Certified Practice Programs & Applications

What is Certified Practice?

CSHBC’s first priority, as mandated by the BC government, is to protect the public. This ensures clients get the best possible care for the full range of services, including high risk activities.

The CSHBC Bylaws outline the high-risk practices that require certification before a registrant can perform them independently. They involve above entry level requirements for knowledge, skills, and abilities that are covered in the approved certification programs for training. The certified practices may or may not involve restricted activities that are outlined in the Speech and Hearing Health Professionals Regulation. Renewable Certified Practice Certificates provide registrants with independence and autonomy in these practice areas. The available certificates, and the process for attaining a certificate, are detailed in the Certified Practice & Above Entry Level Practice standard of practice (PDF).

Certificates must be renewed before the end of the March 31 registration renewal period in the registration year they expire. Renewal of Certified Practice Certificates is also contingent on holding Full registration classification, recording a minimum of four CCCs for each certificate, and recording a minimum number of practice hours, determined by the Quality Assurance & Professional Practice Committee and specific to the area of practice pertaining to that certificate.

Applying for a Certified Practice Certificate

Only Full registrants of CSHBC may apply for a Certified Practice Certificate; certification is not available to Conditional, Temporary, or Non-practising registrants.

Registrants applying for a Certified Practice Certificate must have appropriate prerequisites. Registrants must then complete the relevant Certification Program under the supervision of a qualified supervisor. Each Certification Program details the specific certificate prerequisites and the levels of supervision required during training. The Supervision standard of practice (PDF) describes what each level of supervision entails.

Important:

It is the responsibility of the registrant completing a certification program to ensure their supervisor is appropriately qualified, in line with the Supervision standard of practice. Eligibility criteria include that the supervisor themselves holds the relevant Certified Practice Certificate, and has done for at least 6 months. Training under an unqualified supervisor would constitute unlawful practice, subject to legal action by the College.
Different Certification Programs have different pre-requisites and different objectives, which registrants must understand and adhere to. Pre-requisites must be met before work towards objectives commences. This may impact timeframes for completion of a Certification Program. For example, if a program pre-requisite is that Full registration is held, and an objective sets out that a year of relevant clinical practice is required, that year of practice must be completed as a Full registrant. Applications will be rejected if all pre-requisites followed by all objectives are not satisfactorily completed. Registrants with questions about Certification Program pre-requisites and learning objectives should contact [email protected].

To view and download Certification Program requirement and application instructions, click the following links:

Committee Review

Final decision-making authority with respect to granting Certified Practice Certificates rests with the Registration Committee. In some instances, profession-specific committee panels may review Certified Practice certificate applications and provide recommendations to the Registration Committee regarding the issuing of Certified Practice Certificates. The Registration Committee may or may not follow panel recommendations. In either case, it will provide reasons for its decision and the registrant will be notified.

Applications fall under two broad categories:

Standard applications – where it is clear that each of the Certified Practice Certificate Program requirements is met.
Non-standard applications – where it is unclear that one or more of the requirements is met.

The Registration Committee delegates authority to the CSHBC Registrar to approve standard applications. However, non-standard applications must be reviewed by the Registration Committee. These applications generally take longer to be processed given it can take time to gather any additional relevant information and have the Registration Committee consider the matter.

Certified Practice Certificate Renewal

When a registrant is granted a Certified Practice Certificate, CSHBC will advise them of the expiry date of that certificate. This date will be on the March 31 in the third year following the year that the certificate was issued. When Certified Practice Certificates are renewed, they are valid for three full years.

Important: Continuing to practice under the scope of an expired Certified Practice Certificate constitutes unlawful practice, which is subject to disciplinary action by CSHBC.