On November 1, 2017, CMTBC launched its new website and the new CMTBC Portal, both of which were co-developed by CMTBC and Helsby Drake by Thentia Global. 

The new CMTBC Portal was designed from its inception to be a user-friendly, state-of-the-art system for RMTs to manage their regulatory requirements, and provide regulatory information required by the College. So far, the feedback that CMTBC has received has been overwhelmingly positive, and many RMTs have commented that the new Portal is friendlier and more intuitive than the previous one.

At the same time, there have been a few issues to work through, which happens with any new system. Also, RMTs have asked questions about the new processes that accompany the system. Here are some answers:

Why am I being asked to sign and upload a Criminal Record Check (CRC) consent form when my current CRC is still valid?

Under provincial legislation (the Criminal Records Review Act), RMTs must obtain a CRC clearance every five years. 

Previously, RMTs had two options when it came to applying for a CRC. They could apply directly to the BC Government’s Criminal Records Review Program (part of the Ministry of Justice), or they could apply to CMTBC, which would forward the application to the Program on their behalf. This dual process caused complications and delays, as CMTBC had no record of those RMTs who had applied directly to the Program, and had no information about their status until the clearance was received, which could take six to eight weeks. On top of that, this process was then repeated every five years for each RMT.

The new CRC consent form provides a number of benefits that the old system did not. First, RMTs are asked to provide consent that is ongoing, so that CMTBC applies for the CRC on the RMT’s behalf, and it will automatically do so every five years without any need for the RMT to file a new CRC application. For most RMTs, this means that once they have uploaded a signed consent form, they will never have to do so again, at least not for CMTBC. Furthermore, the cost of the CRC is now covered by the annual registration fee, so RMTs no longer face an additional charge for their CRC application. However, in order to implement this new process, CMTBC is asking each registrant to provide a signed consent form. The signature is a requirement imposed by the Program, not by CMTBC.

Registrants are asked to ensure that they upload both pages of the CRC consent form as part of the renewal process.

Why am I asked to upload documents at all? I thought CMTBC already had my documents.

In order to ensure that the new Portal contains each RMT’s information in as accurate and up-to-date a form as possible, we decided to ask RMTs to upload the documents that are part of the annual renewal requirements: i.e., Standard First Aid/CPR-C certification, and proof of professional liability insurance. It is true that most RMTs did have valid documents posted on the old database. However, migrating each registrant’s document onto the new system was difficult, and given the limitations of the previous database, there was no certainty that all documents could be extracted and transferred reliably to the new system. Also, both the College and its registrants have a shared responsibility to ensure that the regulatory information and documents in the system are valid and current. The information that you provide to us is your information, and your involvement and attention is important to help ensure that CMTBC is meeting is statutory responsibilities. Uploading and managing your documents is a way for you to help ensure that CMTBC is getting it right.

The new CMTBC Portal was designed to make the upload process as easy as possible, and most registrants have experienced no difficulty with their document uploads. Those that have difficulty, or who require accommodation for medical reasons, are asked to contact CMTBC.

What comes next?

The focus in implementing the new Portal was on registration renewal, so there will be many additional features that will appear in the coming months. Registrants will be able to view their continuing education credits (both earned and outstanding) for Cycle 11. They will be able to view all their key information at a glance on a new registrant “dashboard”. Other new features are being planned to enhance RMTs’ ability to manage their information on the Portal.

As always, we welcome registrant feedback on any experiences with the system, positive or otherwise – our goal is continuous improvement. Please email any suggestions or comments to [email protected].