Board Education
On October 29, the Board attended an education day. The day included presentations regarding cultural competence, bias and intersectionality; the evolving role of the regulator; and, the evolution of the strategic plan.
Learn about the COTO Board of Directors.
Audited Financial Statements
The Board approved the Audited Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2025, as presented. The Audited Financial Statements will be recorded as finalized and incorporated into the Annual Report.
Annual Report 2024-2025
The College’s 2025 Annual Report was accepted by the Board and will be made available online in French and English. The report highlights the work of the College to protect the public and summarizes outcomes of the first year of its 2024-2027 strategic plan.
The report will be available online in the coming days.
Read our reports to learn more about our work to advance College priorities.
Code of Ethics
The Board approved the Code of Ethics draft document for public consultation. The Code of Ethics provides registrants with information about the College’s expectations for ethical practice. It outlines a set of values and principles and is intended for use in all contexts and domains of occupational therapy practice, and in all levels of decision making. “The College’s 2020 Code of Ethics is being revised to take into account the revised Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada (2021) as well as our updated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion Consultation will begin later this year and registrants will be notified of the opportunity to participate.
Further information will be posted on coto.org.
Enhance: QA Practice Activity
The Board approved Enhance: QA Practice Activity as an addition to the existing Quality Assurance (QA) Assessment Process and approved the proposed change to the QA Policy.
While the College is mandated to conduct assessments, many occupational therapists do not require an extensive evaluation and can benefit from a shorter, self-directed reflection on their practice.
To augment the overall assessment approach, the new Enhance: QA Practice Activity has been designed to support a specific group of registrants (those that did not complete annual requirements on time). The proposed pilot for the Enhance: QA Practice Activity will first target registrants who do not complete one or both 2026 annual Quality Assurance (QA) requirements by the deadline of October 31, 2026.
Learn about the COTO QA Program
As of Right
The Board approved the draft As-of-Right Registration and the amended Practising without a Certificate of Registration policies, which will support the College in ensuring effective and efficient processing of out-of-province applicants. It will be in the public interest for the College to quickly and seamlessly authorize and when requirements are met, register occupational therapists from other provinces and territories to sustain the supply of qualified occupational therapists available to serve the public.
Response to Coroner’s Report – Medical Assistance in Dying
The College received written request from the Chief Coroner’s Office of Ontario to respond to a recommendation from the Medical Assistance in Dying Death Review Committee (MDRC). In response, the College updated its guidance on Medical Assistance in Dying. The Board reviewed the report and recommendations from the MDRC and approved the updated guidance.
The resource will be available in the coming weeks on the College website under Resources.
Response to Coroner’s Report – Use of Restraints
The College received written request from the Chief Coroner’s Office of Ontario to respond to a recommendation from the Geriatric and Long-Term Care Review Committee about the safe use of lap belts. In response, the College created a practice resource that provides considerations for occupational therapists, if recommending wheelchair lap belts, to mitigate risk of harm to clients. The Board reviewed and approved the practice resource for publication.
The resource will be available in the coming weeks on the College website under Resources.