The College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
Newsletter | October 2023
In this issue…

  • Recognizing Occupational Therapy Month
  • Reminder: QA Requirements Due October 31st
  • Reminder: Update Your Professional Liability Insurance
  • Practice Q&A: Managing Unavoidable Conflicts of Interest
  • October Board Meeting
  • Opportunity: Practice Subcommittee
  • October Poll and September Results
Important News
Information and Updates
Occupational Therapy Month
Happy Occupational Therapy Month! We are excited to share that the College recently passed the milestone of over 7,000 registrants.

We would like to thank all 7,000+ licensed occupational therapists for their continued hard work and commitment to providing safe, ethical, quality care to Ontarians.
New video for OT Month
In recognition of Occupational Therapy Month, the College has a new video on our YouTube channel.

The video helps educate the public about what occupational therapists do, who they work with and where.
Occupational therapist working with a child. Certification of registration to the right. An icon that reads "Licensed" on the certificate. A play video button on top.
Mark Your Calendar
Reminders and Dates to Remember
Reminder: QA Requirements
Reminder to complete your requirements by October 31st
Reminder: 2023 Quality Assurance activities are due October 31st, 2023. 

If you have redeemed your code but have not started the Annual Learning Plan, please go to: https://myqacoto.powerappsportals.com and follow the prompts for the annual requirements.

If you haven’t redeemed your code to log in to the Annual Learning Plan, check your inbox for an email from qaprogram@coto.org and follow the steps to log in.

Need help? Watch the following videos to help you access the:


Contact us at qaprogram@coto.org if you have any questions or concerns.
Professional Liability Insurance
Reminder: Update your insurance information within 30 days of a change
OTs, remember to check your professional liability insurance policy for the expiration date. You may need to update your insurance information with the College.

You are not required to send us a copy of your insurance certificate unless the College contacts you directly to request documentation.
You and Your Practice
Information and Resources
Practice Q&A
Managing unavoidable conflicts of interest
Question: I live in a smaller community and work as the only occupational thearpist at the primary health team clinic. Sometimes I am asked to see a client I know in the community. 
 
What should I do if this conflict of interest is unavoidable?  
Looking for the Standards of Practice and other resources?

Resources are available here: Standards and Practice Resources

Tip: 📑 Bookmark the page for future reference!
College Governance
Practice Subcommittee
Call for Two New Practice Subcommittee Members
The College is seeking two occupational therapists to join the Practice Subcommittee.

About the Practice Subcommittee

  • Key roles involve helping to update, revise, and develop practice documents for occupational therapists.

  • Additionally, there are other opportunities to provide feedback on practice program initiatives.

  • Seeking two occupational therapists who have worked in one of the following practice settings for the last 5 years: 
  • Community care and support services (home care),
  • Adult mental health, and
  • Acute care (hospital).

The deadline to apply is Friday, November 10th, 2023.
October Board Meeting
Want to learn more about decisions that affect the profession and the public we serve? The next College Board meeting will be held on October 26th, 2023.

Meetings are open to the public. Meeting dates and materials are posted online.
Connect with Us
Take the latest poll
October Poll & September Results
Most occupational therapists in Ontario work primarily with what age group?
All ages
Children and youth (ages 0-17)
Adults (ages 18-64)
Seniors (ages 65+)
Adults and seniors (ages 18-64 and 65+)
Some occupational therapists work with clients of all ages. Others may only work with certain age groups.
In September we asked you: Have you completed our registrant survey?

We received 74 responses and here are the results:

  • 44.6% voted "Yes" (33 votes)
  • 28.4% voted "Not yet" (21 votes)
  • 27% voted "No" (20 votes)
The registrant survey closed on September 30th. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our public outreach survey. The results will help inform our 2024-2027 strategic plan. Key themes will be posted later this year.

We welcome feedback at any time. Visit: coto.org/about/feedback

Thank you for participating in our poll!
Listen to our radio spot
The College has released a seasonal radio spot to educate the public about working with regulated health professionals like occupational therapists and our role as a regulator.
Do you know someone who would like to be added to our mailing list?
They can sign up here. Have additional comments or suggestions for the College email news? Send your thoughts to communications@coto.org.
Any changes to your profile information in the last 30 days? Make sure you update your profile.
DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE IF YOU ARE A REGISTRANT OF THE COLLEGE.

If registrants unsubscribe, they will be contacted to re-subscribe. The College communicates to occupational therapists by email regarding changes to standards, mandatory registration requirements, public consultations and more. We strive to keep communication relevant and to a minimum.

20 Bay Street, Suite 900, Toronto, ON · 416.214.1177 1.800.890.6570 · www.coto.org · info@coto.org