Frequently Asked Questions

The Patient Relations Committee is responsible for overseeing the funding for therapy and counselling program, and will review your application to determine your eligibility. The Patient Relations Committee is comprised of both chiropractors and public members.

No. The Patient Relations Committee will review your application against the criteria listed in Policy P-018 and listed above. You may be contacted by CCO staff if additional information is required.

No. You can apply for funding at any time if you meet the eligibility criteria.

The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 defines sexual abuse as:

(a)  sexual intercourse or other forms of physical sexual relations between the member and the patient,

(b)  touching, of a sexual nature, of the patient by the member, or

(c)  behaviour or remarks of a sexual nature by the member towards the patient.

“Sexual nature” does not include touching, behaviour or remarks of a clinical nature appropriate to the service provided.

Sexual abuse under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 has a different legal description from sexual assault under the Criminal Code of Canada [1]. Unlike the criminal act of sexual abuse, consent is not a defence to sexual abuse under the RHPA and acts of a sexual nature by a regulated health professional may constitute sexual abuse under the RHPA and result in regulatory consequences, including the revocation of a member’s certificate of registration.

More information on sexual abuse can be found in Standard of Practice S-014: Prohibition Against a Sexual Relationship with a Patient.

Sexual abuse by a patient may be preceded by certain grooming behaviour or boundary crossings or violations. Examples of this type of behaviour may include:

• sharing intimate details of the member’s personal life with the patient;
• probing patients for inappropriate personal information;
• giving or receiving extravagant gifts from the patient;
• becoming involved with a patient‘s personal life;
• influencing a patient to change their will or other testamentary instrument; and
• excessive complimenting and/or flirting with a patient;

It is incumbent on a member to stop this type of behaviour before it may lead to anything more serious. For more details, please see Guideline G-001: Communication with Patients.

Once the required forms are submitted, CCO staff will contact you to confirm receipt of the application, inform you about the process and timeline for review of the application, answer any questions you may have, and tell you whether any additional information is required.

The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, its regulations and CCO policy, set certain criteria for the choice of a therapist or counselor.

The therapist or counselor must not be a person to whom the applicant has any family relationship, or who, to the College’s knowledge, has been found guilty of professional misconduct of a sexual nature or been found civilly or criminally liable for an act of a similar nature.

The applicant may apply for funding for therapy or counselling from an individual who is not a regulated health professional. However, the College may require the applicant to indicate that they understand that the therapist or counselor is not a member of a health regulatory college and is not subject to professional regulation, complaints, or discipline.

Funding is generally approved for therapy or counselling on a session-by-session basis, and that takes place in the province of Ontario. 

The Patient Relations Committee will review applications for funding for therapy on a case-by-case basis, and consider any extenuating circumstances as part of the application.

As required by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, once a therapist or counsellor is approved, the College will make payments to the therapist or counsellor upon receipt of invoices.

In exceptional circumstances, if the applicant has already received therapy or counselling, the College may reimburse the applicant directly upon receipt of invoices or receipts. Invoices or receipts can be submitted to the College by mail, fax or email attachment:

Mail: 59 Hayden Street, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M4Y 0E7

Fax: 416-925-9610

Email: cco.info@cco.on.ca

Yes, at any time during the five year funding period, you may complete an application for a new therapist or counsellor, which will then be reviewed by the Patient Relations Committee.

Mail: 59 Hayden Street, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M4Y 0E7

Fax: 416-925-9610

Email: cco.info@cco.on.ca

No, the Patient Relations Committee reviews documents only.

No.  There is no requirement for a psychological assessment to support the need for therapy, nor is there a requirement for your therapist or counsellor to provide updates on the progress of the therapy to the College.

The Patient Relations Committee reviews applications in accordance with the requirements of the legislation, regulation and policies of the College, including the nature and relevance of the therapy, and jurisdiction in which the therapy is provided.

The limits for funding for therapy or counselling are set out in the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, its regulations and CCO policies.

At any time, you may contact the College to inquire about the status of your funding account. The College will communicate with you periodically about how much money is left and how much time is left for funding for therapy or counselling.

There is no time limit, but as time goes on it may become harder to remember what happened and provide accurate details. Recordkeeping Standard S-002 stipulates that a chiropractor is only required to keep a patient’s records for seven years after their final treatment date. If the patient was a child at the time of treatment, the period is seven years after the patient turns 18.

No. If you want to file a formal complaint with the College and be informed about the outcome of the investigation, you must provide your name. Your name and concerns will be shared with the chiropractor. 

During the investigation, CCO may need to share your concerns with witnesses to get additional information. However, when/if the College publishes information about complaints on the Public Register, the names of the person who made the complaint and any witnesses are not included and are never published. 

If you want to provide a tip to the College, you can do so anonymously. The College may or may not be able to investigate depending on how much information you are able to share.

The College only regulates the practice of individual chiropractors and not the places where they practise. Sometimes a chiropractor may be the owner of the clinic. In this case, the investigation may be able to look into the clinic.

Write a signed letter of complaint detailing your concerns or the incident(s) in question and send them to the CCO by mail, email attachment or fax.

1. CCO will provide you with official acknowledgment of your complaint within 14 days. At the same time, CCO will notify the chiropractor who is the subject of the complaint. This means the College member will receive a copy of your complaint, and copies of the supporting documents you provided.
2. The member will have an opportunity to respond to the complaint. CCO will ask the member to provide a copy of your patient clinical record along with their response.
3. The College will provide you with a copy of the member’s response to the complaint and request any additional information.
4. When all the information is received, a panel of the Inquiries Complaints Report Committee (ICRC) will consider the complaint. The ICRC uses its Risk Assessment Framework when considering outcomes for each case.
5. Both you and the member will receive a copy of the ICRC’s decision. The decision will be sent by email unless you tell us you prefer a different way.
6. Both the complainant and the member may ask for review of the ICRC’s decision by the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board. Additional information can be found at www.hparb.on.ca

If you have already initiated a complaint, you can still withdraw it. The ICRC will review your original complaint, and your request to withdraw. If your concerns are very serious, the Committee may decide to continue with the investigation even if you do not take part.

College staff can only provide information about the complaint process. Their role is to impartially gather information from both parties on behalf of the ICRC.

All information related to the complaints process is held in confidence by the College and by the people who work at or on behalf of the College. Where information is made available to the public on our website or on the Public Register, the names of the complainants and/or witnesses will not be included.

If you are filing a complaint about your own treatment, CCO will ask the chiropractor for a copy of your health record. If the complaint is submitted by a third party, for example a family member of the patient, then  the patient’s consent may be requested if the patient record is entitled.

No. The Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) defines the ways in which the ICRC can resolve a complaint. The committee cannot require a chiropractor to apologize and cannot require financial compensation.

Yes. College staff are always available to answer questions about the process.

The person who made the complaint will receive regular updates about the status of the complaint. At the conclusion of the investigation both parties will receive a copy of the ICRC’s decision.

The personal information you share with the College is kept confidential.

If the ICRC requires the member to appear before it to be cautioned, or requires the member to undergo continuing education or remediation, or to sign an undertaking, then this information will be put on the public register under their name.

If there is an immediate risk to the public and the chiropractor should be prevented from practicing or have their practice restricted in some way, the ICRC will decide on a reasonable intervention. They will use the Interim Order Assessment Tool to assist them in making this decision.

No. The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 does not allow you to use the decision of the ICRC in other legal proceedings such as civil suits.

You will receive a letter outlining the complaint and the complaints process. You must provide a response to the complaint within 30 days. When you submit your response to the College you will be asked to submit the patient record. 

If the complaint was made by the patient, consent is implied, and the College is not required to seek additional consent for you to release this information to the College.

That is up to you, however, some members do contact their insurance providers to assist with responding to a complaint.

A copy of your response is forwarded to the complainant.

Yes, you will be provided with a copy and are able to provide comments to the investigation report.

Both the complainant and the CCO member may ask for review of the ICRC’s decision from the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board. Additional information can be found at hparb.on.ca

During an investigation, the ICRC may obtain a peer/expert opinion. The Committee will seek an opinion when looking at information about a chiropractic’s practice as it relates to the standards of practice of the profession. The opinion provided is based on the facts of the case. If the case is referred to the Discipline Committee for a hearing, the person who provided the opinion may be asked to testify.

Your status as a registered chiropractor is not affected as a result of a complaint being received, unless the matter goes to the Discipline Committee or Fitness to Practice Committee for a hearing, and a finding of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity is made. However, any Cautions, SCERPS and Undertakings are made available on the Public Register.

No. The Regulated Health Professions Act does not allow you to use the decision of the ICRC in other legal proceedings such as civil suits.

Please review the member renewal memorandum and follow the instructions using the online portal. Renewal is mandatory for maintaining membership with CCO and practising as a chiropractor in Ontario.

Please review the incorporation renewal memorandum and follow the instructions using the online portal. Renewal of a professional corporation is only required from members who have one

The Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board (CCEB) Written and Clinical Examinations and CCO’s Legislation and Ethics Examination

No. Chiropractors may practise and bill for their services as individuals. However, if a chiropractor intends to practise and bill through a corporation, it must be through a chiropractic health corporation registered with CCO.

• Review CCO’s Guide to an Application for a Certificate of Authorization for Health Profession Corporations (PDF)
  Review CCO’s Articles of Incorporation (PDF)  
• Create your corporation with the Ontario government and ensure that the name follows the required naming structure and that the required restrictions are outlined using the proper wording in Article 5 (see sample for Article 5 wording: Articles of Incorporation (PDF)).
• Apply for a Certificate of Authorization using the Initial Application for a Certificate of Authorization for a Professional Corporation (Fillable) PDF. Page 5 will outline the required supporting documents.