What is happening
Beginning in 2025, a late penalty fee will be applied to any Professional Development Program (PDP) requirement not submitted by the established deadline as outlined in the CRTO’s By-Laws (By-Law #3 – Membership s.4.13) and Schedule of Fees. This includes the RelevanT eLearning Module, the Launch RT Jurisprudence Assessment and the PORTfolioOM.
Why it is happening
While it is true that most CRTO Members diligently complete their PDP requirements on time, the steadily increasing number of individuals failing to meet the clearly communicated deadlines is a cause for concern. More alarming is the growing number of Members being referred to the Investigations, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) due to complete non-compliance, sometimes involving multiple PDP requirements. Participation in the Professional Development Program is not only a crucial component of being a professional but also a legal requirement. (s. 35 – O.Reg. 596/94: General)
Below is a summary of the number of Members who failed to submit their PDP requirements by the deadline in 2024 and the approximate associated costs:
As you can see, the total associated costs of Members’ non-compliance with the CRTO’s PDP in 2024 was approximately $8,000. All CRTO Members should be concerned about this because repeatedly reminding and monitoring Members who do not complete their PDP requirements on time consumes a considerable amount of CRTO’s resources, including money that comes directly from membership fees. To avoid penalizing all Members, a late fee will now be paid by those failing to meet the established PDP deadlines.
How it will happen
If a PDP requirement is not completed by its deadline, an initial reminder notice will be sent to the Member. If the requirement is still not met within the timeline outlined in the notice, a $25 penalty fee will be applied for each late PDP requirement. Every additional notice sent to the Member on behalf of either the CRTO Quality Assurance Committee or the ICRC will result in an additional $25 late penalty fee. Members will have 30 days to pay any outstanding PDP late penalty fees.
Please note that it is a condition of every certificate of registration that Members pay any fees required under the By-laws. Failure to do so can ultimately result in the suspension of a Member’s certificate of registration (s. 54(4) – O. Reg. 596/94: General).
The PDP is designed to support the continuous quality improvement of all CRTO Members. Ongoing growth through professional development enhances Members’ ability to provide safe, competent and ethical patient/client care.
For more information, you are welcome to contact Professional Practice or the Office of the Registrar. You may also wish to review the CRTO Professional Development Program Policy.