The College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario |
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Newsletter | February 2021 |
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In this issue…
- Email Notification and Installment Payment for 2021 Renewal
- COVID-19 Updates
- Discontinuing Services
- Webinar: Conversations with the College
- Quality Assurance Q&A: Top Areas for Coaching
- Q&As from "Demystifying the Quality Assurance Program" Webinar
- Practice: Case of the Month
- Practice Q&A: OTs and Job Titles
- Reporting Health Privacy Breaches
- Reminder: 2021 Council Elections
- Council Meeting Highlights
- Reminder: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey
- Poll: Substitute Decision Maker Hierarchy
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Important Information about Renewal
OTs will receive renewal notices by email this year
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Considering the ongoing pandemic, the College has decided to send annual renewal notices by email this year and not by postal mail.
This year, you will be able to pay for renewal in up to 3 installments during the renewal period (March-May). An early renewal provides the option to choose payment in 3 installments. Later renewal reduces the option to 2 installments or payment in full.
You will be receiving more information by email in early March regarding annual renewal for the 2021-2022 registration period. Please ensure your email is accurate. You can log in to your member profile at coto.org and update any information that may have changed.
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COVID-19 Updates
Updates and Information
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Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination. As the province's vaccination program rolls out, the College continues to work with the Ministry and other organizations. Stay tuned and we will share new information as it becomes available.
You can help us to provide accurate information to the Ministry about vaccinations if we are asked by ensuring your member information with the College is up to date.
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Discontinuing Services
New Discontinuing Services document is now available
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The College's new Discontinuing Services document replaces the Guidelines for Discontinuation of Services. It includes a section on ‘The Client and Caregiver Perspective’ reflecting the importance of the client's voice and information on Professional Misconduct Regulation was expanded as well.
If you have any questions, please contact Practice Resource Service at 1-800-890-6570 or 416 214-1177 ext. 240 or email practice@coto.org.
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Conversations with the College
Webinar Discussing the two recent practice document revisions
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Have you signed up for our webinar yet? Our Practice Team will be having a live webinar on Thursday, March 11th from 12:10-1:00 pm to discuss the revised documents: Standards for Assessments and Discontinuing Services.
Find out what’s new in these documents and how they apply to your practice. Our Practice team will also be answering your questions. You can submit your questions when you register for the webinar.
If you are unable to attend, a recording of the webinar will be posted to our website and on the College's YouTube channel at a later date. |
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Quality Assurance Q&A
Learning through peer and practice assessments
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Question: What are the most common areas identified for coaching through Peer and Practice Assessments?
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Webinar Follow-Up
"Demystifying the Quality Assurance Program"
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More questions about the Quality Assurance program? Contact us. |
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Case of the Month
Obtaining consent and substitute decision-makers
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Robert is an OT in private practice. He receives a referral to assess Louisa who sustained a head injury in a motor vehicle accident.
Louisa presents with cognitive impairments and she is unable to consent to an occupational therapy assessment. Robert must use a substitute decision-maker (SDM).
Louisa does not have a spouse or children and her parents are living out of the country. She has two adult siblings in the city, but they are not in agreement with each other. Who should Robert speak with to obtain consent?
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Practice Q&A: OTs and Job Titles
What you can do when your title does not include "occupational therapist"
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Question: My job title does not include “occupational therapist,” how can I communicate that I am an occupational therapist?
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Reporting Privacy Breaches
Submit Your 2020 Health Privacy Breach Report by March 31, 2021
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Health information custodians in Ontario are required to report statistics relating to health privacy breaches annually to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario's (IPC) office. How do OTs know if they are a health information custodian? The IPC has a useful resource: Frequently Asked Questions - PHIPA.
By law, health information custodians that have experienced at least one health privacy breach during the 2020 reporting year—from January to December—are required to report breaches through the IPC’s online submission website.
Reminder to submit your health privacy breaches report by Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Learn more about this reporting requirement on the IPC website.
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2021 Council Elections
Voting in Districts 3 and 5 is now open!
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Nominations for Council positions in Districts 3, 5 and 6 have now closed. Thank you for your participation. The position in District 6 has been acclaimed and results will be announced in March. There will be elections in Districts 3 (London, Windsor, and Perth areas) and 5 (Sudbury, Parry Sound, and Muskoka areas).
Voting in Districts 3 and 5 is now open. This is your opportunity to help select the Council members who will contribute to public protection by setting the strategic direction of the College.
Eligible OTs are invited to cast your vote in the election of a Council member in your district. Check your inbox for your ballot! If you are eligible to vote and have not received your electronic ballot, please contact elections@coto.org.
Voting closes Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 2 p.m.
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Council Meeting Highlights
Highlights from the January 28th Council meeting
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Want to learn more about decisions that affect the profession and the public we serve? Meetings are open to the public and meeting dates and materials are posted online.
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Reminder: Complete DEI Survey
Survey on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion closes on February 26, 2021
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Our survey on diversity, equity and inclusion is open until Feb 26th, 2021 at 4:30 pm. If you have not yet completed the survey, please take a few minutes to submit your input: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/29D6MHk
Your input is appreciated, and all comments are valued. If you have any questions, experience any issues completing the survey, or have additional feedback please contact the Practice Team by phone at 416.214.1177 or 1.800.890.6570 ext. 240 or email practice@coto.org. |
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Poll: Substitute Decision-Maker Hierarchy |
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Did you know the SDM hierarchy is in the Appendix of the Standards for Consent?
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Yes, I have it bookmarked for quick reference when I need it!
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No, but I will take a look now that you mention it.
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I check elsewhere. Thanks for letting me know about College resources.
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Check these resources for more about the Substitute Decision-Maker Hierarchy. |
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Last month we asked you: Do you know you need to update your information with the College within 30 days of a change?
91% of respondents selected "Yes, I always log in to update my profile when there is a change."
6% of respondents selected "Oops! I update at renewal and I thought that was enough."
3% of respondents selected "No, I didn’t know I needed to update so thanks for the reminder!"
Thank you to everyone who participated in our poll!
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Any changes to your profile information in the last 30 days? Make sure you update your profile. |
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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.
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