Regulation Update for OATA Members

From the OATA BoD:

Professional Regulation Project -- Update

One of the Association's priorities is to obtain regulation of the profession under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA). As discussed with members on previous occasions, there are two generic avenues for doing so: One, is to seek our own RHPA College; the other is to obtain agreement from an existing College to regulate athletic therapists as a class of members.

Both avenues would probably require a review by and positive recommendations from the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC), although it is conceivable that an existing College could use its legislative authorities under its existing profession-specific Act to put a regulatory framework in place for Athletic Therapists that achieves our objectives as a profession. The first avenue is particularly challenging because the size of our profession in Ontario may be seen to be too small to sustain our own College.

The OATA has asked the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to initiate an HPRAC review. It is not likely, however, that an HPRAC review would get underway quickly. Because of cost considerations, HPRAC has been significantly downsized and all of its non-statutory reviews have been postponed to at least April 2011.

In the meantime the OATA has approached the Transitional Council for Kinesiology to explore that Council's interest in regulating Athletic Therapists as a class of members. Although it's certainly not the only possibility, there are obvious synergies and unique opportunities with Kinesiology. The Transitional Council for Kinesiology has only been operational since November, 2009 and its priority is to put in place foundational regulations and bylaws so that it may start registering members and open the way for the launch of the College of Kinesiologists. Nevertheless, the leadership of the Transitional Council has expressed an interest in pursuing the idea and we hope to have an initial response in March. Exploratory feelers to other colleges and professional associations as well.

If the response from the Transitional Council for Kinesiology (or from any other College) is positive, we aim to set up a joint working group between the OATA and the Transitional Council to determine how regulation of Athletic Therapist by the College of Kinesiologists would work and what it would look like. Our aim would be to complete this exercise within 12 months. Whatever comes out of that exercise would have to be approved by the OATA Board and membership before any commitments to proceed would be made. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care would also have to give its approval as, of course, would the Kinesiology profession.

It is important to note that we are not the only profession following the strategy. The OATA is aware of four unregulated professions that have approached, or have been approached by, an existing RHPA to explore the feasibility of their regulation by that College. We are carefully monitoring their progress in order to benefit from their experience and, thereby, hopefully speed our own march towards regulation