Standards of Practice


The Standards of Practice define the minimum level of professional performance that SLPs and audiologists are expected to demonstrate to ensure competent, safe and ethical practice. Each regulated member of ACSLPA is accountable for practicing in accordance with the Standards of Practice, regardless of role, practice area or practice setting.

Any breach of the Standards of Practice may constitute unprofessional conduct, as defined in the Health Professions Act.


ACSLPA’s Code of Ethics/Standards of Practice were recently reviewed and revised, incorporating principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). The new revised Standards of Practice are now available below.

Acronyms

  • ACSLPA – The Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
  • HPA – Health Professions Act

Introduction

The Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (ACSLPA) is a regulatory body that carries out its activities in accordance with provincial legislation to protect and serve the public by regulating, supporting, and ensuring competent, safe, and ethical practice of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists in Alberta. … more

Standard Area 1.0 – Service Delivery

Client-Centered Service

A regulated member of ACSLPA uses a client-centered approach in the provision of competent and safe
professional services.

Evidence-Informed Practice

A regulated member of ACSLPA actively seeks, promotes, supports and incorporates an evidence-informed approach in their practice.

Client Assessment and Intervention

A regulated member of ACSLPA selects and applies appropriate screening/assessment procedures, analyzes/interprets the information gathered to determine diagnosis and implements appropriate interventions to deliver quality services that correspond to clients’ priorities and changing needs.

Communication

A regulated member of ACSLPA communicates respectfully, effectively and in a timely manner in the provision of professional services.

Collaboration

A regulated member of ACSLPA works collaboratively to facilitate the delivery of quality client-centred services.

Concurrent Practice

A regulated member of ACSLPA participates in concurrent practice only in situations in which the benefits outweigh the risks.

Virtual Care

A regulated member of ACSLPA will ensure the provision of quality services when providing virtual care.

Standard Area 2.0 – Professional Responsibility/Accountability

Use of Title

A regulated member of ACSLPA accurately uses their appropriate protected titles, abbreviations or initials to identify themselves to clients and others in all professional encounters.

Privacy/Confidentiality

A regulated member of ACSLPA practices in compliance with relevant legislation and requirements.

Informed Consent

A regulated member of ACSLPA ensures that they obtain informed consent prior to the provision of services.

Professional Boundaries

A regulated member of ACSLPA maintains appropriate professional boundaries with clients, professional colleagues, students, and others at all times.

Conflict of Interest

A regulated member of ACSLPA identifies and manages all situations or circumstances of real, perceived, or potential conflict of interest to protect their professional integrity and the clients’ best interests.

Standard Area 3.0 – Continuing Competence Program

Please note: Standard Area 3.0 is supplemented by the Continuing Competence Manual, which provides further detail on the requirements for successful participation in the ACSLPA Continuing Competence Program (CCP).

Continuing Competence

A regulated member of ACSLPA who is on the general register and who has been issued an active practice permit maintains their competence to practice and meets the requirements of the Continuing Competence Program.

Continuing Competence Program

The Continuing Competence Program of the College is established and consists of:

  • compulsory self-directed professional development activities, and
  • interviews, file reviews, practice visits, or other competence assessments as required.

Standard Area 4.0 – Practice Management

Safety and Risk Management

A regulated member of ACSLPA practices in compliance with occupational health, safety and risk management legislation and requirements in all practice settings.

Quality Improvement

A regulated member of ACSLPA participates in continuous quality improvement activities to promote the effectiveness and safety of service delivery.

Documentation and Information Management

A regulated member of ACSLPA maintains clear, confidential, accurate, legible, timely and complete records, in compliance with legislation and regulatory requirements.

The fundamental expectation of documentation is that anyone reviewing a client record must be able to determine what care was provided, to whom it was provided, by whom and when the care was provided, why the care was provided, and any evaluation of the care that was provided.

Clinical Supervision

A regulated member of ACSLPA is responsible for quality services delivered by personnel under his/her direction and supervision (e.g., employees, support personnel, students).

Advertising and Promotional Communications

A regulated member of ACSLPA ensures that advertising and promotional communications are truthful, accurate, and verifiable.

Human Resources Management

This standard is applicable to regulated members who are responsible for the management of employees.

A regulated member of ACSLPA, who is responsible for the management of employees, ensures the appropriate management of human resources to support competent, safe, inclusive, and effective service delivery.

Fees and Billing

This standard is applicable to regulated members working in a private practice environment.

A regulated member of ACSLPA, working in a private practice environment, ensures that fees for products/services are justifiable and that clients are informed of fee schedules prior to the delivery of services.

Standard Area 5.0 – Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct

Introduction and Definitions

Speech-language pathologists and audiologists provide professional services in a range of settings to a variety of individuals. ACSLPA recognizes that there may be a power imbalance between regulated members and the patients to whom they provide services. In recognition of this, and in accordance with amendments to the Health Professions Act (HPA) by way of Bill 21: An Act to Protect Patients (2018) and Bill 10: The Health Professions (Protecting Women and Girls) Amendment Act, 2022, ACSLPA has developed these Standards of Practice. Every recipient of speech-language pathology and audiology services should feel safe and protected from sexual misconduct and sexual abuse.

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Sexual Relationships

A regulated member of ACSLPA abstains from conduct, behaviour or remarks directed towards patients that constitutes sexual abuse as defined by the Health Professions Act.

Sexual Misconduct

A regulated member of ACSLPA abstains from conduct, behaviour or remarks directed towards patients that constitutes sexual misconduct, as defined by the Health Professions Act.

Managing Professional Boundaries

A regulated member recognizes when professional boundaries may be compromised by feelings, conduct, behaviour or remarks of a sexual nature, regardless of who initiates.

Sexual Relationships with Former Patients

A regulated member of ACSLPA abstains from conduct, behaviour or remarks directed towards former patients that constitutes sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, as defined by the Health Professions Act.

Existing Sexual Relationships

A regulated member of ACSLPA, except in particular circumstances, abstains from providing a health service to a spouse, an adult interdependent partner or other person with whom the speech-language pathologist or audiologist is in an existing sexual relationship.

Conduct of a Sexual Nature

A regulated member of ACSLPA abstains from any unwanted or unwelcome behaviour, either physical or verbal, with a patient’s substitute decision-maker, guardian, or parent that could reasonably be perceived to be of a sexual nature.

Mandatory Education

A regulated member of ACSLPA completes mandatory educational requirements prescribed by the Council for preventing and addressing sexual abuse and sexual misconduct, as defined by the Health Professions Act, towards patients.

Female Genital Mutilation

A regulated member of ACSLPA shall not procure or perform female genital mutilation as defined by the Health Professions Act.

Mandatory Duty to Report

A regulated member of ACSLPA, acting in their professional capacity, who has reasonable grounds to believe that the conduct of another regulated member of any college constitutes the procurement or performance of female genital mutilation (FGM) as defined by the Health Professions Act (HPA), or constitutes sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, as defined by the HPA, has a duty to report that conduct to the complaints director for the applicable college, in accordance with section 127.2(2) of the HPA.

Standard Area 6.0 – Restricted Activities

Restricted Activities Performed by Regulated Members

A regulated member of ACSLPA performs only those restricted activities that they are authorized and competent to perform in compliance with legislation.

Supervision of Others by Regulated Members

A regulated member of ACSLPA takes professional responsibility for the work of those who perform restricted activities under their supervision, direction, or control, namely:

a) speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid practitioner students,
b) speech-language pathologists and audiologists who require a period of supervised practice to meet a condition on their practice permit,
c) conditional practice permit holders registered by the College of Hearing Aid Practitioners of Alberta (CHAPA),
d) practice permit holders registered by CHAPA who are completing a training course involving restricted activities that is being led by a registered audiologist, and
e) support personnel.

Regulated members provide appropriate supervision to the individuals listed above in relation to the performance of restricted activities, including procedures or episodes of care that involve restricted activities. Examples of procedures that involve restricted activities that speech-language pathologists and audiologists are authorized to perform in Alberta are available as part of ACSLPA’s Restricted Activity Competency Profiles (refer to each individual competency profile page, specifically the section in the table entitled “examples of procedures involving the restricted activity”).