Regulatory Professional Association & Certification Bodies
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGULATORY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION AND CERTIFICATION BODIES
Our licensure goal is to establish self-regulation to provide title protection. Our self-regulation application outlines our request for title protection. This means that the title of Recreation Therapist could only be used by individuals holding the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) designation.
| Regulatory College of Professional Recreation Therapists | Professional Association (NSTRA> | Certification Body (NCTRC) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who(m) they serve or are accountable to | 1. Accountable to the provincial / state government e.g. - the Ministry of Health and Wellness | 1. Accountable to its | 1. Protects the Public |
| Mandate | 2. In order to practice in the province I state / territory, it is mandatory, for all Recreation Therapists to be registered | 2. Accepts its members based on Association determined criteria. Membership is voluntary | 2. Certification is a voluntary process although it may be required by regulatory or accreditation bodies for practice. |
| Complaint and Disciplinary process | 3. Required to have a formal complaints process in place to respond to questions and concerns about registrants, and if necessary, disciplining registrants if there is evidence of professional misconduct. | 3. Not required to have a formal complaints process in place. Has a Code of Ethics and the right to approve and terminate membership. | 3. NCTRC is required to have a formal disciplinary process in place that involves review and investigation of alleged violations of the NCTRC Certification Standards or professional code Of conduct. NCTRC may issue sanctions as specified in the NCTRC Certification Standards. |
| Transparency of Registrants, Members, Certificants | 4. Required to keep an online register of Recreation Therapists including registration status, any restrictions on their practice or disciplinary history. The public can also find a registrant to provide services. | 4. Publishes an on-line database of its members in private practice for the public to find services by location or other criteria. | 4. provides an online verification portal of all active certificants. |
| Who(m) they act in the interest of | 5. Acts in the interest of the public by regulating its registrants. Educates the public about the College's role and its mandate to protect the public interest. | 5. Acts in the interest of the profession through advocacy, professional development and other membership benefits such as liability insurance and discounts. Educates the public, government and other stakeholders about the services provided by members. Supports the public by advocating for increased services and funding. | 5. The National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) protects the public by promoting the provision of quality services offered by NCTRC certificants. |
| Who(m) they engaged | 6. Engages the public in order to inform them of the value of regulated professionals, and directly engages clients I patients, and stakeholders to inform them of Recreation Therapists' work. | 6. Engages members to serve their professional needs. | 6. Engages with students/faculty, practitioners, hiring authorities, advocates for disability groups, and professional associations to increase knowledge of the certification standards and role of NCTRC in the protection of consumers of recreational therapy services. |
| Governance | 7. Governed by a Council composed of government appointed public appointees and elected Licensed Recreation Therapists. | 7. Governed by a Board of Directors composed of Recreation Therapy professionals. Includes a voice for students and has student representation on its Board of Directors. Certification Body (NCTRC) | 7. Governed by the NCTRC Board of Directors which is comprised of 7 elected certificants, 1 Employer Representative, and 1 Consumer Representative. |
| Role in developing and setting standards of practice or competencies | 8. Set mandatory standards of practice for registrants to ensure safe and competent service is provided to clients/ patients. | 8. Provides input and commentary regarding College Standards. Provides information for members to assist them in their practice. | 8. Conducts a comprehensive job analysis to identify tasks and knowledge deemed necessary for entry into practice. |
| Role in continuing education and further knowledge, skill and professional ability development | 9. May require all registrants to participate in annual quality assurance programs that ensure they meet standards and continually develop their skills. | 9. Provides members with voluntary competency enhancing opportunities in order to work to an advanced standard for their clients / patients. | 9. Certificants are required to recertify every 5 years to demonstrate continued professional knowledge and competence. They may use either work experience and continuing education or they may pass the national certification exam again. See NCTRC Certification Standards for details. |
| Advocacy role | 10. Does not engage in public political advocacy activities. | 10. Engages in political advocacy impacting the profession and their client / patients including: effecting changes to service delivery, promoting changes to scopes of practice, increasing government and public awareness of the value of the profession, influencing government policy, and improving government funding for services. | 10. Does not engage in public political advocacy activities. |
References:
- College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
- National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification