . Results are as follows :
• Jane Cox , President
• Shannon Gouchie , Vice-President
• Winston Isaac , Member at Large , Finance
• Jeannine Girard-Pearlman , Member at Large , Education
June 23 , 2016
Medical Assistance in Dying
On June 17 , 2016 , the federal government passed legislation on medical assistance in dying . The legislation provides safeguards for patients requesting assistance and protection for health care professionals providing medical assistance in dying . In response to the legislation , Council approved interim Guidelines for Medical Assistance in Dying to help OTs understand the expectations for practice in Ontario . The interim Guidelines will be available online later this summer .
Use of Title
As part of the first step in a process , Council approved general criteria that would permit OTs to display continuing education credentials in an approved format . This criteria will be supported by a process that provides monitoring and evaluation of OT use of credentials . Draft revisions to the Use of Title document will be presented to Council in October for consideration and must be approved before OTs could be permitted to publicly display credentials .
Revised Guide to Controlled Acts and Delegation
Council approved the revised Guide to Controlled Acts and Delegation . The revisions to the Guide reflect changes to legislation and the evolution of occupational therapy practice since the date of original publication . The revised Guide contains a more comprehensive decision-making tool to assist OTs in determining when it is appropriate to accept delegation and the practice requirements following a decision to accept delegation . The revised Guide will be available online later this summer . [ ed . Guide will be available mid-2017 ]
Third Party Referrals and Funding Sources
Working with clients who have been referred for occupational therapy services by a third party such as an insurance company can result in complex relationships and challenging situations for OTs who may find themselves in the middle of the interaction between the client and the person paying for the OT services . To address these types of issues , a new guideline has been proposed . Council approved the key messages for the Guideline for Third Party Referrals and Funding Sources . With this approval , the College will be moving forward on the development of the new guidelines .
Clinic Regulation
Since early 2015 , the College has been part of a Working Group to jointly explore the regulation of clinics in Ontario . A preliminary model was developed by the Working Group and formed the basis of stakeholder consultation that took place throughout much of 2015 . At its June 2016 meeting , Council supported the Clinic Regulation Working Group ’ s submission of its report ‘ Increasing Patient Protection through Clinic Oversight ’ to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care .
Election Bylaws
In light of the shift to online nominations and elections , Council approved bylaw amendments to shorten the election timelines . These changes will be in effect for the 2017 District 2 and 4 Council elections . Further information will be provided this fall .
Professional Corporations
Based on the College ’ s interpretation of the Regulated Health Professions Act , 1991 and the Business Corporations Act , 1990 , Council passed a motion to prevent holding companies from holding shares in occupational therapy professional corporations . As a result , certificates of authorization will not be issued to corporations where shares are held by holding companies . Council ’ s position will be incorporated into College Professional Corporation materials and all occupational therapy professional corporations will be notified .
College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario ON THE RECORD 2016
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