OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT & PHYSIOTHERAPIST ASSISTANT
EDUCATION ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Education Session
May 23, 2013
Montreal QC
Welcome
Introductions
Kathy Davidson – Program Manager, OTA & PTA EAP
Lesley Bainbridge – Chair, Joint Accreditation Committee
(JAC)
Sandra Hobson – Vice-Chair, JAC
Participants
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Outline
Overview of the Accreditation Process
Candidacy Status
Accreditation Self Study Reports
Fieldwork Hours
Upcoming Policy Changes
Lots of time for questions/ comments/
feedback throughout
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Overview of the Accreditation Process
1. Candidacy Status
Maximum 4-6 months
Application submitted
Candidacy Status granted by JAC
2. Letter of Intent to Participate in an Accreditation Review
Mutually convenient date set for onsite accreditation review
3. Program Self-Study Report
Due 5 months prior to
onsite review date
4. Off-site Accreditation Review
3 months prior to onsite
review date
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Overview of the Accreditation Process
5. Onsite Accreditation Review
2 ½ days long
6. PRT Report submitted to OTA & PTA EAP
2-3 weeks after visit
7. PRT Report sent for Education
Program Review and Response
Response due back 5-6
weeks after visit
8. JAC Review and Accreditation
Recommendation
Goal: within 6 months
of onsite visit
9. PEAC and CAOT Approval of
JAC Recommendation
Goal: within 6 months
of JAC Meeting
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Overview of the Accreditation Process
FEES
Candidacy Status:
• One time Fee with Application
• 2013: $5100 + GST/HST
Accreditation Fees:
• Annual – invoiced in January each year
• Paid by programs with Candidacy Status and by
programs who are accredited
• 2013: $6630 + GST/HST
Increase each year by 2% or the Consumer Price Index,
whichever is higher
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Overview of the Accreditation Process
OTA & PTA EAP Expenses
Staffing
Contingency
22%
Accreditation Reviews
36%
Translation
Governance
4%
1%
Website
Office (telephone, fax, photocopying,
postage, banking, bookkeeping etc)
Other fees (legal, admin fees etc)
16%
2%
3%
16%
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT & PHYSIOTHERAPIST ASSISTANT
EDUCATION ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Candidacy Status
Candidacy Status
Purpose
• A requirement for occupational therapist assistant and
physiotherapist assistant education programs to begin the
accreditation process
• Denotes a formal affiliation of the education program with the
Occupational Therapist & Physiotherapist Assistant Education
Accreditation Program (OTA & PTA EAP)
• Offers OTA and PTA programs in Canada the opportunity to
become familiar with the accreditation standards and processes
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Candidacy Status
Process
1. Program submits Application Form, Preliminary Report, and
fee (2013: $5100 + GST/HST).
2. Within 1 month of receipt, OTA & PTA EAP staff reviews
application, provide feedback and make request for further
information if required.
3. If necessary, within 1 month of receiving feedback from OTA &
PTA EAP staff, education program revises & resubmits
Preliminary Report, responding to any recommendations.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Candidacy Status
4. Candidacy Status application and documentation is reviewed
by the Joint Accreditation Committee (JAC) at their next
scheduled meeting.
5. If review is successful, OTA & PTA EAP awards Candidacy
Status to Program, and includes the education program on
the OTA & PTA EAP website
6. a) OTA & PTA EAP sends letter to program confirming
Candidacy Status and outlining next steps, including tentative
dates for onsite review and acceptable wording to publish
regarding the definition of Candidacy Status.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Candidacy Status
6. b) Program submits letter of confirmation to OTA & PTA EAP
to participate in full accreditation review.
7. Full accreditation review is scheduled.
8. Program submits annual report and annual accreditation fees
(2013: $6630 + GST/HST) to OTA & PTA EAP to maintain Candidacy
Status.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Candidacy Status
Programs must provide evidence that:
• A certificate/diploma is granted by the educational
institution,
• The education program is affiliated with an
institution authorized under applicable law to
provide postsecondary education,
• The education program includes 500 OTA/PTA
practicum hours,
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Candidacy Status
• The individual responsible (i.e., program
head/coordinator/director) for the OTA & PTA education
program is a registered occupational therapist or
physiotherapist, and
• There is
• a curriculum framework document and an articulated
educational philosophy,
• a designated sustainable budget, and
• identifiable program space
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Candidacy Status
Anticipated Changes to Candidacy Status
• Pending approval from PEAC and CAOT
• Likely to take effect after September 6, 2013
Suggested Changes include:
• Program Coordinator is an OT or PT registered with no
conditions with the appropriate provincial regulatory
body
• Separate sections for programs already in existence
vs. programs currently in development
• More details regarding number, discipline and FTE of
faculty members and instructors
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT & PHYSIOTHERAPIST ASSISTANT
EDUCATION ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Self Study Reports
Self Study Report
The education program’s Self Study Report is submitted 5
months prior to the onsite accreditation review.
It is a critical piece of the accreditation dossier and will be
read by:
• OTA & PTA EAP staff
• The Peer Review Team members
• The Joint Accreditation Committee
• Potentially PEAC and CAOT if requested
It is kept on file at OTA & PTA EAP for the six years between
accreditation reviews.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
PURPOSE:
• An opportunity for the program to reflect on its own
progress
• A standard format for presenting your program to the
accreditation team to provide consistency
• A reference document for the accreditation team during
the phases of the review
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
WHAT DOES A SELF STUDY REPORT INCLUDE?
1. Narrative report
2. Appendices
Along with submission of the Self Study Report, the
education program also submits the mandatory
accompanying forms, found in the Self Study Inventory
(available on the OTA & PTA EAP website and from staff)
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
WHAT FORMAT WILL BE ACCEPTED BY THE OTA & PTA EAP?
1. A single PDF document, using hyperlinks to link to
websites and to other locations within the
document, including the appendices.
2. A single PDF document, using hyperlinks to link to
websites and attaching appendices as individual
documents to the PDF. When attaching the
appendices as individual documents to the PDF,
they must be clearly numbered, and referenced
using the same numbering system within the text
of the narrative to facilitate navigation.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
HOW IS THE SELF STUDY REPORT SUBMITTED?
1. Because the file is typically very large, the OTA &
PTA EAP provides “File Upload” option on the
website.
2. The OTA & PTA EAP is a paperless system and
accepts only electronic versions of all
documentation.
3. It is the education program’s responsibility to
ensure that any hyperlinks within the Self Study
Report remain active following submission.
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Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
NARRATIVE REPORT
• Organized by standards and criteria
• Addresses each criterion and sub-criterion
• Provides EVIDENCE for each criterion – see the
STANDARDS for suggested types of evidence
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Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
NARRATIVE REPORT
• Provides a CRITIQUE/EVALUATION of program performance on
each criterion: simple description is not enough
• Provides selective evidence that guides the surveyors and
helps them to understand how the evidence presented clearly
demonstrates adherence to the criteria
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Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
APPENDICES
• Much of the evidence can be placed in appendices
• Number appendices within each Standard: make it easy
for the surveyors to find the material
• Hyperlink appendices within narrative report
OR
• Ensure appendices are clearly numbered/named within
the narrative report and appended to the PDF document
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Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
MANDATORY FORMS – The Self Study Inventory
The OTA & PTA EAP provides standard forms related to evidence
for the evaluative criteria. These that must be submitted with SSR
and include:
• SSR-Form 1: Program Contact information
• SSR-Form 2: Signature Form
• SSR-Form 3: Program Personnel Profile
• SSR-Form 4: Student Profile
• SSR-Form 5: Program Course Profile
• SSR-Form 6: Clinical/Fieldwork Education Program Profile
• SSR-Form 7: Standard 6 Criteria/Course Form (or Competency Matrix if
preferred)
• SSR-Form 8: Inventory of Evidence Submitted/Available Onsite
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Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
RESOURCES
• http://www.otapta.ca
• Handbook to assist in preparing the Self Study Report
• Forms & Templates
• Kathy Davidson and the office
• Programs and colleagues who have already done it
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
Standard 4: Program Evaluation
• Explain the entire program evaluation process –
• who collects what sort of data
• where it is analysed and reviewed for changes
needed
• how changes based on the feedback are made
• how impact of changes is monitored
• Include particularly relevant bits of data from some
reviews in an Appendix
• Give some specific examples of changes made and their
results
• Accreditation reports will become one source of
program review for future self study reports
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
Standard 4: Program Evaluation
The educational program maintains an effective process of
continuous self-assessment, planning and improvement.
4.1 There is a documented plan for program evaluation that is based on
clearly defined and measurable goals.
4.2 The program collects data for a systematic and comprehensive
evaluation of its effectiveness on a regular basis.
4.3 The program analyzes and synthesizes program evaluation data to
identify need for change.
4.4 The program makes changes in response to analysis of program
evaluation data and evaluates the impact of these changes.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
Standard 4: Program Evaluation
Exemplars
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
Standard 6: OTA and PTA Competencies
• There is duplication for OTA 6.1 – 6.6 and PTA 6.1 – 6.6
• OTA 6.7 and PTA 6.7 are very different and are based on OT and
PT Essential Competencies documents for each profession.
• List courses where the relevant content is covered and include
course outlines/syllabi in an Appendix.
• It may be useful to produce charts showing where various
competencies are covered, especially for 6.7
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
Standard 6: OTA and PTA Competencies
Exemplars
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
FEEDBACK FROM PROGRAMS THAT HAVE
BEEN ACCREDITED
• An opportunity to learn from your peers….
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
FINAL TIPS
•
•
•
•
Start well ahead
Ask for additional resources
Make navigation easy
Present your program honestly and fairly – both strengths and
challenges
• Avoid paranoia - this is about becoming a better program
• Save everything and use it to build the SSR for the next
accreditation review
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Self Study Report
Questions?
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT & PHYSIOTHERAPIST ASSISTANT
EDUCATION ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Fieldwork Hours
Fieldwork Hours
WHY IS FIELDWORK IMPORTANT?
• Placements provide an ideal learning opportunity for students
that links theory to practice.
• This is related to:
• Experiential learning in the workplace
• Professional role modelling and socialization
• Opportunities to apply knowledge, rehearse/refine existing
skills, and learn new skills under supervision
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Fieldwork Hours
CURRENT FIELDWORK STANDARDS
3.4 The program provides clinical education / fieldwork
experiences in occupational therapy and physiotherapy that
enable students to achieve the learning outcomes.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Fieldwork Hours
3.4.1 CORE: Clinical/fieldwork education includes a minimum of
500 hours in the clinical setting.
3.4.2 Clinical/fieldwork education includes no less than 30% of
the total time in each discipline.
3.4.3 A registered occupational therapist faculty member is
available to students and preceptors on issues related to
occupational therapy practice in fieldwork. Similarly, a
registered physiotherapist faculty member is available to
students and preceptors on issues related to physiotherapy
practice in fieldwork.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Fieldwork Hours
TARGET:
• Substantially equivalent hours of OTA and PTA fieldwork
experience
WHY?
• Accreditation by its very nature is a badge of quality and that
must be reflected in both academic and clinical/fieldwork.
• By granting accreditation, CAOT and PEAC are signalling that
graduates from that program will be competent to practice as
OTAs and PTAs respectively. Both organizations have to be
assured that graduates are equally well prepared for both OTA
and PTA duties.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Fieldwork Hours
ISSUE?
• There are currently barriers to meeting equivalency and so a 2
year time frame has been established during which time
solutions and options can be examined.
BARRIERS:
• Availability of OTA and PTA placements is not equal
• No mechanism for separating OTA and PTA fieldwork hours in
combined OTA/PTA placements
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Fieldwork Hours
TASK: Brainstorm ideas for increasing placements and
tracking OTA and PTA hours in combined placements
Work in small groups
Assign a scribe. We will collect the group’s notes to inform
the work of the JAC on this topic.
• Half work on strategies to increase fieldwork placements
for both OTA and PTA
• Half work on methods to track fieldwork hours in
combined placements
• Share any strategies that you are currently using and how
well they work
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Fieldwork Hours
FEEDBACK:
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Fieldwork Hours
Next Steps
• Review ideas from this session as well as material from
the COPEC meeting held previously
• Support the working groups assigned by JAC to develop
recommendations
• JAC to review recommendations and prepare suggested
changes to the standard
• CAOT and PEAC review the recommendations before
approving
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT & PHYSIOTHERAPIST ASSISTANT
EDUCATION ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Upcoming Policy
Changes/Revisions
Upcoming Policy Changes/Revisions
• The JAC has recommended several revisions/additions to
policy.
• These changes are pending approval from PEAC and CAOT,
but will be outlined here briefly.
• Once approved, all education programs will be informed
of the new versions via briefing note.
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Education Accreditation Program
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Upcoming Policy Changes/Revisions
1. Candidacy Status – changes summarized earlier
2. Substantive Change
• It is required for all programs with Candidacy Status or
Accreditation Status to inform the OTA & PTA EAP of any
changes to the program which may impact compliance with
candidacy status criteria or accreditation criteria.
• Any changes in leadership contact information or leadership
faculty must also be communicated to the OTA & PTA EAP
• To date, no formal policy existed regarding how/what to report.
• A policy has been developed to clarify more explicitly what the
expectation is from programs.
• Candidacy Status and Accreditation Status is dependent on
compliance with
this policy.
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Education Accreditation Program
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Upcoming Policy Changes/Revisions
3. Appeal Process
• The right to appeal an accreditation decision has always existed;
however the process to date has been rather vague.
• This policy will again further clarify the process and timelines for
appeal.
4. Disclosure
• This policy will further clarify:
• The information disclosed by the OTA & PTA EAP regarding an
education program’s candidacy or accreditation status to the
pubic, and
• The information which must be published by education
programs with regards to their candidacy or accreditation
status.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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Upcoming Policy Changes/Revisions
5. Distributed Education
• There is wide variation in delivery models that exist for OTA and
PTA education programs.
• Multi-campus programs and programs providing distributed
education sites create a unique challenge for accreditation, as
often there is duplication of policy, curriculum, etc between
campuses/sites.
• Ensuring that the fees charged reflect the cost of accreditation for
both the accreditation program staff and the time spent by
volunteers is critical.
• Ensuring that the requirements and the fees are perceived as fair
by all stakeholders is also critical.
• A policy has been developed to guide the OTA & PTA EAP in its
accreditation process for such education programs.
Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant
Education Accreditation Program
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT & PHYSIOTHERAPIST ASSISTANT
EDUCATION ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Final Questions?
Thank you!