COVID-19 Updates, Open Forum, Registration Reminder & CCP Sessions

COVID-19 Updates

Please note the guidance in the November 27 version of the COVID-19 Safe Delivery of OT Services During a Pandemic practice guideline is still relevant and applicable even with the enhanced public health measures announced in December which are extended until at least January 21, 2021. See below for answers to questions we have been fielding since these enhanced mandatory measures were announced:

Q – Can OTs refer to massage therapists during the current restrictions aimed at non-regulated health care providers?

A – For the duration of the current restrictions, an OT can refer their own client to a massage therapist if it is required as part of their own client’s treatment plan. OTs cannot and should not write a massage therapy referral for a client that is not on the OT’s caseload or if the massage therapy is not part of their client’s current treatment plan.

Q –  The current restrictions limit the provision of health care services to those booked by appointment, with appointments being one-on-one only. What does this mean for mental health group therapy or group programming offered in school or early childhood services (ECS) settings?

A – The current restriction limiting health service delivery to pre-scheduled, 1:1  appointments does not apply to mental health services or group-based programming offered in-person within a classroom cohort.  Physical distancing and all other infection prevention and control measures outlined in the ACOT COVID guideline (linked above) are still to be followed whenever proceeding with an in-person OT service delivery whether it is 1:1 or group-based. Group-based programming in schools/ECS settings should be limited to those that can be offered to students within the same cohort only.

Q – When can OTs expect to be vaccinated?

A – Refer to both the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS) vaccine pages for information on the order of vaccine distribution. Frontline healthcare workers that are not in the priority groups for Phase 1, 1A and 1B are slated for Phase 2 (estimated Apr-Sep 2021).

Please note that even if you are vaccinated, you are still required to follow the risk mitigation strategies outlined in the ACOT COVID-19 practice guideline.

Open Forum January 20, 2021

Council’s Open Forums occur twice a year, and are your opportunity to bring forward issues, concerns, questions or any other matter you wish to share with Council, who welcomes your engagement!  The next Open Forum will be held on January 20, 2021 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. There is no need to register – just click on this link to join the meeting in Microsoft Teams.

To help us address items that are of interest to you, please complete this quick 2-question survey before the meeting: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9C9L6Q2 Thank you!

Registration Reminder

Our system is open to renew your practice permit online at www.acot.ca. Be sure to renew before February 28, 2021 to avoid having your practice permit cancelled. Note that extra time for renewal is required if you have profile updates such as a name change or addition of an employer that is not currently in our system, so be sure to start your renewal well before the end of February.

You may notice our list of employers has changed in our system. We have been working to remove duplicates and tighten up categories. If you do not see your employer in the drop down pick list, refer to the section on modifying your employment information in the Registration Renewal Guide. Note: it can take up to 10 business days if renewal approval is required if you have profile updates such as a name change or addition of an employer that is not currently in our system. Be sure to start your renewal well before the end of February.

New video tutorials have been prepared to assist you in renewing your registration including two on Updating Your Profile and Completing Your Continuing Competence Program (CCP). See the CCP Resources page of the ACOT website for these and other resources developed to make registration renewal go more smoothly.

CCP Sessions

Are you new to ACOT this year? Or perhaps you’ve not logged in to update your 2020-2021 CCP Learning Plan lately? We invite you to join one of the information sessions ACOT is offering as a refresher on what you are expected to include in your CCP Learning Plan. Given that the goals you set back during renewal earlier this year may no longer be applicable due to the pandemic, the sessions will also review how to edit your Learning Plan goals to align with any changes in your practice.

Click here for a listing of the sessions – there is no need to pre-register, just click on the link for the date/time that works for your schedule and you are good to go. Each session will be open 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time if you would like to login early to say hello or get your questions in the queue.

We are also available to present sessions targeted to a specific practice setting/practice area in February if you are interested. Contact Angela Sekulic to make arrangements – angela.sekulic@acot.ca.

Can’t make it to one of the sessions?  No problem – there are several resources available to help you complete the CCP components according to the CCP Review and Evaluation Rubric criteria, they can be accessed from the CCP Resources page in the Continuing Competence tab of the ACOT website.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about today’s update.