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2. ATRA Continuing Competence Program
In Fall 2017, ATRA announced changes to the CEU program
Information was shared via e-blasts, the annual report, symposium professional advancement session, and at the AGM
This presentation is a refresher and reminder of the changes to the ATRA Continuing Competence Program that were announced in the fall of 2017.
These changes were announced via e-blasts, the annual report, the professional advancement session at the symposium, and also at the Annual General Meeting.

3. Continuing Competence Program
Changes to ATRA’s CCP
No CEU exemptions
3 - year reporting period
LOA and competency commitments
Audits
The changes to the ATRA Continuing Competence Program include the following, each which will be discussed in more detail further on in the presentation:
There will no longer be exemptions provided for the CEU program
The reporting period has changed to a three year accumulation period
Changes to the LOA and Competency Commitments
The auditing process

4. Practice Competence:
Ongoing Professional Membership status requires mandatory participation in a Continuing Competence Program to ensure Albertans receive therapeutic recreation service from capable, knowledgeable and skilled practitioners who are able to apply advances in the profession.
Why have a continuing competence program?
The main purpose is to ensure that Albertans receive therapeutic recreation service from capable, knowledgeable and skilled practitioners who are able to apply advances in the profession.
This is why ongoing professional membership requires members to report their continuing competence.

5. 3 Year CEU Reporting Period
ATRA’s Continuing Competence Program has moved to a 3-year Continuing Education Units (CEU) attainment and reporting program. ATRA Professional members will acquire 45 CEU’s in a three-year period in alignment with ATRA’s membership year of April 1 – March 31.
ATRA has moved to a 3-year CEU reporting period.
Members will have three years to accumulate 45 CEUs, which still works out to 15 CEUs per year, as previous, but members will have more flexibility within those three years to meet the 45 CEU required total.

6. 3 Year Reporting Period Begins
Current Professional Members
Effective April1, 2017 (retroactive) – to March 31, 2020.
Year one: April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018
Year two: April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
Year three: April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020
Exceptions:
Current professional members with former “non-practicing” status will begin their three year reporting period effective April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2021.
Student and Supporting Members are NOT required to participate in the Continuing Competence Program
As we are coming to renewal time, many members are wondering how the CEU changes will be implemented.
If you are a current practicing professional member, you are just at the end of your first year of the new 3-year CEU reporting period. The end of your three year CEU period will end March 31, At which point you should have your 45 CEUs completed and uploaded to your online profile, which is coming very soon.
If you are a non-practicing professional member and changing your status to the new category of Professional Member this renewal period, your three-year reporting period starts April 1st of this year.
As a reminder, the membership categories were changed in the fall of There are three categories: Professional member, student member, and supporting member. Please see the Become a Member tab on the ATRA website for more details.
Student and Supporting members are not required to participate in the Continuing Competence Program.

7. LOA and Competency Program
Professional members who are on a leave of absence (LOA) from work or are not working in the TR field for any reason during this 3-year period are required to achieve a minimum of 45 CEU’s to ensure competency is maintained.
With the change from a one year to three year Continuing Competence Program, this will allow flexibility for attaining CEU’s and maintaining competency despite a leave of absence from practice.
For members who might have a break in practice during their 3 year reporting period, they are still required to attain 45 CEUs.
With changing to three years for this attainment period, this will allow members flexibility in maintaining professional competency.

8. Evidence of CEU attainment
Retain records of CEU attainment to provide proof of their learning activities that support CEU attainment.
Records can include conference brochures, CEU statements from education sessions, conference/education receipts, certificates of participation, copies of presentations, etc.
Copies can be uploaded to your On-line Membership Profile for safe keeping and easy access.
Please retain records of your CEUs when possible.
Records can include conference brochures, CEU statements from education sessions, conference / education receipts, certificates of participation, copies of presentations, etc
With the new online system coming soon, you will be able to upload these records to your membership profile for safe keeping.

9. CEU Audits
Once every three years, your personal Continuing Competence Program is subject to a confidential random audit.
If your name is selected you will be provided with a notice to submit proof of your CEU’s attainment.
After your documentation has been audited you will receive notice of compliance or non-compliance.
As a reminder, ATRA conducts audits on the CEU program.
Once every three years, your CEUs are subject to a confidential random audit.
If you have uploaded your CEU evidence of attainment to your membership profile, this makes the process much more smooth.
More information on this process will be released prior to the end of the next three year CEU attainment period, which will be in March 2020.

10. Accountability
If 45 CEU’s are not attained within the 3-year reporting period, CONDITIONAL CEU STATUS will be applied to your Professional membership.
You will develop and submit a Continuing Competence Plan indicating how the CEU shortfall will be made up.
The Continuing Competence Director or designate will review the plan and provide guidance as needed.
In addition to meeting your CEU shortfall, you will need to continue to attain 45 CEU’s for the concurrent 3-year period.
Conditional CEU Status remains until the CEU shortfall has been met.
Members are accountable for maintaining their competency.
If you do not meet the 45 CEUs in the three year reporting period, then a conditional CEU status will be applied to your professional membership.
You will be expected to develop and submit a Continuing Competence Plan to indicate how the CEU shortfall will be made up.
Support will be provided by the Continuing Competence Director or designate.
This is a very rare occurrence with ATRA members, however if a member runs into difficulty we want to be able to support them to maintain their competence and their professional membership.

11. Next steps …
By April 1, 2018 you may start uploading your CEUs that you have accumulated over the past year (since April 1, 2017)
You are not required to meet the 45 CEU total until your 3-year reporting period is up
In order to accommodate the new online system, no carryovers from the renewal year will be possible
With the new 3 –year CEU cycle, carryovers will no longer be necessary
What are the next steps?
You will be able to start uploading your CEUs from the last year to your membership profile by April 1, 2018.
Again, this is a reminder that you have three years to meet the 45 CEU requirement.
In order to accommodate the new online system, no carryovers from the renewal year will be possible.
With the new 3-year cycle, carryovers will no longer be necessary.

12. FAQ
Please see the updated FAQ document – attached to the e-blast as well as in the Continuing Competence Program tab in the members only section on the website.
Please refer to the updated FAQ document that is attached to the e-blast.
This document will be placed in the members only area under the Continuing Competence Program.

13. Thank you
Any further questions may be directed to the Continuing Competence Director at:
Thank you for taking the time to listen to this presentation.
If you have any further questions after reading the FAQ document, please Tiffany at