As part of the CSHBC Quality Assurance & Professional Practice (QAPP) Program, CSHBC Professional Practice Advisors (PPAs) provide professional practice information to registrants to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, and to provide guidance on how practice standards and related documents can be implemented in practice.

Confidential professional practice information and guidance is available to all registrants at any time. This service is proactive and preventative in nature and enhances the College’s QAPP Program by addressing regulatory practice issues and responding to registrant enquiries and questions, as well as questions from members of the public about registrant practice. Information may be provided by email, phone, or virtually, depending on the complexity of the issue. 

Before responding to enquiries and questions, PPAs begin by explaining the parameters of the service and by obtaining identifying information from the individual. The role of a PPA is to provide registrants, and members of the public, with information about practice standards and policies. They cannot provide legal advice and cannot provide an opinion about any specific client/patient or case.

Confidentiality and use of information

Although PPAs take notes, their discussions are confidential, and they will not disclose who you are and what was discussed unless the information discloses a danger to the public or sexual abuse. If that occurs, the PPA will end the conversation and must report the information to the Registrar. As registrants, PPAs are bound by duties to report under the Health Professions Act and must disclose to the registrant their reporting obligations and must copy the registrant on any related report.

Information provided to PPAs is also collected to report statistics about the College’s QAPP Program. The practice information is intended to help registrants and the public, but the information provided is not binding on the College. How and whether registrants and members of the public use the information provided by a PPA is up to the individual.

Overview of the professional practice information process

After a query or question has been submitted to the College’s QAPP team for a response, the assigned PPA:

• Confirms the identity of the individual, and their contact information if the person is a registrant
• Assesses whether any conflict of interest exists. If a conflict exists, the PPA must end the call with advice that another PPA or staff member will contact the individual
• Identifies whether the matter relates to any proceeding before the College Registration Committee, Inquiry Committee, or Discipline Committee. If yes, the PPA must advise the registrant or member of the public that they cannot provide information relating to a proceeding
• Finally, the PPA provides an introductory statement explaining the parameters of the service before discussing a particular matter

QAPP staff

Cathy Silversides, RSLP
Director, Quality Assurance & Professional Practice

Kathy Pereira, RAUD, RHIP
Professional Practice Advisor, Audiology

Sabreena Sunner, RHIP
Professional Practice Advisor, Hearing Instrument Dispensing

Vacant
Professional Practice Advisor, Speech-Language Pathology

Shalin Sharma
Program Coordinator

Request QAPP professional practice information

To request QAPP professional practice information, or to learn more information about the service, contact the College at [email protected]. PPAs are part-time CSHBC staff members – please allow five business days for a response.