DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Our teams are multi-faceted and synergetic
Working together to provide exceptional value for members while also considering the best interest and protection of the public, BCACC has two distinct department teams – Regulatory and Member Services.
Office of the Registrar
Our Regulatory team
focuses on public protection and public interest, while supporting the value of the RCC designation.
Member Services
Our Member Services team
focuses on providing educational offerings and supportive programming to help members grow their professional skills.
From the office of the registrar
Growth under pressure
“In the face of the multi-waved COVID-19 pandemic, BCACC was quietly growing on all levels. Registration numbers went up and so too did the number of complaints, as expected. Regulatory committees operated on Zoom, experimenting with different ways to streamline their processes. Always, in the background, the anticipation of the face-to-face meetings that facilitate their best practices.”
“We operated for several months without an Executive director after Carolyn Fast retired at the end of January. We celebrated Carolyn’s many achievements before she headed north. We welcomed Michael Radano in July – and he hit the ground running even before his official start date!
Joan Campbell, former chair of the Registration Committee and long-time board member passed away and was grieved by those of us who knew her well. The Joan Campbell Award was developed shortly after her passing as a way to commemorate her impact and legacy on BCACC and the wider counselling community.
The BCACC staff got together for fun, adventure, and surprises on a couple of occasions, reminding us that ‘all work and no play… is unhealthy!’”
Angela Burns
Registrar
About the Office of the Registrar
BCACC’s regulatory arm is overseen by Registrar Angela Burns. This includes Registration, Inquiry, and Discipline. The status of the RCC credential is rooted in the ‘voluntary, self-regulating’ nature of BCACC. The Office of the Registrar is all about public protection and the public interest.
We have 2 deputy registrars: John Gawthrop, who works closely with Registration, and Kathy Lauriente-Bonner, who works with Inquiry. Sarah Clutchey and Maia Garland are the main support staff to the Regulatory Committees and they are assisted by Kim Carver and Joan Paul. BCACC thanks this incredible team for their dedication and work ethic.
Regulatory Committees
Jane Goranson-Coleman chairs the Inquiry Committee, and has done so for over a dozen years! This working Committee logs at least 150 hours per year in monthly meetings between meetings, reading, and correspondence regarding complaint cases.
Cases were up 30% last year and the committee struggled with the constraints of virtual, evening meetings (often having spent several hours in virtual meetings already). The Inquiry Committee managed an in-person meeting in October 2021 and it was a big success in terms of both process and productivity.
Hannah Caradonna chairs the Registration Committee and is fairly new in her position. This committee meets up to 6 times per year to adjudicate files that go beyond the capacity of Head Office, in that they require interpretation of substantial equivalence as per the BCACC bylaws.
Regulatory Review Process
A review of BCACC’s regulatory arm began in December of 2020 and was completed in 2021.
This was gratifying in many ways as it underlined some good processes that were already in place and offered some helpful feedback. To date, suggestions have been divided into 3 phases for ease of operation and completion. We are dove-tailing some of the transition planning suggestions (phase III work) into efforts to emulate the workings of health professions regulators.
The results of the review will continue to guide us in our work over the coming years and includes the formulation of a transition plan that will remove regulatory functions from BCACC and reimagine BCACC as a purely member services association for when college regulation is established.
Membership Trend
2018-2021
| Number of Members | Annual Growth | Number of New Members | New Members Percentage |
| 4196 | —- | 413 | 10% |
| Number of Members | Annual Growth | Number of New Members | New Members Percentage |
| 4576 | 9% | 502 | 11% |
| Number of Members | Annual Growth | Number of New Members | New Members Percentage |
| 5039 | 10% | 569 | 11% |
| Number of Members | Annual Growth | Number of New Members | New Members Percentage |
| 5646 | 12% | 584 | 10% |
Complaints
This year we received 35 formal complaints, which equates to about only 0.62% of our membership.
Protection of the public and holding of the public interest is the mandate of the regulatory department. We take the concerns of our members’ clients and sort out the unethical from the prudent practice. We work with the member to correct any behaviours that are not up to code and in this way the entire population is enhanced.
We entered into 11 Consent Agreements with members to address substantiated complaints, dismissed 2 cases, and closed 20. Two individuals resigned in the midst of an inquiry process; one was an applicant who withdrew their application. Once again, the number of inquiries about complaints was higher than the number of complaints received. As in 2020, the number of high conflict family law cases increased and this is reflected in our own legal consultations.
Relevant principles from the BCACC Code of Ethics used in complaint cases for 2021 are as follows:
Principle 1: Respect for the dignity of all Persons and Peoples
(37% of all complaints)
Under this principle the top 3 complaints, all related to Informed Consent, by percentage are:
- 9% Obtain free and informed consent for all services
- 9% Inform clients of their rights as consumers of the RCC’s services including procedures for resolving conflicts and filing complaints
- 9% Engage in mutual and ongoing negotiation with respect to therapeutic processes
Principle 2: Responsible Caring
(22% of all complaints)
Under this principle, the top 3 are all in the general category by percentage:
- 29% Model effective and respectful professional boundaries
- 10% In all activities connected with professional practice, demonstrate active concern for well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities
- 10% Terminate an activity when it is clear that the activity carries more than minimal risk of harm and is found to be more harmful than beneficial, or when the activity is no longer needed
Principle 3: Integrity in Relationships
(24% of all complaints)
Under this principle, the top 3 are all in the general category, by percentage:
- 16% Strive for impartiality in all professional endeavours
- 11% Where the needs of the client exceed the ability to be of professional service, offer an appropriate referral
- 10% Aspire to the highest integrity possible in every situation
Principle 4: Responsibility to Society
(17% of all complaints)
Under this principle, the top 3 are under ethical knowledge and awareness, by percentage:
- 29% Develop and maintain awareness of their ethical responsibilities and competencies
- 26% Commit to continuous improvement, which includes sensitivity to the impact of their own actions, openness to feedback and ideas and correcting of their own behaviour
- 14% Understand the statutory, regulatory and common law framework that governs the profession
From member services
2021 saw BCACC volunteers working hard to bring new programming to the membership.
“We are so fortunate to have these talented and hardworking individuals engaged with their professional association and committed to developing quality programs, events, and publications.
Once the direction has been set by the BCACC committees, the Member Services staff at BCACC Head Office work hard to bring these programs to life and bring them to our growing membership of Registered Clinical Counsellors. I am immensely proud of the work that our volunteers, committees, and staff have developed over 2021 and thankful for the opportunity to work with such competent and interesting people.”
Marci Zoretich
Director, Member Services
Meeting members where they are.
In 2021, BCACC made a shift from regional events to a more inclusive model that creates professional development and learning opportunities for the entire membership. We found the silver lining of a pandemic year in that virtual events became our mainstay – thereby improving accessibility and inclusivity.
Provincial Education Committee
BCACC’s Provincial Education Committee (PEC) works to develop a unified provincial education strategy in line with BCACC’s Strategic Plan and to advise on the content development of BCACC’s educational opportunities and resources for the membership. The work of this committee through 2021 saw them focused on development of educational opportunities that included BCACC’s conference “Counselling in a Changing World” which happened in June 2021. The committee also worked to create educational content for Registered Clinical Counsellors that included a Diversity Series and to bring practical business practice education to membership.
The Provincial Education Committee, at times, works in tandem with other BCACC committees such as Ethics and Inquiry. This overlap can be seen in programming on Family Law coming in 2022.
Events by the numbers
REGISTRANTS
VIRTUAL EVENTS
During 2021, BCACC offered a broad variety of event types and topics:
Counsellor Cafe's
Highlights:
Let’s Talk About Personality Disorders
Compassion Fatigue
Let’s Talk About Grief
Diversity Training Series
Highlights:
Standing Together & Caring for Each Other: Mobilizing Cultural Safety and Humility in Professional Practice
Working with Cultural Diversity in the Therapeutic Setting: Theoretical and Practical Applications
Workshops
Highlights:
Digital Ethics for Clinicians
Money Management for Clinical Counselling Professionals Practical Ethics: Applying the BCACC Codes and Standards to Excellence in Practice
Lunch & Learns
Highlights:
When to go into Private Practice
Marketing Your Practice Through Social Media & Branding
Counselling in A Changing World
On June 17, 18 and 19, 2021, BCACC hosted attendees for three days of learning and connection at our first virtual conference, Counselling in a Changing World. BCACC’s aim with this conference was to bring world-class speakers to speak on a variety of emerging topics relevant to mental health professionals in an accessible online setting while nurturing connection and engagement.
Pre-conference workshops by Dr. Bruce Perry and Dr. Alfried Längle kicked off the conference, followed by two more days packed with 10 memorable presentations focused on the changing nature of counselling in the world.
Bringing together global thought leaders in health, the conference featured keynote presentations by Dr. Dixon Chibanda and Dr. Nicole Redvers, as well as a compelling presentation on the state of the opioid crisis by Geri Bemister-Williams, interventionist and human behavioural assistant. The conference was graciously opened and closed by Elder Dr. Roberta Price.
Conference attendees remarked on a similar message brought forth by very different, international presenters: the importance of community support in mental health and recognizing the value and wisdom in the integration of Indigenous wellness practices with Western wellness practices.
Ethics and Standards Committee
The Ethics and Standards Committee supports the membership through the development of ethical resources, standards and complementary educational opportunities.
Work of the Ethics and Standards Committee in 2021
Throughout 2021, the BCACC Ethics and Standards Committee focused on the completion of a new Family Law Standard. In addition, work began to bring together complementary educational opportunities in the area of Family Law to help support members working in this arena. The committee was also focused on the development of ethical education and deployed two workshops – one on digital ethics and one on practical ethics.
Clinical Supervision Committee
BCACC’s Clinical Supervision Committee is tasked with the development, launch and refinement of an amended RCC designation for Approved Clinical Supervisors: RCC-ACS.
Approved Clinical Supervision program
Designed to enhance the culture of clinical supervision and consultation among BCACC membership, the Approved Clinical Supervision program was launched in the Winter of 2021. It creates a framework, criteria, and pathway to an amended designation for BCACC members: Approved Clinical Supervisor (RCC-ACS).
As part of good ethical practice and in alignment with the expectations of the counselling profession, BCACC is committed to fostering the upgrading of clinical supervision and consultation within our membership. The new designation, RCC-ACS, will allow qualified members practicing as Clinical Supervisors to have a recognized designation that honours their training and experience.
Editorial Advisory Comittee
The BCACC Editorial Advisory Committee develops the values, themes and content ideas for BCACC’s flagship INSIGHTS magazine. Content is then provided by RCC subject matter experts.
INSIGHTS Magazine
Themes for 2021 were: Trauma and Connection, Neurodiversity and Identity, and Navigating Relationships.
We extend our gratitude to the talented roster of writers who contributed to INSIGHTS Magazine in 2021.
BCACC 2021 Fee Schedule Survey
BCACC surveyed the membership in Fall of 2021 to gather information to assist members in setting their private practice fees. The last time the fee schedule was updated was in 2019 when BCACC engaged Strategic Initiatives Inc. to assist us with this process.
At that time, BCACC surveyed the membership with the intention of providing information to assist counsellors to know what their peers felt was an appropriate rate (or range of rates) and what factors the membership as a group felt were important to consider when setting those rates. For the purposes of continuity, BCACC again engaged Strategic Initiatives Inc., and used the same parameters to survey the membership in 2021, with the addition of a few new questions.
The invitation to participate was emailed to 5,438 members between Sept. 8 – 21st, 2021. Of that amount, 1,594 members (29%) responded. A typical response for a survey is considered to be between 20% – 30% (SurveyMonkey, 2019). The survey responses resulted in a report that supports counsellors by providing useful information they can use when deciding rates for services.
New Member Orientation Course Launch
Launched in the Spring of 2021, this dynamic and informative course is a valuable resource for both new and existing BCACC members. Through a series of self-paced modules, the orientation provides a roadmap to membership and guides members towards important information like:
- How to set up your Find A Counsellor profile
- Member benefits
- How to get involved with BCACC
- Membership processes – renewals, forms, insurance
- Ethics resources
Members access the orientation through eConnect, a member-exclusive online space for e-learning and social connection.
BCACC begins to the lay the groundwork for a new and improved website.
As the BCACC membership grows, so too do the needs of the Association’s website and digital presence.
In 2021 and in consultation with Trapeze Communications, BCACC undertook a comprehensive needs assessment of the current website and began the redevelopment process, focusing on improved navigation, a more robust Find a Counsellor tool, and dynamic content.
The new site design aims to achieve an AA conformance level of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines are an international standard on how to make web content more accessible to a wider range of people with disabilities, including accommodations for blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, limited movement, speech disabilities, photosensitivity, and combinations of these, and some accommodation for learning disabilities and cognitive limitations. Specifically, we have considered these guidelines in our font sizes, colour selections, navigation design and functionality.
With a planned launch for late 2022, the updated website will feature:
Accessibility standards and compliance aligned with industry best-practices
New Member Registry
Improved Find A Counsellor tool with broader search capability
Additional content for public audiences with the aim of becoming the hub for information on clinical counselling
Website visitors in 2021:
167,000 total website visitors
Find A Counsellor tool
149,000 total website users
