Is Your Private Practice Listed with ACOT?
Listing your Private Practice
Did you know that even if you see a couple of clients “on the side” that you need to include this private practice as an employer in your ACOT profile? This requirement is listed in sections 33(4)(b)(iii) and 33(4.1) of the Health Professions Act and clause 14.(1)(b) of the ACOT Bylaws. Check out section G on page 9 of the Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About: Private Practice document for instructions on how to name and add your private practice to your profile page in the online platform. Email info@acot.ca if you require assistance.
Listing your private practice, no matter how many clients you see, is required. Additionally, it improves the accuracy of ACOT’s reporting to the Ministry of Health regarding the number of ACOT registrants in private practice.
See also ACOT’s practice guideline – Private Practice: Legislative and Regulatory Considerations.
HPA Amendments Now in Force
What’s New in Legislation
As of March 31, 2023, the amendments proposed in Bill 46, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2020 (No. 2), have come into force. The main changes to highlight include:
- The list of Health Services Restricted Activities is now housed in Part 0.1 of the Health Professions Act (HPA) rather than the Government Organization Act.
- The restricted activities that occupational therapists are permitted to perform are now listed in sections 38 and 39 of the new Health Professions Restricted Activities Regulation. Occupational therapists must still limit the restricted activities they perform to those that align with occupational therapy practice and to those they are competent to perform.
- The Occupational Therapists Profession Regulation (OTPR) no longer references requirements for the supervision of restricted activities by non-regulated persons or requirements relating to the Continuing Competence Program (CCP). As per the amended HPA, these requirements will be addressed in ACOT’s new Standards of Practice (SoP) which are currently with the Ministry of Health for review (see the Standards of Practice Refresh page for copies of the draft SoP and CoE that are currently with government).
- As per the amended HPA, some requirements relating to registration (i.e., professional liability insurance; citizenship or permission to work in Canada; language proficiency; equivalent jurisdictions; and, good character and reputation) have been moved from the OTPR into the updated ACOT Bylaws (see clauses 6-10).
If you have any questions about these changes, feel free to contact Angela Meneley, Director of Regulation and Policy to discuss.