College Newsletter May 2019


Have You Completed Your CCP Assessment Yet?

For those registrants on the new Continuing Competency Program (with a cycle starting in 2018 or 2019), please remember to log into your profile and complete your assessment, if you have not already done so! It is important to take this first step as early as possible in your cycle, to allow yourself enough time to plan out and complete the rest of your program. Below is a simple infographic explaining the process of how the CCP program works. Click it to get started!

Please be sure to review the materials and instructions before starting the process and to contact the College if any assistance is required.

CCP Program Materials and Instructions

 

BCHR Spring Symposium - Cultural Safety and Humility

In 2017, all healthcare regulators in BC, including The College of Opticians, signed a Declaration of Commitment to Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility. Indigenous people continue to be at risk as a result of racism and discrimination in BC’s healthcare system and as a college, we want to change that.

On May 8th, staff and board members from COBC attended the BC Health Regulators and First Nations Health Authority symposium to reconnect with other regulators about our on-going commitments and learn more about what we can do. It was an incredibly informative, transformative and inspiring day.

COBC Board Member and Financial Officer Kim McEachern says of the experience; “This symposium really opened my eyes to how little I know about BC First Nations history and culture. I felt embarrassed…we took away the dignity of Indigenous people and then formed our own uneducated biases. I can’t stop thinking about this and I am determined to learn more and share what I have I learned and put it into my practices as a Licensed Optician.”

A lack of knowledge of Indigenous Canadian history is common and learning the truth is where we must begin our work if we are to create change. As one of the facilitators pointed out, “without truth, there is no reconciliation”.

“This was a real eye opener for me. The stories broke my heart” says Raj Mann, COBC Board Member. “It reminded me how important it is to question our views, to learn about people’s experiences and how this affects them. It is so important as a healthcare provider to understand a person’s history in order to build better relationships and provide appropriate care.”

“As well as being heartbreaking, the symposium was also inspirational” says COBC Registrar/Executive Director, Lisa Bannerman RCLP. “It helped me realize that as a college, we have started to take appropriate steps and that there are many more to come on this journey towards a culturally safe healthcare system. “

As part of our commitment to Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility, COBC will soon be providing resources and learning opportunities so that you as a Licensed Optician can join us in being an agent of change for the better. Watch this space!

It's quiz time! No prizes here except the satisfaction of being right. Click or tap your answer to the question below.

In a recent survey about the difference between COBC and OAC, 55% of participants answered the following question incorrectly. What do you think the correct answer is? We will reveal the results in the June newsletter.

Who advocates for the industry – to government, employers, and other agencies?

 

College of Opticians of BC operates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded Coast Salish territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.