New Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries Practice Guideline!
Maintaining appropriate professional and sexual boundaries is a critical part of an OT’s practice. ACOT has developed a new practice guideline document, Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries, that helps registrants navigate various issues related to both professional and sexual boundaries. The guideline, which aligns with ACOT’s Standards of Practice G and H, explores topics of acting in the best interest of the client and navigating boundaries in specific situations including:
· Relationships with a client or a care partner
· Boundaries with family, friends and colleagues
· Providing services in remote locations
· When a client crosses a boundary
· Physical closeness and touch during service provision
· Self-disclosing personal information to a client
· Social Media
· Gifts and Financial Boundaries
The new resource also includes guidance for recognizing, avoiding and managing boundary crossings. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the new guideline that is posted on the ACOT website in the Practice Resources section. Have questions? Email info@acot.ca.
New Lessons Learned Articles
Going forward, ACOT plans to publish articles summarizing lessons learned from all new published Hearing Tribunal decisions. The purpose of these ‘Lessons Learned’ articles is to reinforce best practices in occupational therapy, educate OTs and the public about what constitutes unprofessional conduct, and provide insight into the discipline process for members of the public and registrants.
Click here to read the lessons learned article on the recent Walker Hearing Tribunal Decision .