VOLUME 9 ISSUE 3SUMMER 2011

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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLLEGE OF AUDIOLOGISTS AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS OF ONTARIO

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Publications Agreement Number 40025049 • ISSN 1713-8922

Update On Professional Liability Insurance Coverage

Registration Renewal Deadline October 3, 2011. Details Inside.

CASLPO TODAY S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

cont

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4 Registrar’s MessageBy Brian O’Riordan

7 June Council Highlights

CASLPO NEWS

9 New CASLPO BylawsBy Brian O’Riordan, Registrar and Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

Update on Professional Liability Insurance CoverageBy Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

CASLPO Council Executive Committee Elections

CASLPO’s 2011 Annual Report

2011-2012 Renewal of Membership - Deadline: October 3, 2011By Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

CASLPO Welcomes New Staff Members

FEATURE

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CASLPO Council Profile: Mary SuddickBy Sherry Hinman

Advocating for Quality in the Community Sector: Heather HeamanBy Sherry Hinman

A Short History of the SCERP By Richard Steinecke, BA, LLB

DEPARTMENTS

7 Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (OSLA) – New Executive, New Activities, New Results

OSLA

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College Consultations on Regulations Concerning Professional Misconduct Advertising and Conflict of InterestBy Margaret Drent, Director of Professional Conduct

Election Results - Districts 1 and 3

Did You Know?By Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

Assistive Devices Program – Member Concerns ContinueBy Brian O’Riordan, Registrar

New Publication: Position Statement on The Disclosure of Test Materials and DataBy Carol Bock, Deputy Registrar

Members Suspended for Failure to Complete the Annual Renewal Requirements For 2010–2011By Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

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REGISTRAR’S MESSAGE

This issue of CASLPO Today contains a wide variety of more than usualimportant information for members of the professions. Most crucially, I

would draw your attention to the material relating to the annual mandatoryregistration renewal for members. Once again, registration renewal can becompleted online. Each year, more members take advantage of this option; lastyear three-quarters of members did so.

There is also information provided regarding the adoption of new bylaws by theCouncil of the College. As required by legislation, three of these bylaws relatingto: membership fees, the Public Register of Members and InsuranceRequirements were circulated to members for comment in the spring of thisyear. Following this, College Council formally approved these three bylaws andthey went into effect on July 1. There are details in this issue on all the feechanges, which members will need to be aware of as they register this year.

Members should also take note of the article on the College Position Statementon “Disclosure of Test Materials and Data.” This position statement wasdeveloped in response to many member inquiries for guidance in this area.There is also an important update on member insurance requirements.

Another important article concerns the College’s intention to review itsapproach to regulating Professional Conduct, Advertising and Conflict ofInterest. The article outlines the issues involved in the consultation process andreminds members of some of the practices which are currently forbidden.

Issues concerning the government’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP) are thesubject of another article. Ever since the auditor general of Ontario’s 2009 reporton the program, ADP has introduced a steady stream of reforms in policy anddirection, as well as aggressively auditing health professionals providing servicesunder the auspices of the program. The recent introduction of newadministrative forms and procedures in the spring of this year has caused furtherchallenges and difficulties for members, resulting in CASLPO seeking greaterresponsiveness from ADP in addressing clinician concerns.

CASLPO Today continues its series of interviews with members of CASLPOCouncil. This issue highlights the work of SLP member Mary Suddick, who hasrecently been elected vice-president, SLP. Mary is also currently a member ofthe Executive Committee and chair of the Registration Committee. The articleoutlines how she balances her clinical work with her service on CASLPOCouncil.

Another feature interview highlights the work of Heather Heaman, OSLA’schair of the Home/Community Care Interest Group , who is very active in theCCAC/Home Care delivery of services.

Other CASLPO matters highlighted in this issue relate to: our standing featuresummarizing the most recent College Council meeting; elections for positionson Council; appointments of public members to Council by the provincial

CASLPO College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of OntarioOrdre des audiologistes et des orthophonistes de l’Ontario

A: 3080 Yonge St., Suite 5060, Toronto, ON M4N 3N1T: 416-975-5347/1-800-993-9459F: 416-975-8394E: caslpo@caslpo.com | W: www.caslpo.com

R E G I S T R A R

Brian O'Riordan, BA, MA Ext: 215 | boriordan@caslpo.com

D E P U T Y R E G I S T R A R

Carol Bock, M.H.Sc., Reg. CASLPO ext 227 | cbock@caslpo.com

D I R E C T O R O F F I N A N C E A N D O P E R A T I O N S

Gregory Katchin, MBA, CAExt: 217 | gkatchin@caslpo.com

D I R E C T O R O F R E G I S T R A T I O N S E R V I C E S

Colleen Myrie, BAExt: 211 | cmyrie@caslpo.com

E X E C U T I V E A S S I S T A N T T O T H E R E G I S T R A R

Carol LammersExt: 214 | clammers@caslpo.com

P R O G R A M A S S I S T A N T ( R E G I S T R A T I O N S E R V I C E S )

Camille PrashadExt: 213 | cprashad@caslpo.com

A D M I N I S T R A T I V E A S S I S T A N T ( C O R P O R A T E )

Julie McFarlandExt: 210 | caslpo@caslpo.com

M A N A G I N G E D I T O R

Scott Bryantscottbryant@andrewjohnpublishing.com

A R T D I R E C T O R / D E S I G N E R

Andrea Brierley905.522.0788 | abrierley@allegrahamilton.com

S A L E S A N D C I R C U L A T I O N C O O R D I N A T O R

Brenda Robinson905.628.4309 | brobinson@andrewjohnpublishing.com

A C C O U N T I N G

Susan McClungC L A S S I F I E D A D V E R T I S I N G :

Brenda Robinson905.628.4309 | brobinson@andrewjohnpublishing.com

G R O U P P U B L I S H E R

John D. Birkby

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CASLPO Today is published quarterly by Andrew John Publishing Inc. withoffices located at 115 King Street West, Suite 220 Dundas, ON L9H 1V1. Wewelcome editorial submissions but cannot assume responsibility or commit-ment for unsolicited material. Any editorial materials, including photographs,that are accepted from an unsolicited contributor will become the property ofAndrew John Publishing Inc. The publisher shall not be liable for any of theviews expressed by the authors of articles or letters published in CASLPOToday, nor shall theses opinions necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

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D I R E C T O R O F P R O F E S S I O N A L C O N D U C T

Margaret Drent, BA, MA, LLB, BCLExt. 221 | mdrent@caslpo.com

Alexandra Carling-Rowland, PhDExt. 226 | acarlingrowland@caslpo.com

D I R E C T O R O F P R O F E S S I O N A L P R A C T I C E & Q U A L I T Y A S S U R A N C E

government; the engagement of two new College staff, Director ofProfessional Conduct Margaret Drent, and Director of ProfessionalPractice and Quality Assurance Dr. Alexandra Carling-Rowland.

As well, we draw attention to the College’s recent publication of its 2010Annual Report, which, in compliance with legislation, has been forwardedto the minister of health and long-term care. The report has also been sentto all other MPPs and many provincial and national stakeholders. Thiscommunication is particularly timely this year as MPPs head out on thehustings to contest the October 6 provincial election, where DaltonMcGuinty’s Liberals bid for a third term in office, facing off against TimHudak’s Progressive Conservatives, and the NDP, led by Andrea Horwath.

There are many important issues at stake in the election, including healthcare. The election is an opportunity for health care providers in their localconstituencies to raise, with candidates of all parties, the profile of theirprofessions and associated concerns. Most importantly, it is a chance forpeople to vote for the candidate of their choice.

In summary, this issue of CASLPO Today underlines for me what an activesummer it has been in so many areas of importance to members of theCollege. College Council members and staff look forward to engagingmembers of the College in consultations on important issues throughoutthe fall. We are also preparing to engage in the fall whomever is elected toform the government at Queen’s Park.

See you soon!

REGISTRAR’S MESSAGE

O F F I C E R S

Vicky Papaioannou, AUD, PresidentMary Suddick, SLP, Vice-President

Jack Scott, AUD, Vice-President

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P R O F E S S I O N A L M E M B E R S

D i s t r i c t 1 ( E a s t e r n O n t a r i o )

Rosanne Lavallée-McNamee, AUDPaulina Finak, SLP

D i s t r i c t 2 ( C e n t r a l O n t a r i o )

Vicky Papaioannou, AUDMary Suddick, SLP

D i s t r i c t 3 ( S o u t h w e s t e r n O n t a r i o )

Debra Zelisko, AUDNancy Blake, SLP

D i s t r i c t 4 ( N o r t h w e s t e r n O n t a r i o )

Sandra (Sandi) Singbeil, SLP

D i s t r i c t 5 ( N o r t h e a s t e r n O n t a r i o )

Carolyn Moran, SLP

D i s t r i c t 6 ( O n t a r i o - a t - L a r g e )

Bob Kroll, SLP____________________

A C A D E M I C M E M B E R S

Jack Scott, AUDLuc DeNil, SLP

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P U B L I C M E M B E R S

Cathrine CampbellBryan DeSousa

Ferne DezenhousePauline Faubert

John KrawchenkoJosie Rose

Estrella Tolentino

C A S L P O C O U N C I L

Brian O’Riordan,Registrar

As an introduction, the boardmembers are Shanda Hunter-

Trottier, (SLP) president and chair –S.L. Hunter & Associates Inc.; PamMillett, (AUD) vice-president, YorkUniversity; Lorie Grant, (SLP),secretary-treasurer, Peel District SchoolBoard; Lisa Archibald, (SLP) executiveofficer, University of Western Ontario;Gwen Merrick, (SLP), St. Michael’sHospital; Brad Allard, (AUD), AllardAudiology; Peggy Allen, (SLP),Durham District School Board; AnneMarie Sinasac-Roy, (AUD), Lindsay EarClinic; Michelle Parker, (SLP), TheSpeech Clinic; Julie Lemire, (SLP),Ottawa Hospital; Anila Punnoose,(SLP), Durham District School Board;and Julie Herczeg, studentrepresentative, University of WesternOntario.

Hospital and Community/Home Care ServicesCampaignAn element of the board’s strategic planfor 2011–2014 includes a provincialelection strategy. One of OSLA’s publicoutreach campaigns, in partnership withthe Ontario Council of Hospital Unions,focuses on speech-language pathology

and audiology services in Ontariohospitals and the importance ofincreasing hospital beds and speech-language and swallowing healthcareservices to, in particular, elderly patientswho are discharged from hospital toosoon before receiving full therapy andwho end up falling through the cracks ofthe system when transitioning fromhospital to home/community careservices. We have established a hotline forfamily members, caregivers, patients,health care providers, to report theirexperiences, positive or negative, on thevalue of the services they or their familymember received.

OSLA will prepare a report on ourfindings from the public’s experiencesand deliver to the incoming governmentafter the October 6 election. The goal is toincrease speech-language and swallowingservices for in-patient care, increasehospital stays until proper transitioningto home/community care is established,and to increase audiology in/out-patientservices in hospitals. A recent report fromthe Institute for Clinical EvaluationsSciences (ICES) found that dischargedstroke patients receive an average of 10home visits from speech-language

CASLPO NEWS

Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists andAudiologists (OSLA) – NewExecutive, New Activities, NewResults

Council met on June 10th and the followingitems were discussed:

1. B. O’Riordan updated Council on the status of the current Strategic Priorities and the work ongoing.

2. Council reviewed the reports from the following committees: Executive, Registration, Quality Assurance, Audiology Practice Advisory, Speech-Language Pathology Practice Advisory, ICRC, Finance, and Patient Relations.

3. Michael Forbes, an external health care consultant provided a presentation and updated Council on the work being done on the white paper regarding “Communicating a Diagnosis” and “the Use of the Title Doctor.”

4. B. O’Riordan updated Council on the responses received from the membership regarding the new bylaws 3, 6, and 7. Council approved bylaws 3, 6, and 7 with one amendment to bylaw 3, article 5.2.4, such that it now reads “for a member holding a life certificate of registration: $60.00.”

5. M. Drent updated Council on the HPRAC Criteria Review. B. O’Riordan thanked Council members who have provided comments/suggestions at the committee level. Council recommended that Executive approve a response on behalf of Council.

6. B. O’Riordan updated Council on the current public awareness initiatives that CASLPO is working on, including the MediaPlanet ad in the Toronto Starrecently, ongoing talks with Zoomer Radiofor advertising space, as well as the 2010 Annual Report. Council approved that the 2010 Annual Report be submitted to the minister of health and long-term care. Council complimented staff on the work done to create the 2010 Annual Report.

7. B. O’Riordan and V. Papaioannou updated Council on the discussions thus far regarding the CAASPR Competency Assessment Project Framework (including the recent meeting in Montreal) and reviewed the draft proposed response to CAASPR.

Members commented as follows:

JUNE COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTSOSLA

By Mary Cook, Executive Director

2011 has turned out to be a very busy year for OSLA. Our new executiveboard members have a full agenda.

therapists when best practices say theyshould be getting 62 visits. Moreover, 500to 1,000 of those most severely disabled bystrokes annually in Ontario aren’t gettingany rehabilitation. We are asking all threepolitical parties to tell us what strategy andplan they will implement to increasehospital beds and healthcare rehabilitationservices and improve access tocommunity care services for Ontarians.

Speech and LanguageAdvisory Tri-MinistryCommitteeOSLA has been invited to participate onthe Ministry of Youth and Child Services;Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care;and Ministry of Education’s Speech and Language Advisory Committee, to provide advice, information andguidance to the three ministries in orderto support integration of speech andlanguage services for young children/students (birth to grade 3), and for theirfamilies. The Advisory Committee’smandate is to provide advice on serviceimprovements, including models andpartnerships; evaluation of the recentlytendered “demonstration sites/ projects,”including the selection of data elementsand outcome measures; Provincialimplications from the evaluation of thedemonstration sites; and a Provincialmodel for integrating speech andlanguage services. Membership includesthe Ontario Association of Children’sRehabilitative Services, Ontario Assoc-iation for Families of Children withCommunication Disorders, Associationof Local Public Health Agencies, OntarioCommunity Support Association,Ontario Home Care Association, OntarioAssociation of Community Care AccessCentres, Early Childhood ResourceTeacher Network of Ontario, theChildren’s Treatment Network ofSimcoe-York, 4 school boards, 1 CCAC,and 2 Pre-School Services and OSLA.

This Advisory Committee is as a result ofthe recommendations from the Deloitte

Review of School Health Support ServicesJuly 2010. The recommendations from theAdvisory Committee will guide andinform provincial improvements tospeech and language services in Ontario.The committee’s sunset is December2012.

Insurer ExaminationsAssessor RosterOSLA has now posted on its website thelist of members who have submitted theirprofiles to inform the public, insurancecompanies, rehabilitation agencies, andlawyers, for example, as to their experienceand academic information to conductinsurer examinations. OSLA does notmake any judgement as to whether amember can be on the roster. Allsubmissions will automatically beincluded on the roster exactly as they havebeen submitted. OSLA will simplymaintain the information and release it toany party who requests the profile. It willbe up to the interested party to determineif the qualifications match what they arelooking for. OSLA has alreadycommunicated to the Financial ServicesCommission of Ontario (FSCO) to advisethem of the process and sent along ourcompetency profile documentation.FSCO is also developing standards forinsurer examinations and welcomed ourinput. Given the changes that occurred inSeptember 2010 to the StatutoryAccidents Benefits Schedule (SABS),OSLA receives many requests forinformation from the public on theknowledge and experience of thoseproviding opinions on speech andlanguage professional services. Thanks tothe many members who work in this areaof practice for all the work they do onbehalf of the profession and the clientsand patients they help.

These are only some of the many activitiesand initiatives the association and itsmembers are actively involved in. We lookforward to continuing to be busy for theremainder of 2011!

OSLA

• Send a response to CAASPR indicating CASLPO approves CAASPR moving forward with the funding request, but that CASLPO list our concerns in the response.

• CAASPR should proceed with the “project” but concerns need to be addressed regarding the framework as laid out by CAASPR

• Council members expressed concern surrounding the processes that CAASPR has taken thus far on the projects.

8. C. Myrie updated Council on the status of the Entry to Practice Review Recommendations. Council approved the Entry to Practice Review Recommendations.

9. Council approved the Position Statement on Disclosure of Test Materials & Data.

10. B. O’Riordan updated Council on: Media Reports; Activity and Information update: a letter of thanks from N. Sheikh (former Council member) was read by the Registrar, and with respect to and updates on the CAASPR projects on guidelines on national “Auditory Processing Disorders”and national “Autism Guidelines.”

11.G. Katchin reviewed Council financial statements provided.

12. B. O’Riordan updated Council on the discussions and communications exchanged surrounding ADP issues overthe past few months. Suggestion was made to include an update in CASLPO Today regarding this topic.

13.B. O’Riordan and C. Bock reviewed withCouncil the proposed response to CPSOregarding the Review of Delegation of Controlled Acts Policy update.

14.The Registrar was asked by Council to facilitate the election process for the Executive Committee.

As a result of the election among Council

JUNE COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

CASLPO NEWS

IntroductionMembers will recall that in an e-mailof March 17, 2011, the College invitedmembers to comment on threeproposed new bylaws relating to Fees,the Register of Members, and PersonalProfessional Liability Insurance.During the 60-day comment period,23 comments were received – themajority concerning the Fees increase.

Various concerns and questions wereraised regarding the fee structure.These were taken into considerationwhen the Council of the College, at itsmeeting on June 10, 2011, reviewed thebylaws again. This marked the fourthmeeting at which the bylaws receivedconsideration, extending back to thefall of 2010. Council, in June, decidedto reduce the proposed fee for LifeMembers to bring it in line with theother percentage increases, and

confirmed its earlier discussions withrespect to annual fees for General andAcademic, Initial and Non-Practicing,and Teaching membership categories,and various miscellaneous admin-istrative fees. Council had to balanceconcerns raised by members about thegeneral economic situation in theprovince and the resulting impacts onmembers with the need to ensure thatthe College operates effectively andefficiently to both safeguard the publicinterest and be responsive tomembership needs now and in thefuture.

New Annual FeesAccordingly, Council adopted thefollowing with respect to new annualfees, effective immediately for thisyear’s annual 2011 – 12 RegistrationRenewal.

New CASLPO BylawsBy Brian O’Riordan, Registrar and Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

members, the following were elected:

President: V. Papaioannou (AUD)VP – AUD: J. ScottVP – SLP: M. SuddickN. Blake (SLP)C. Campbell (public member)J. Krawchenko (public member)

15.Council considered matters relating to the performance review process of the Registrar.

Council commended the Registrar on hispositive performance review. Council looksforward to working with him in theforthcoming year and are anticipatingreceiving information from him on his areasof focus for the coming year.

JUNE COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTSCASLPO NEWS

Back row (left to right): Bob Kroll, Luc DeNil, SasanBorhani, Pauline Faubert, John Krawchenko, SandiSingbeil, Ferne DezenhouseFront row (left to right): Nancy Blake, BrianO’Riordan, Carolyn Moran, Meg Petkoff, EstrellaTolentino, Vicky Papaioannou, Paulina FinakAbsent: Bryan DeSousa, Cathrine Campbell, JackScott, Rosanne Lavallée-McNamee, Mary Suddick

CASLPO Council Members

Class of Certificate of Current Annual Fees New Annual FeesRegistration

General and Academic $500.00 $600.00Initial and Non-Practicing $250.00 $300.00Teaching $500.00 $600.00Life $50.00 $60.00

The Registration Renewal deadline for this year, at the new fee levels, is October 3, 2011.

Penalty Fees For Late RegistrationIt should also be noted that there are changes with respect to the 20% latepenalty fee for members who fail to renew their registration by October 3.

Class of Certificate of Current Late Penalty New Late PenaltyRegistration

General and Academic $100.00 $120.00Initial and Non-Practicing $50.00 $60.00Teaching $100.00 $120.00

Currently, if a member does not pay theprescribed annual fees within fourmonths after the deadline, themember’s certificate of registration maybe suspended. Effective, October 3,2011, if a member does not pay theprescribed annual fees within twomonths after that date, the member’scertificate of registration may besuspended.

The reinstatement fee for suspendedmembers who fail to renew within twomonths of the October 3 deadline willalso increase as a result of the increasingannual fee.

ConclusionIn closing, please be assured that theCollege strives to operate in the mostcost-effective and efficient mannerpossible. No expenditure decisions aremade lightly or without consideration oftheir impact. An increase in the annualfees is necessary for the College tocontinue to meet its regulatoryresponsibilities, and support ourmembers. This is the first increase in feessince 2002. This increase will allow theCollege to balance its budget.

CASLPO has always budgeted veryconservatively and responsibly over theyears. It is also apparent to Council thatthe College needs to do more in terms ofoutreach activities with members, fromneeds surveys to regional seminars, tooffering webinars, conferences and otherprofessional assistance. We also need toexplore other membership supportinitiatives, increase and enhance theprofile of professionals and increase ourliaison activities with universities and

other College stakeholders, and makeneeded improvements in our coreactivities: Registration, Quality Assur-ance, and Complaints and Discipline.

More work needs to be done onaddressing long-standing membershipconcerns relating to scopes of practice,use of the title “doctor,” thegovernment’s Assistive DevicesProgram, and making regulatoryrevisions in the public interestconcerning regulations for Advertising,Conflict of Interest and ProfessionalMisconduct. It is for all these reasonsthat the College now believes increasesin fees are warranted. CASLPO believesthat these fee changes will greatly assistin building the capacity of the College tobetter serve the public interest and to

provide enhanced and improvedservices for all members.

The College thanks all those memberswho participated in the consultationprocess. All of the eight new approvedbylaws, including those relating to Fees,the Register and Insurance, are nowavailable on the College website byfollowing the links provided on the“Regulations & Legislation” tab.

If you have any questions or comments,please contact Brian O’Riordan,Registrar at boriordan@caslpo.com orColleen Myrie, Director of RegistrationServices at cmyrie@caslpo.com.

CASLPO NEWS

Class of Certificate of Current Reinstatement Fee New Reinstatement FeeRegistration

General and Academic $175.00 $210.00Initial and Non-Practicing $87.50 $105.00Teaching $175.00 $210.00

Current Fees New Fees

Fee for each cheque returned non-cashable or any credit card $25.00 $50.00payment that is refusedFee for a replacement $10.00 $50.00membership cardFee for a replacement or $25.00 $50.00additional wall certificateFee for a replacement tax - $50.00receiptFee for a letter confirming registration status or a receipt - $50.00of paymentFee for a completion of forms - $50.00from other jurisdictionsFee for copying documents - $50.00*from a member’s fileFee for reminding a member to do something that they are - $50.00required to do but failed to do* For the first 25 pages and $1 per page thereafter.

Miscellaneous FeesEffective October 3, 2011, thefollowing miscellaneous fees willincrease:

CASLPO NEWS

Currently the requirements forprofessional liability insurance can

be found in Ontario Regulation 543/94.The College has submitted a proposalto amend Ontario Regulation 543/94.This proposal will move therequirements for liability insurancecoverage from CASLPO’s registrationregulation to a bylaw. This new bylaw(i.e., Bylaw 2011-7A) will maintain thesame level of liability insurancecoverage set out in our currentregistration regulation. With this bylaw,the status quo will be maintained andCASLPO's requirements for liabilityinsurance coverage will not change.

The College has also circulated Bylaw2011-7 regarding Personal ProfessionalLiability insurance. The requirements

for personal professional liabilityinsurance coverage will come into forcewhen section 13.1 of the HealthProfessions Procedural Code of theRegulated Health Professions Act isproclaimed. When section 13.1 isproclaimed, some CASLPO membersmay not be sufficiently covered withtheir current liability insurance policiesand may have to obtain additionalcoverage.

To date, the College has not had anyindication from the Ministry of Healthand Long-Term Care when this sectionwill be proclaimed into force. TheCollege will provide members withfurther direction if and when theserequirements become mandatory.

Update on Professional LiabilityInsurance CoverageBy Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

CASLPO’s 2010Annual ReportCASLPO’s 2010 Annual Report hasbeen finalized and is available fordownloading from the CASLPOwebsite by following the link on the“About the College” tab.

Please feel free to contact the Collegeshould you wish to receive a hardcopy.

CASLPO ExecutiveCommitteeElectionsIn accordance with Bylaw #1 ofCASLPO, an election for members ofthe Executive Committee of Councilwas held during the Council meetingon June 10, 2011. The official results ofthe election are as follows:

President: Vicky Papaiannou (AUD)

– re-elected

Vice-President (AUD): Jack Scott

Vice-President (SLP): Mary Suddick

Other members elected: Nancy Blake (SLP)

– re-elected

Cathrine Campbell (Public member)

John Krawchenko (Public Member) re-elected

These members took officeimmediately for a one-year term.

CASLPO NEWS

Once again this year, you will be ableto complete your registration

renewal online. To use CASLPO’sonline renewal system all you need isyour CASLPO registration number andyour date of birth to log in. The onlineregistration system is available 24 hoursa day. Fees may be paid using Visa orMasterCard. Last year, 76% ofCASLPO’s members completed theirannual registration renewal online.

You can start to renew for 2011–2012online at www.caslpo.com as of August2, 2011. The deadline for renewal thisyear is Monday, October 3, 2011.

Please do not attempt to renew onlineif:1. You are requesting a change of your

class of registration;2. You wish to resign from the College;3. You do not have an email address;4. You are a General member but you

have not met CASLPO’s requirements for patient-care or related work;

5. You are a General member but you have not met CASLPO’s requirements to maintain an up-to-date Self-Assessment Tool and collect Continuous Learning Activities;

6. You are a General or an Initial member and you do not have professional liability insurance coverage for each employment site.(Please be advised that regardless ofyour employment status, if you donot have professional liability insurance coverage, you are not eligible for registration.)

7. You have been convicted of a criminal offence;

8. You have been, or are currently the subject of a finding of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity; or

9. Your status as a Canadian citizen ora permanent resident of Canada oryour authorization under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of audiology or speech-language pathology, has changed in the last 12 months.

Please note that if any of the abovestatements apply to you, you mustcomplete and submit the paper versionof CASLPO’s renewal form. You candownload the paper version ofCASLPO’s 2011–2012 RegistrationRenewal Package from our website onor after August 2, 2011. If you wouldlike the College to send you a renewalpackage by mail, you must make arequest by telephone, e-mail or faxbefore September 16. After this date, arenewal package may not get to you intime by regular mail for you to meet theOctober 3 deadline.

The College encourages all members tobe proactive and complete their 2011–2012 renewal application as soon aspossible. Your renewal forms and feesmust be received at the College office bymail or completed online on or beforeOctober 3. Renewals received afterOctober 3 will incur a 20% late penalty.

E-mail Renewal ReminderNoticesThe College will send members renewalreminder notices by e-mail. CASLPOencourages all members to maintain a

current e-mail address with the Collegeto allow for greater efficiency andcommunication. Whenever you changeyour e-mail address, please rememberto notify the College. A quick e-mail tothe College at caslpo@caslpo.com,giving your new e-mail address, yourname and your registration numberwill suffice.

To Change YourRegistered NameTo change your registered name, youmust provide the College with aphotocopy of a legal document thatsupports the change (i.e., marriagecertificate, or evidence of legal namechange). Please fax this documentationto the College at 416-975-8394. Pleaseindicate on the fax cover page, how youwould like your new name to appear onthe register. Only name change requestsreceived within 15 days of thecompletion of your online renewal willbe reflected on your 2011–2012registration card.

Questions About theRenewal ProcessIf you have any questions about therenewal process, please contact ColleenMyrie at 416-975-5347 ext. 211 orGregory Katchin at ext. 217, toll free inOntario at 1-800-993-9459 or by e-mail at cmyrie@caslpo.com orgkatchin@caslpo.com.

2011-2012 Renewal of Membership - Deadline: October 3, 2011By Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

CASLPO NEWS

Margaret comes to the College fromthe Health Professions Regulatory

Advisory Council (HPRAC). Previous tothat, she served as a Legal ResearchOfficer with the Ontario LegislativeAssembly (since 1999). She was also aLitigation Counsel for the Informationand Privacy Commission. She holds anInternational Baccalaureate from theUnited World College of the AmericanWest, New Mexico; a BA from TrinityCollege at the University of Toronto, andan MA in Political Science from YorkUniversity (Toronto). She received herlegal training at McGill and holds a BCLand LLB from that institution. InMontreal, she clerked for two Justices ofthe Quebec Superior Court and worked

for the law firm, Robinson, Sheppard,Shapiro. Returning to Ontario, sheclerked for the Ontario Court (SuperiorCourt of Justice) and was called to theOntario Bar in 1998. She runs half-marathons and is fluent in both Frenchand Spanish. She is married, with twochildren, and lives in Toronto.

Margaret provides staff support to theInvestigations, Complaints and ReportsCommittee and the Audiology PracticeAdvisory Committee of the CollegeCouncil.

CASLPO Welcomes New Staff Members

Margaret Drent joinedCASLPO in April 2011 as theDirector of ProfessionalConduct.

Alex comes to the College from theUniversity of Toronto, where she was

engaged as a Senior Research Associate inthe Technologies for Aging Gracefullylaboratory. She is also a Post-DoctoralFellow at U of T in the Health Care,Technology and Place program and atPrincess Margaret Hospital in theDepartment of Psychosocial Oncologyand Palliative Care.

Previously, she worked at The AphasiaInstitute in Toronto and was a Lecturer atthe University of Toronto, BrockUniversity in St. Catharines and NiagaraCollege. From 2001 to 2006, she wasRegional Manager of Speech LanguagePathology at the Niagara Health Systemin Niagara Falls, where she managed SLPservices across seven hospital sites. Shealso worked as an SLP in her nativeEngland. Alex has a PhD from the

Institute of Medical Science at theUniversity of Toronto, an MSc Ed inSpeech-Language Pathology from theState University of New York at Buffaloand a BSc, Speech Pathology andTherapeutics, from De MontfortUniversity, Leicester, England.

Alex has published articles in many peer-reviewed journals, has given numerouspresentations at conferences and hasreceived over a dozen academic awards.Recently, she has been involved indeveloping the “My Voice” smart phonetechnology, an augmentative comm-unication device for adults with aphasiaand the “Communication Aid toCapacity Evaluation (CACE)” tool.

Alex provides staff support to the QualityAssurance and SLP Practice AdvisoryCommittees of the College Council.

Alexandra Carling-Rowlandjoined CASLPO in July 2011 asthe Director of ProfessionalPractice and QualityAssurance.

CASLPO is asking members toparticipate in consultations

regarding the College’s regulations onProfessional Misconduct, Advertisingand Conflict of Interest. The existing framework of regulationsin this area has not been formallyamended in 15 years. The framework isoften the subject of member inquiriesand of course guides the College’sComplaints and Discipline process.Therefore, these are very importantdocuments respecting member practiceand behaviour, and are central to theCollege’s role in safeguarding the public

interest. Information will be availableshortly on the College’s websiteconcerning the consultation processand will also be sent in an e-mailcommuniqué to the members.

Some of the issues being reviewed willinclude the following:

• Prohibitions on endorsements andtestimonials

• Referencing in advertising a particular drug or brand of equipment

• Business practices• Telephone solicitation of clients

• Conflict of interest descriptions and circumstances

• Dispensing and other business practices

It is also important to note that allexisting provisions in the ProfessionalMisconduct regulatory framework,including strictures relating toadvertising and conflict of interestremain in effect. These documents canbe found on the College website byfollowing the links on the “Legislations& Regulations” tab.

CASLPO NEWS

College Consultations on Regulations ConcerningProfessional Misconduct Advertising and Conflictof InterestBy Margaret Drent, Director of Professional Conduct

Election Results - Districts 1 and 3

The following are the election resultsfor Districts 1 and 3. The election

took place in May of 2011.

District 1: Paulina Finak (SLP); re-elected

District 1: Rosanne Lavallée-McNamee (AUD);re-elected

District 3: Nancy Blake (SLP); re-elected

District 3: Debra Zelisko (AUD)Please join in congratulating the winnersand thanking our colleague, SasanBorhani, formerly AUD Vice-President,

for his distinguished service on Council.As well, please join in thanking all thoseothers who put themselves forward forelection.

Public Members of CouncilJohn Krawchenko and EstrellaTolentino have both been re-appointedby the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to the Council of the Collegefor 3-year terms.

(Astra) Josie Rose has been newlyappointed to the CASLPO Council ofthe College for a 3-year term. Josie willbe replacing Nazneen Sheikh.

Did You Know?

Each year, general members arerequired to confirm that they

continue to meet CASLPO’s require-ment for patient-care or related workhours as set out in Regulation.

“It is a condition of a generalcertificate of registration that amember shall,(a) provide 250 hours of patientcare or related work in audiologyor speech-language pathologyannually or 500 hours over twoyears;”

Did you know that if you are conductingresearch in speech-language pathology or

By Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

CASLPO NEWS

audiology that involves the assessment ormanagement of patients withcommunication disorders, you may usethese hours to meet the requirements forpatient care and related work?

Did you know that patient care or relatedwork hours may be claimed fromanywhere in the world? If you areproviding professional services inaudiology and speech-languagepathology outside of Ontario, you maystill count these hours towardsmaintaining CASLPO’s requirements forpatient care and related work.

Did you know that if you provideprofessional services as a volunteer, youmay include these hours towardsmeeting CASLPO’s requirements forpatient care and related work?

Outlined below are CASLPO definitionsfor Patient Care and Related Work.

Patient Care includes Direct Client Careor Supervision of Direct Client Carewhere:

Direct Client Care is defined asprofessional activities on behalf of aclient including:

• Assessment of the hearing, communication or swallowing abilities and needs of the client.

• Recommending, developing or implementing a treatment and/or management program based on theclient’s abilities and needs.

• Counselling and consulting with thefamilies /caregivers and/or other parties or individuals directly associated with the client.

• Other client management activitiessuch as discharge, referrals, follow-

up, report writing, case conferences.• Conducting research in speech-

language pathology or audiology that involves the assessment or management of patients with communication disorders.

Supervision of Direct Client Care isdefined as:

• Overseeing and evaluating the clinical work of speech-language pathologists or audiologists (e.g., conducts performance evaluations or case reviews, assesses written reports, monitors professional standards).

• Determining, on professional grounds whether an individual client should receive or be discharged from speech-language pathology or audiology services.

• Supervising research in speech-language pathology or audiology that involves the assessment or management of clients with communication disorders.

Related Work includes:

• Making decisions on the organization and delivery of clinicalservices in speech-language pathology or audiology.

• Educating speech-language pathologists or audiologists concerning services or products thatmay be employed in the assessmentor management of patients with communication disorders.

• The administration for professionalorganizations where the member sets or maintains professional standards of practice for speech-language pathologists or audiologists.

Assistive DevicesProgram – MemberConcerns Continue

In April of this year, the AssistiveDevices Program (ADP) of theMinistry of Health and Long-Term Careannounced several changes in theadministration of the Program, whichhas generated considerable concern onthe part of members of the College whoare registered with the program toprovide products to patients such ashearing aids and other communicationdevices.

Although the ADP does not have aregulatory function, its policies haveconsiderable influence on the manner inwhich health care is being provided inthe province. ADP continues to addressconcerns raised in November 2009 bythe auditor general of Ontario about theadministration of the program. Theauditor general recommended that ADPwork with the health regulatory collegesto address some of his concerns. And infact, CASLPO has had some success incooperating with ADP staff in thisregard. However, CASLPO was notconsulted about the latest changes.

In May, the College wrote to ADP aboutthe concerns being raised by memberswith respect to the changes introducedin April, particularly those relating to therequirement for two personal patientassessments (by a prescriber and anauthorizer).

ADP’s response to the Collegeconfirmed its intention to proceed withthe new changes. The College continuesto receive significant representationsfrom members relating to ADP, and willcontinue to appropriately raise theseconcerns with the ministry, and seeksolutions to the issues involved.

Brian O’Riordan, Registrar

The Council is pleased to announcethe publication of the Position

Statement on the Disclosure of TestMaterials and Data.As our professionsbecome more involved in servicedelivery funded by third parties, issuesregarding the release of test data andmaterials have become moreprominent. The intent of the PositionStatement is to assist the clinician indetermining when and what test resultsshould be released upon request fromother professionals and families.

The draft version was circulated to themembership from January 11 toFebruary 11, 2011 and all feedback wasconsidered by Council andmodifications made. Council has givenfinal approval, so the PositionStatement is now a “standard ofpractice” to which all members mustadhere.

The Position Statement, in English andFrench can be found by following thelinks on the “Practice Standards” tab on

the CASLPO website, www.caslpo.com.

Please note that CASLPO, in its effortsto reduce the use of paper, costs ofproduction and mailing, will beproviding any new publicationselectronically, ONLY. Should you prefera paper copy, you may print directlyfrom the CASLPO website.

CASLPO NEWS

New Publication: Position Statement onThe Disclosure of Test Materials and DataBy Carol Bock, Deputy Registrar

Each year, the College publishes a listof suspended members. The main

purpose of this list is to alert employersconcerning audiologists and speech-language pathologists who aresuspended but might still be continuingto practise.

Once a certificate is suspended, apermanent record of the suspensionmust be entered in the Public Register,maintained on the College’s website at

www.caslpo.com. This information willbe included on all requests forverification of the member’sregistration status with the College.

Currently, the following individuals aresuspended for failure to complete theannual renewal requirements for 2010–2011 in accordance with section 24 ofthe Health Professions Procedural Codeof the Regulated Health Professions Act:

Members Suspended for Failure to Complete theAnnual Renewal Requirements For 2010–2011By Colleen Myrie, Director of Registration Services

Member ID Member Name1295 Catherine Crossan1465 M. Joy Gilbert1700 Juleen Kleiman2294 Karen Faye Silburn2723 Jo-Anne H. Dawson3273 Faye Robin Shedletzky3646 Dorene Hookey4820 Shirin Saleh5171 Felicia Joleen Barzaghi5208 Amanda Jolan Mauerberger

FEATURE

It would be difficult (if not impossible)to find someone in the history ofCASLPO Council who has devoted moreyears as a member than Mary Suddick.Mary was one of the members on thefirst council in 1993, and she completedthe maximum three, three-year termsbefore she (reluctantly, I’m sure) steppeddown nine years later. The rules allowcouncil members to return, and Mary isnow in her sixth year of her second run,having returned in 2005.

Mary is a professional member ofCASLPO Council, a speech-languagepathologist, and one of two councilrepresentatives for District 2 (CentralOntario). Currently, she is vice-presidentfor speech pathology, she’s on the SLPpractice advisory committee, and she haschaired the registration committee sinceshe returned. In prior terms, she has helda variety of positions. “I chaired thepatient relations committee, I was on thecomplaints committee, and I was on theexecutive before I was vice-president,”Mary says.

In addition to committee work, Maryhas always had her hands in severalprojects for the council, since she started18 years ago. “In the early days, there wasa lot of PR work,” she explains. “And wecreated a sexual abuse prevention policy,and created the mentoring program.There’ve been a lot of different acts:labour mobility, freedom ofinformation. And we’ve had rewrites ofdifferent regulations.”

One of the most active roles for Mary hasbeen peer assessment. “Peer assessmentcame in around 2001,” she recalls. “TheQuality Assurance Committee wasinvolved and it was a lot of work to make

it applicable to clinicians in all settings. Iwas peer assessed myself and then was anassessor for four or five years. Somepeople are in a panic when they have tobe assessed, but they have to remember,I am a peer. It’s a cooperative type ofprocess and I enjoyed it.”

Mary easily distils her role on councildown to one clear purpose: advocatingfor quality services. “That’s always thequestion,” she says. “Our mandate is toprotect the public, but some membershave felt that we aren’t there for them.But we’re for quality services. It’s allsupportive.”

Mary was also quite active in OSLA,doing projects with them even before thecollege existed. So it was natural for herto get involved in collaborative projectsbetween OSLA and CASLPO. “We’vedone several projects with OSLA. We

can’t fight for job cutbacks, but we dowant the public to be aware, for example,of who the professional is that they’reworking with. Is it a remedial teacher oran SLP or audiologist? That’s why wehave bylaws for supportive personnel.They should look for the title. And theyshould understand: these are the servicesyou should get, the feedback, reports,goals, and so on.”

Mary feels the unique perspective shebrings to CASLPO Council is that of afront-line therapist. “I’ve worked inmany different settings: preschool,hospital, schools, CCACs and so on. I’ma member. And I’m accountable for allthe things we vote on. We have tofunction under all the legislation. Andbecause this is what I do, I feel I amrealistic.”

Mary’s “day job” is as a school board

CASLPO Council Profile: Mary Suddick

By Sherry Hinman

speech pathologist in Toronto. Shedescribes her school board work as atypical consultative role in which sheperforms assessments and programmingfor regular and special needs students.She helps the teachers and refers childrenas needed to the CCAC. “I wish we coulddo more of a therapeutic component,”she says. “And treat the whole child. I’mlucky – I work for an excellent board.

Mary also has a private practice, mainlyin Markham so that she can avoid anyconflict by staying away from the boardarea. “When families ask me aboutprivate help, I tell them to go to theOSLA website.”

What ties together everything Marydoes is her passion about advocacy.“Really, I enjoy being an advocate forthe children, helping parents navigatethe system, involving them, andsupporting teachers. ”

After Mary’s school board work, privatepractice and council work, there’s not alot of time left over. She enjoysshopping – retail therapy, as she puts it.And she enjoys travelling and tries totake a few trips a year.

When asked about what the future holds,she’s not ready to make a decision.Retirement? “Maybe. In a few years,” sheadds. “I would keep the private practice,

though. I love doing therapy. You workdirectly with the whole family. Youdon’t always have that at school. Youget the social and the emotionalpiece. It’s longer term. And youwork with the school therapist– it’s interesting.”

With 15 years (and counting)on CASLPO Council, Maryhas nothing but good things tosay about being a councilmember. “The college is verypositive. There are somemembers who are apprehensive,but I would recommend that theyget involved, either with the councilor on a committee. The publicmembers on council are very supportiveof the professions – they’re the link to theministry. And something many membersmay not know: council meetings areopen to them. Anyone can come.There’s a lot the college hasdone, and this is somethingwe wanted so we’d haverecognition of theprofessions. They shouldget involved.”

FEATURE

Sherry Hinman is a freelance writer and editor. She is also a professor in theCommunicative Disorders Assistant Program, Durham College; worked clinically asan SLP for fourteen years; and served three years on the CASLPO Council.

FEATURE

There is a surprising amount ofbehind-the-scenes activity relating

to speech-language pathology servicedelivery in the community sector inOntario, and for any given initiative,chances are good that Heather Heaman’sstamp is on it. Heather is a speech-language pathologist and president ofHeaman Communication Services(HCS), a private speech-languagepathology practice serving southernOntario.

Heather has been providing CommunityCare Access Centre (CCAC) servicessince 1989, and through HCS since 1994.There are 14 CCACs in the province, andher company services five of them:Central West, Mississauga-Halton,Toronto Central, Central, and CentralEast.

Heather explains the division of servicesoffered through the CCACs. “Speechpathology services are offered throughthe CCACs’ Home and School HealthSupport Services (SHSS) Programs.Home program services are offeredwherever the person lives – privatehome, long-term care or group home –to people who can’t easily leave home.”

The SHSS are therapy and nursingservices offered to children with needsthat may impact their ability to learn atschool. These services are offeredthrough a tri-ministry agreementbetween the Ministry of Health andLong-Term Care (MOHLTC), theMinistry of Children and Youth Services,and the Ministry of Education. Speechpathology services are divided withinthis system, with health services beingoffered through the CCACs for voice,resonance and motor speech disorders;education services addressing languagedisorders through the school boards; andarticulation, phonology and fluency

disorders being a shared service betweenthe two.

While these divisions may seemstraightforward, Heather explains thatthere are inequities in the system.“Services are provided at the local levelthrough the CCACs, and it’s up to eachCCAC how to provide them. Differentschool boards offer different levels ofservices; some don’t employ SLPs whileothers have well developed programs.”Speech pathology services are notmandated at the board level.

Heather also explains what could happenif services are not protected. “I’mconcerned if there are any changes to thefunding structure that it won’t be donein a way that protects the services,” shesays. “It could be used to cut costs at theexpense of front-line services. In thecommunity sector, we’ve seen decliningfunding for speech pathology services.And there’s not a lot of advocacy beingdone. This is a critical time for thecommunity sector and for theprofession.”

Many SLPs in the province areconcerned about the same issues. ButHeather believes that change will onlyresult from action, and she has thereforebecome a huge advocate for appropriateservices and effective service delivery.“Our organization has been able to offervaried perspectives because we servicemany geographic areas. ”

Most recently, together with SharonMcWhirter of OSLA, she participated inpreparing a written response to Deloitteas part of the SHSS ministry review.Deloitte was engaged in 2010 to lead areview of the SHSS program in Ontario.Heather and Sharon also participated ina direct consultation with Deloitte onbehalf of OSLA.

She has been involved with a number ofother OSLA initiatives, including beingcommunity services chair since 2010;OSLA representative for the consultationsession for the tri-ministry review ofSHSS support services from 2009 to2010; co-chair of the OSLA SHSS SpecialInterest group from 2007 to 2009; andcontributing to the OSLA response tothe May 2005 report, Realizing thePotential of Home Care: Competing forExcellence by Rewarding Results, amongothers.

Heather has also been actively involvedwith the Alliance of ProfessionalAssociations for Community-BasedTherapy Services (APACTS) since 2006.APACTS is the collective voice forrehabilitation professionals working inthe community sector. It includes one totwo representatives (usually the executivedirector and one other) from each ofOSLA, the Ontario Association of SocialWorkers, the Ontario PhysiotherapyAssociation, the Ontario Society ofOccupational Therapists, and Dietitiansof Canada.

The associations collaborativelyrepresent the mutual interests of therapyservices to the Ontario Association ofCommunity Care Access Centres(OACCAC), the MOHLTC, and otherrelevant stakeholder groups/liaisonorganizations. The alliance’s purpose isto promote the roles of the therapyservices related to the five professionswhose members provide servicesthrough CCACs.

Heather’s involvement in APACTS hasincluded participation in a direct SHSSreview consultation with Deloitte, alongwith a provincial PT and OTrepresentative, and input into items suchas a poster presentation at the OntarioHome Care Association (OHCA)

Advocating for Quality in the Community Sector: Heather HeamanBy Sherry Hinman

symposium, APACTS’s positionstatements on access to rehabilitationservices in Ontario; and input intoupdates to the reference guide oncommunity-based therapy services.

She also has been involved on a numberof APACTS subgroups, including aconsultation with the MOHLTCregarding the wording related to thedefinition of SLP services in the Long-Term Care Act; and consultation with theOACCAC regarding the Request forProposal process and documents for thecompetitive bidding process forcommunity service provider contracts.

In addition to OSLA and APACTSactivities, Heather has been involved inseveral OACCAC/CCAC joint comm-ittees, including the ProcurementSubcommittee, which encompassesprivacy concerns, accreditation,standardization of reporting, develop-ment of performance metrics, clinicservices, and more; and a health humanresources consultation to develop sharedunderstanding of the challenges andopportunities in recruitment andretention of home care health servicesand other concerns.

Other joint subcommittees included theIT subcommittee, which, for example,provided feedback on the proposedOACCAC strategy for evolving electroniccommunications between CCACs andproviders; and the Relations FrameworkSteering Committee, which, amongother activities, worked to strengthen therelationship between CCACs and theirservice providers.

Heather is also involved with CASLPA.For example, she was part of an advisorycommittee in a Health Canada-fundedinitiative to develop an interprofessionalcaseload management planning tool,jointly with occupational therapists andphysiotherapists across Canada. This isan evidence-based tool to help determinethe most effective caseload managementservice delivery model, and is due to bereleased this fall.

In addition to participation in theseorganizations, she was also part of theOntario Stroke Strategy Consensus Panelon the Stroke Rehabilitation System(2006–2007), the West GTA Heart andStroke Community Rehab Best PracticesProject (2005–2007), and the West GTARehab Advisory Committee (2007–2010).

It may be difficult to remember that,while Heather is so heavily involved inactivities to support the profession inOntario, she is also running a business.Heaman Communication Services hasapproximately 44 speech pathologists oncontract. Most of the services theyprovide are to ministry-fundedorganizations, including CommunityCare Access Centres and hospitals, and afew individual clients.

Heather’s involvement in her business,however, goes way beyond hiringclinicians. She describes three businessfocuses for her company: processimprovement, use of social media tomake resources available to SLPs, andelectronic records.

As part of the first focus, she isformalizing her skills by undertakingeducation through the Six Sigmaprogram. She describes Six Sigma as amanagement philosophy that focuses onprocess improvement, one that has led tomajor changes in her organization overthe last few years. “I’m really interestedin quality improvement,” she says. “It’schanging, but there really haven’t been alot of organizations with front-lineexperience and quality improvementeducation in formal techniques.”

Heather says she would like to acquiremore education and skills to apply tofront-line services, to make them moreeffective. “I’d like to use businesstechniques to promote qualityimprovement, best practices, andefficiency at the front line.”

She has also been actively involved inimplementing full electronic health

records for SLP services, including beinga COACH award nominee forInnovation in Implementation of anElectronic Health Record in 2008 and anominee for an OACCAC Award forExcellence in 2006 (HCS itself wentcompletely paperless in 2004).

Heather says the greatest challenge toservice delivery in the home sector is thatit is hard to get enough cliniciansaddressing the same concerns. “Morethan anything, I want to encouragepeople to get involved in advocacy for thecommunity sector. We need to hear frompeople across the province, and not justin urban centres.” Of course, she alsounderstands why people are oftenreluctant. “It would be nice to focus onimproving services instead of advocatingfor them. But they need to share theirexperiences and make their opinionsheard.”

Sherry Hinman is a freelance writer andeditor. She is also a professor in theCommunicative Disorders AssistantProgram, Durham College; workedclinically as an SLP for fourteen years; andserved three years on the CASLPOCouncil.

Heaman Communication Serviceshttp://www.heamancommunication.ca/Review of School Health SupportServices: Final Report, July 2010, Deloittehttp://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/contact/ccac/docs/deloitte_shss_review_report.pdf

Overview: Ministry of Health andLong-Term Care Review of SchoolHealth Support Serviceshttp://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/contact/ccac/pdf/shss_overview.pdf

Community Care Access Centrehttp://www.ccac-ont.ca/

Ontario Home Care Associationwww.homecareontario.ca

APACTS: http://www.apacts.ca/

FEATURE

FEATURE

Vince Lombardi, the legendaryfootball coach, once said: “The

quality of a person's life is in directproportion to their commitment toexcellence, regardless of their chosenfield of endeavor.” The SpecifiedContinuing Education or RemediationProgram (SCERP) concept is a majorcomponent of the Regulated HealthProfessions Act’s (RHPA) push towardsexcellence.

But first, a history lesson: In the early1970s health regulators acted on theunderstanding that if a memberengaged in professional misconduct,discipline was the only option. In 1975the forerunner of the RHPA, the HealthDisciplines Act introduced an option forComplaints Committees besidesreferral to discipline or dismissal: to“take such other action it considersappropriate in the circumstances”.Shortly thereafter, the OntarioDivisional Court urged ComplaintsCommittees to exercise this newmandate. In Re Matheson and College ofNurses of Ontario (1979), 107 D.L.R.(3d) 430 (Ont. Div. Ct.), the Courtencouraged Complaints Committees toconsider other options:

[the Committee] mightconsider taking a more activepart in supervising conductthat may fall short ofprofessional misconduct orincompetence. The complaintscommittee may well havepowers other than thedismissal of the complaint andother than referring the matterto the Discipline Committee. Itshould consider being moreflexible in its approach to itsfunction. It seems to us that

the purpose of the creation ofthe complaints committee is toperform as a kind of screeningagency. Its power to refershould be used only sparingly,where it feels a serious case isinvolved.

Since then, there has been an evolutiontowards using educational initiatives,such as providing a caution ornegotiating an undertaking, in caseswhere the concerns are less serious. In1993 the RHPA gave the ComplaintsCommittee the power to compel amember to attend in person for a verbalcaution. Then over the last decade anumber of non-health professions (e.g.,real estate regulators) gave screeningcommittees the power to require amember to undergo continuingeducation. This culminated in the 2009amendments to the RHPA authorizingthe renamed screening committee (theInquiries, Complaints, and ReportsCommittee – ICRC) to direct a memberto undergo a SCERP. This option was analternative to referring members to theQuality Assurance Committee. At thesame time the RHPA gave the QualityAssurance Committee (QAC) theauthority to direct members to undergoa SCERP in non-complaints cases.

This history demonstrates that SCERPsare part of the evolution of healthprofession regulation towardalternatives to discipline. A SCERP isintended to provide a remedialalternative to address concerns in aneducational and rehabilitative manner.Instead of doing nothing or initiating aformal legal fault-finding process,Colleges can try to address the rootcause of dissatisfied clients orconcerned employers or colleagues.

Attempting to prevent the occurrenceof future problems or issues is moreproductive and rehabilitative thanimposing a punishment for a long-pastevent. A SCERP is considered a qualityimprovement mechanism (or analternative to a formal referral to thequality assurance program).

The name, SCERP, describes its intentand nature.

• Specified requires that the programbe directed at a particular concern.Also, the program should not be open ended.

• Continuing Education indicates that it is to be a learning experience. This is in contrast to disciplinary orders that usually have a deterrent effect. There is professional pride, not shame, in participating in continuing education.

• Remediation implies that it need not be a didactic academic educational program. The program can employ more flexibletools such as mentoring, job shadowing, co-treating, supervisedpractice and other forms of adult professional learning.

• Program suggests that it have somestructure, possibly including feedback and evaluation.

All of the words in the name of theSCERP add to its meaning.

In my experience to date, most SCERPsinvolve continuing education courses inareas where they are available,mentorship with a respected colleague;or occasionally reflective self-study(e.g., research and write a paper on theapplication of the principles of

A Short History of the SCERPBy Richard Steinecke, BA, LLB

informed consent in your practicecontext).

Ordering a SCERP does not involve afinding of wrongdoing. Indeed, theICRC is legally prohibited from makingfindings of professional misconduct.Even the QAC only needs to determinethat the assessment of the member’spractice is “unsatisfactory” to direct aSCERP. While there must be concernsin a particular area upon which to basea SCERP (they are not imposedarbitrarily), it is not necessary todetermine that the member is “at fault.”It may well be that a SCERP will simplyassist a member in avoiding issues fromdeveloping into problems throughenhanced knowledge, skill andjudgment.

Once ordered by a committee (i.e., theICRC or the QAC), completion of theSCERP is mandatory. However, to beeffective, the member should be awilling (if perhaps not alwaysenthusiastic) participant. An orderingcommittee would be well advised toconsider using tools that will beaccepted by the member. It is for thatreason that CASLPO has established theSCERP Task Force discussed in thesidebar.

SCERPs will become an increasinglysignificant way for the College toaddress concerns in a no-fault, non-disciplinary and constructive manner.

FEATURE

CASLPO SCERP Task ForceBy Carol Bock, Deputy Registrar

In response to the changes in the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, theCollege has recently struck a SCERP task force and had their inaugural meetingon June 24, 2011. The task at hand will be to design a variety of modules thatwill allow members to develop their knowledge, skills and judgment withinspecific practice areas. When the issues that have come to the Inquiries,Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) and the Quality AssuranceCommittee over the last decade were analyzed, the following top four facets ofpractice were identified:

(1) Standards of Practice, (2) Professionalism/conduct/communication, (3) Record keeping, and (4) Knowledge of the professional regulatory framework.

These broad topic areas will no doubt be the focus of upcoming modules thatwill be available to members and will become part of a set of tools the Collegemay employ to ensure members are practicing to the standards required.

As we work to develop the content of these modules we will rely on you, themembers, to provide us with your valuable input.