CMTBC has developed a new standard of practice on professional boundaries. This proposed standard of practice contains:

• Definitions of the therapeutic relationship and professional boundaries, as they relate to RMTs;
• Twenty-three detailed requirements for RMTs to follow in maintaining appropriate boundaries with patients;
• An appendix with definitions of terms used in the boundaries standard of practice.

Read the proposed standard of practice on boundaries on the Proposed Standards of Practice page.

The College has been researching and developing the boundaries standard of practice since 2016, with contributions from RMTs and public representatives on the Patient Relations Committee and the Quality Assurance Committee, and staff. The CMTBC Board has approved the release of the proposed standard of practice to the profession and the public for an eight-week notice period, from April 16 to June 11, 2018. During the notice period, any RMT or member of the public may submit comments about the proposed standard of practice by email to [email protected].

The College will consider all comments received before submitting the standard of practice to the CMTBC Board for final approval in June 2018.  

“The proposed standard of practice clearly defines expectations for RMTs in the important area of boundaries,” says CMTBC Registrar and CEO Eric Wredenhagen. “While the Health Professions Act does not require the College to provide a public notice period for new standards of practice, CMTBC is releasing the proposed standard to be transparent and consultative.”

Standards of practice define:

• The minimum level of expected performance for registered massage therapists; and
• What constitutes safe, ethical, and competent delivery of care by RMTs.

The proposed boundaries standard empowers RMTs to exercise their professional judgement and discretion when faced with difficult or unclear circumstances in practice.

Under section 19 of the Health Professions Act, the CMTBC Board may establish “standards, limits or conditions” for practice as part of its Bylaws. To date, standards of practice have been contained in Schedule D of the CMTBC Bylaws. The proposed standard on boundaries is the first stand-alone standard of practice to be developed. This follows best practices developed by other regulators.

“CMTBC is modernizing and building out the standards of practice to reflect current best practices in regulation,” says Mr. Wredenhagen. “Moving forward, the updated standards of practice will complement CMTBC’s Code of Ethics.”