Certification In Canada

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Certification In Canada
Presented By Tanea Goncalves B.A. Rec. Admin.
Rec.T(r) CTRA Certification Director (2002-2007)
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Certification Task Force

• CTF Provincial Representatives
• Member of their Provincial TR Association
• Contact with the Provincial Educational
  Institutions that offer TR programs/courses
• Time to be an active member of CTF
• Have a keen interest in Canadian Certification
• Member of the CTRA
• Meet 6x/year via tele-conference
• Electronic updates 6x/year
• May 2003 - Present

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Certification Task Force

• Members
• Tanea Goncalves (Chair)
• Wayne Bishop (NF/L)
• Dr. Jerry Singleton (NS)
• Micheline Comitz (NB)
• Maggie Blaise (PQ)
• Chris Richard (TRO)
• Ellen Locke (MB)
• Anne Robins (SK)
• Erin Turnell (AB)
• Helene Driscoll (BC)
• Frances Holt-Gallant (PEI)
• Debby Wolowich (Yukon)

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Certification Task Force

• Goal
• To investigate, define and implement systems that
  reflects CTRAs commitment to move toward a
  National Certification Program for Canadian
  Therapeutic Recreation Professionals

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What is a Credentialing Organization?

• Credentialing the process by which an agency
  grants recognition of compliance to standards to
  individuals who have met stated qualifications.
• Credentialing programs develop when there is a
  need to define standards of performance and
  assure compliance with these standards to protect
  the public, assist employers, and increase the
  credibility of the discipline.
• (NCTRC, 2004)

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Registration

• Self Regulation by a Professional
  Association/Governmental Regulation
• A list of all those persons considered to be
  qualified to practice the profession based upon
  specific criteria
• CTRA and various provincial TR associations offer
  voluntary registration status
• (M. McDonald, n.d.)

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Certification

• Certification defines and measures competence of
  individuals.
• Non-governmental process of regulation within a
  community, profession/ occupation, or a specialty
  within a profession/occupation.
• A voluntary process based on meeting eligibility
  requirements and passing an examination.
• (L. Early NOCA, 1998)

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Licensing/Regulation

• A mandatory process, established by a
  governmental agency to earn eligibility to
  practice.
• Usually organized for the explicit purpose of
  consumer protection.
• (L. Early NOCA, 1998)

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Accreditation

• Accreditation typically develops standards for
  organizations or businesses.
• May result in giving an authority to an
  educational/training program in order to meet
  eligibility requirements of a certification or
  licensing program.
• May award a credential or accreditation to an
  organization, business or service that meets
  specific standards.
• (L. Early NOCA, 1998)

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Certification vs. Membership

• Certification Organization
• Protects the public
• Certificants
• Strict Qualifications
• Absolute Standards
• Voluntary Regulatory
• Independent Function
• NCTRC

• Membership Organization
• Enhance the profession
• Members
• Broad Qualifications
• Guidelines
• Voluntary Membership
• Political Function
• CTRA, NSRPH, TRAAC

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Motivating Factors for Certification

• Consumer Assurance that TRP anywhere in Canada
  have met specific standards.
• Consumer Protection
• Standardize practice and standards for the
  Professions
• Provide the professional with a particular level
  of prestige
• (L. Early NOCA, 1998)

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A Model for Credentialing
Protection of the Consumer
Competency (Capability)
Effectiveness (Outcomes)
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Components of a Certification Program

• Identified Scope of Practice
• Job Analysis
• Examination Development
• Standards Setting
• Credentialing Operations
• Policy and Procedures
• Test Administration
• Recertification Process
• Disciplinary Monitoring
• (NCTRC, 2004)

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Status of TR in Canada

• NLTRA
• Standards of Practice for Therapeutic Recreation
  Specialist and Recreation Therapy Workers
• TRS - 4 year degree in Therapeutic Recreation
• RTW - 2 year diploma in Therapeutic Recreation
• 10 year plan to implement these qualifications

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• NSRPH
• Standards of Practice
• Experience, Formal education, Professional
  affiliation, Professional contribution
• Standards for Specialist, manager, assistant,
  worker?
• TRO
• 1989 Job Competency Study
• Pilot Registration Process
• TR Standards of Practice

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• ATRA
• Professional, Para-professional, Student,
  Supporting, Non-practicing professional
• Continuing Education Units
• HOP competency examination
• BCTRA
• Disciplinary Process
• Title Protection Recreation Therapy
  Practitioner
• SARP
• TR Promotion Materials
• Framework for TR Job Descriptions
• Job Competency Document

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Trends

• Preliminary Trend
• Two job classifications
• Four year Degree requirement for Therapeutic
  Recreation Specialist
• Two year Diploma requirement for Therapeutic
  Recreation Programmer
• There are 1500 TR provincial association
  members
• Various degree programs that are allowed to
  practice TR

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Canadian Certification- What should it look like?

• Mosaic Model (Rod Dieser)
• NCTRC
• TRO Canadian Certification Model

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Feasibility of Canadian Certification System

• Initial Exam Development 150, 000
• Exam Management and Computerized Version - 100,
  000
• Consider the cost for administrative staff,
  equipment, etc
• Total estimated price of 500 000 in the first
  year and 1 000 000 in annual maintenance
• Hundreds of Volunteers to develop examination
• Timeline several years
• Limited to the 1100 current professionals in
  Canada
• (Thompson Prometric, 2007)

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Certification Component Cost

• Job Analysis (formal study) 60,000.00
• Examination Development (initial).150,000.00
• Examination Development (upgrade). 75,000.00
• Exam Administration (3x annual). 180,000.00
• Credentialing Operations( annual).
  500,000.00
• Recertification Process (annual)
  50,000.00
• Disciplinary Monitoring (annual)
  20,000.00
• Total Cost Initial Activities 500,000.00
• Annual Activities.
  1,000,000.00
• (NCTRC, 2004)

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NCTRC Issues/Negotiations

• Canadian Nationalism Issue
• Legislative Practice Questions
• Bilingual Examination
• NCTRC Competency Requirements
• Canadian Based Job Analysis
• Varied Educational Curriculums
• Long Range Plan
• (CTRA, 2006)

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Proposed Motion

• We move that the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation
  Association (CTRA) membership endorse official
  negotiations with the National Council for
  Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) with
  the intent of developing a cooperative
  arrangement to establish certification for
  Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Specialists.

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Questions / Comments?
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Contact InformationE-mail AddressTanea.Goncalv
es_at_dal.caCTRA Websitewww.canadian-tr.org
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References

• Alberta Therapeutic Recreation Association
  (n.d.). CEU Reporting Form Alberta Therapeutic
  Recreation Association On-line Available
  http//www.alberta-tr.org/pdfs/ceu_reporting_form.
  PDF Canada ATRA
• Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association
  (n.d.). Summary of TR Course/Programs for
  Canadian Universities and Colleges Provincial
  TR Associations Membership requirements Canadian
  Therapeutic Recreation Association - The Tribune
  On-line Available http//www.canadian-tr.org/Ed
  ucational20Institutions.PDF Canada CTRA
• Certification Task Force (2003). CTRA Summary of
  Job Titles. Canada
• Certification Task Force (2004). Minutes of the
  April 15, 2004 Minutes of the Certification Task
  Force. Canada
• Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association
  (2006). Tribune Spring Edition Retrieved March
  27, 2007 from http//www.canadian-tr.org/pdf/2006-
  0420Spring.pdf.
• Certification Task Force (2004). Professional
  Groups - How do they Certify. Canada
• Dalhousie University (2004).Status of TR in
  Canada. Nova Scotia, Canada
• Early, L. National Organization for Competency
  Assurance (1998). Starting a Certification
  Program. Washington, United States NOCA
• McDonald, M. (n.d). Professionalism and
  Therapeutic Recreation, Canadian Therapeutic
  Recreation Association - The Tribune On-line
  Available http//www.canadian-tr.org/article_two.
  htm Canada CTRA

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References

• Newfoundland and Labrador Therapeutic Recreation
  Association (2003). Standards of Practice of
  Therapeutic Recreation Recreation Specialist
  (Draft Form). Newfoundland, Canada NLTRA
• Newfoundland and Labrador Therapeutic Recreation
  Association (2003). Standards of Practice of
  Therapeutic Recreation Recreation Recreation
  Worker (Draft Form). Newfoundland, Canada NLTRA
• Nova Scotia Therapeutic Recreation Professionals
  in Health (n.d.) NSRPH Classification Criteria
  Nova Scotia Therapeutic Recreation Professionals
  in Health On-line Available http//www.nsrph.co
  m/cgi-bin/index.cgi?mainClassifications.htm
  Canada NSRPH
• Saskatchewan Association of Recreation
  Professionals (n.d). Therapeutic Recreation
  Models Document. Saskatchewan, Canada SARP
• Stumbo, N. Peterson, C. (2004). Therapeutic
  Recreation Program Design Principles and
  Procedures, 4/e United States
• Therapeutic Recreation Certification Council
  (n.d.). Levels of Certification, On-line
  http//www.trcc.mb.ca/cert.htm Canada TRCC
• Therapeutic Recreation for Ontario (1997).
  Standards of Practice for Therapeutic Recreation
  Ontario. North York, Ontario TRO