Provincial regulators
The practice of occupational therapy in Canada is regulated at the provincial level by the following bodies:
- College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia
- Alberta College of Occupational Therapists
- Saskatchewan Society of Occupational Therapists
- College of Occupational Therapists of Manitoba
- College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
- Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec
- College of Occupational Therapists of Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists
- Newfoundland and Labrador Occupational Therapy Board
- Prince Edward Island Occupational Therapists Registration Board
Currently, there is no regulatory body for occupational therapists in Yukon, Nunavut or the Northwest Territories. Occupational therapists wishing to work in these jurisdictions may be asked by an employer to register in a particular province.
Partners
ACOTRO works in close collaboration with its partners at the national and provincial/territorial levels, including:
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists - CAOT
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is one of ACOTRO’s partners, and is a national voluntary organization to which many OTs choose to belong. It provides professional development, events and networking opportunities to occupational therapists, to help them achieve excellence in professional practice. CAOT also runs the National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam, necessary for registration as an OT anywhere in Canada, excluding Quebec. Many provinces also have occupational therapy societies whose goal is to provide advice and professional development opportunities to OTs at the provincial level. CAOT is not responsible for regulating the practice of occupational therapy in Canada – that task falls to ACOTRO’s ten provincial members.
The Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy University Programs - ACOTUP
ACOTUP aims to achieve and uphold educational standards for the profession. The association promotes the generation of ideas, philosophies and research related to occupational therapy education. ACOTUP represents Canadian university occupational therapy programs through national and international organizations with similar goals. For a full listing of accredited Canadian occupational therapy university programs, prerequisites for entry, and links to individual program sites, visit ACOTUP’s website.
The Occupational Therapy Examination and Practice Preparation Program - OTEPP
OTEPP assists internationally educated occupational therapists (IEOTs) as they seek to transition into practice in Canada. The program is administered by the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University.
The Canadian Network of National Associations of Regulators – CNAR
CNAR is the federation of national organizations whose provincial and territorial members are identified in legislation as responsible for protection of the public through the self-regulation of professions and occupations.
The Canadian Alliance of Physical Therapy Regulators – CAPTR
The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators is the national federation of provincial/territorial physiotherapy regulators committed to the development and improvement of regulatory standards of practice for physiotherapists in Canada.