Continuing Competency Program Updates Webinar

On Thursday, Jan 23, from 1:00-2:00, the College provided an information session on the updated Continuing Competence Program. 

The session covered:

  • Updates to the Competence Maintenance portion of the program, including information about the annual requirements, and information about the online portal for entering goals, learning activities, and reflections.
  • Changes to the Competence Review portion of the program to move to an individualized assessment for registrants selected by a Risk-Based selection process;
  • Information about the risk indicators that are used in selecting registrants for competence review;
  • What happens when a registrant is selected to participate in a competence assessment; and
  • What happens if the competence assessment identifies areas in need of improvement.

Thank you to all registrants who attended and asked questions. For the benefit of registrants who were unable to attend the live session, a recorded version of the information session can be found here:

Continuing Competency Program Information:

Introduction

The College is introducing a new process for the ongoing maintenance and evaluation of the continuing competence of registrants, called the Continuing Competence Program (CCP). For more details on this program, please review our webinar on the topic, posted here [link]. The CCP will have three primary components.

Competence Maintenance: the annual requirements for all registrants, to be complete by renewal, as well as e-learning modules as available.

Competence Review: only for those registrants selected and notified. A peer-based interview to assess the competence of a registrant and identify areas of strength as well as areas for growth.

Competence Improvement: only for those registrants with identified learning needs in Competence Review. Required training and education to address any area for growth.

Registrants have also been asked to update their profiles to declare if they engage in any high risk practice areas or solo practice.

High Risk Practice Areas: registrants are to select if they participate, in any capacity, in any of the listed high risk practice areas. This includes registrants who only engage in this practice area on an infrequent basis, or those who only practice a component of the practice area.

Solo Practice: where a registrant is the only OT practicing at their employment site, or where a registrant primarily provides services remotely from other OTs, even where other OTs are employed with the same employer and connect remotely. If you work in a role with a title other than Occupational Therapist, and your counterparts in this role are not OTs, this is also considered solo practice.

Multi-Age: refers to OTs who practice with clients of different age categories (for example, infants and adolescents, or both young adults and seniors).

Registrants are asked to use their best judgement when determining if these indicators apply to them.

While all registrants are required to complete Competence Maintenance, our Competence Review and Competence Improvement are currently designed for clinical OTs. We are in the process of developing a non-clinical version of this component, and more information will be provided at a later date. Both clinical and non-clinical OTs may also be selected for audit.

Clinical: those OTs who provide direct service to a client, such as but not limited to servivces in a hospital, clinic, or in community.

Non-Clinical: those OTs who do not have direct client interactions and/or do not provide clinical oversight, such as managers, educators, and researchers.

 

Profile Updates and Indicators

I am concerned that I will be labelled a “high-risk” practitioner by declaring that I engage in solo practice or higher-risk practice approaches, despite my experience and training.

To clarify, no occupational therapist will be designated “high risk” under the new CCP. Having one or more risk indicators associated with your practice is not a value judgement of your professional competence, training, or knowledge.

Declaring a that you engage in solo practice or use one or more higher-risk practice approaches in your practice does not guarantee that you will be selected to participate in the Competence Review program. The COTNS uses many risk indicators in the risk-based selection process, and the majority of OTs will have at least one risk indicator. Considered together, these risk indicators help the College build a picture of OT practice in Nova Scotia and focus our resources on assessing and supporting OT practice where they will be most impactful, in line with our public protection mandate.

I only use a component of CBT/other psychotherapy approach in my practice, and not the fully structured intervention. I consider this “little p” psychotherapy compared to “big P” psychotherapy. Do I have to declare psychotherapy as a high risk practice area?

Registrants are expected to declare if they provide any of the listed higher-risk practice approaches in any capacity in any of their practice areas. If you are utilizing a component of that approach, you would be expected to declare that you use a psychotherapy approach in your practice.

 

Competence Maintenance

Do I need to complete my continuing competency goals or participate in the CCP if I am on leave/retired/not currently practicing?

If you hold a license as an occupational therapist, you are required to meet all requirements for registration and licensure such as liability insurance coverage and the participation in the Continuing Competency Program even if you are not actively practicing.

Therefore, you are still required to set and submit goals for professional development and complete learning activities related to those goals prior to the renewal period. The College acknowledges that it may be necessary and desirable to revise your goals at a later date if your practice situation changes. You may also articulate your specific situation in the reflection fields of the online Continuing Competency Learning Goals form.

Should you have an extenuating circumstance that makes completing this requirement not feasible, we encourage you to contact the College to discuss your situation.

I am licensed in another province and complete CCP there. Do I need to participate in the COTNS CCP program as well?

As a registrant of COTNS, you are required to complete and submit your CCP requirements to maintain your license in Nova Scotia. However, we encourage you to contact the College to determine if any components from your out-of-province CCP align with the COTNS CCP and can carry over.

 

Competence Review

How many OTs will be selected for Competence Review in each cohort?

The College anticipates between 20-30 registrants will be selected for Competence Review, with cohorts being selected twice per year. The specific number of cohorts and specific number of registrants per cohort may change as the program develops.

What happens if I am selected for Competence Review but am unable to participate (e.g. due to illness or leave)? Can I be deferred or exempted?

We understand that life happens, and that it may not always be an appropriate time for a registrant to participate in Competence Review. A process will exist for registrants to request a deferral. Information about how to apply for a deferral will be shared with registrants once finalized. Exemptions cannot be requested.

What happens if I have a disability or require an accommodation?

We want registrants to have equitable access to the Competence Review. As such, there will be a process for requesting an accommodation if selected. Supplemental documentation may be required to be submitted to the College to support this request.

Will only OTs with many risk indicators be selected for Competence Review?

While OTs with more risk indicators are more likely to be selected, all registrants are eligible to be selected for Competence Review, and there will be those with few or no indicators that will be selected. This will help us assess the risks and the competencies of the profession more generally.

If I have many high-risk indicators, will I need to complete the Competence Review process each year?

No. Registrants who complete the Competence Review (and Competence Improvement, if necessary) process will have a “cooling off” period and will not be routinely selected.