For Professionals

The Criminal Records Review Act (BC legislation) requires all regulated health professionals to complete a criminal record check (CRC). CRCs are conducted by the Criminal Record Review Program (CRRP) through the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. The CRC requirement is intended to help protect children and vulnerable adults from physical, sexual and financial abuse. 

A CRC is required as part of the application process for registration with the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC). Further, all CCHPBC registrants must undergo a CRC at least every five years and before their current CRC clearance expires.

IMPORTANT NOTES

• Applicants and registrants apply to CRRP to conduct a Criminal Record Check differently depending on their designated health profession. Please refer to the information below separated to follow the procedure appropriate to your health profession.
• A Police Information Check conducted by police department or RCMP does NOT satisfy the mandatory provincial requirement for our applicants and registrants, as they (will) work with children and vulnerable adults and must be in compliance of the Criminal Records Review Act.
• Please allow sufficient time for CRRP to process a CRC. More time will be required if additional verification is required by CRRP, such as fingerprinting.

Procedure to Apply for a Criminal Record Check

Chiropractic or Massage Therapy applicants/registrants:

The College obtains your consent for a CRC from you directly, then forwards your consent and payment directly to CRRP. You do not need to apply to CRRP directly for a CRC.

The College will receive your CRC result in the form of an electronic clearance and will update your record to reflect the new clearance expiry date. While you remain a registrant, the College will update your CRC clearance every five years when it expires.

Refer to the specific “Applicants & Registrants” sections for Chiropractors or Registered Massage Therapists for more information, or contact CCHPBC at registration@cchpbc.ca.

Naturopathic Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture applicants/registrants:

Follow the procedure below to apply for a CRC. Refer to the specific “Applicants & Registrants” sections for Naturopathic Physicians or for Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists for registration requirements and applications that are subject to providing evidence of CRC authorizations.

1. Email the College at registration@cchpbc.ca to indicate that you’d like to arrange a CRC to be conducted and therefore require an “access code”, which is specific for the designated health profession for which you are an applicant or registrant.

You must include the following information:

The College email you an “access code” to access the online CRC process or an email invite to apply to conduct a CRC.

2. Access the CRC Online Platform for Applicants to follow the “CRC Applicant Process.” The access code and/or the direct email invite will make sure that your CRC application status and result will be successfully provided to the College.

The online platform uses the BC Services Card Login to verify your identity.

Resources for the “CRC Applicant Process”

CRRP resources about how to submit an application to the Criminal Record Review Program:

3. To complete the CRC Applicant Process, the applicant pays CRRP for the CRC directly on the online platform.

NOTE: This only applies to applicants and registrants in the designated health professions of Naturopathic Medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture as these applicants submit and complete the CRC application directly on the CRC platform.)

Need more information or have questions about your application

The College is not directly involved with the CRC application process or the actual check itself. It is your responsibility to follow up on the status of your application by contacting the CRRP directly.

If you have any questions (such as about the application process, the status of your CRC application, or your CRC file/service number), please contact CRRP:

• Toll-free phone: 1.855.587.0185 (option 2)
• Email: criminalrecords@gov.bc.ca 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

“What happens if my CRC is not authorized or expires?”

Under the Health Professions Act (HPA), failure to authorize a CRC requires an investigation by the Inquiry Committee. The Committee will review all registrants who do not authorize a CRC. The Committee may take action prescribed under the Act, including:

• setting limits and conditions on the practice of a registrant, or
• suspending or cancelling their registration
  

“I had a CRC completed by CRRP to meet the needs of another organization. Can I send this CRC to the College, or do I need to go through the CRC process again?”

If you have an eligible clearance to share, you will be provided with the option to consent to sharing that clearance with the College when completing your CRC application. If you are planning to use this option, consult with the Licensure Team before submitting a request to determine if the shared result will meet registration requirements by emailing registration@cchpbc.ca 

“How long does a CRC application take to complete?”

Processing times can range from 4 to 12 weeks if additional information (such as fingerprints) or steps are required. You should plan accordingly to allow for the longer processing time. Remember: If you are a current registrant, you are required to complete a new CRC by the CRRP before your current CRC clearance expires.

“Why would I have to complete fingerprinting?”

If the CRRP determines that your combination of gender and date-of-birth is shared by someone who has been charged with or convicted of a sexual offence, you will be asked to provide fingerprints to confirm your identity. This is a federal RCMP requirement that applies to everyone required to undergo a CRC. In such circumstances, fingerprinting is required to eliminate the possibility that an offender has changed their name to avoid detection.

If your fingerprints are required, you will receive a letter directly from the CRRP containing instructions. It is important that you attend to this requirement as soon as possible; failure to do so means you are not fully consenting to a CRC, which will result in further action by the College.

“What are the possible results of a CRC?”

CRRP runs checks against provincial data and RCMP information. If no charge or conviction is found, CRRP provides a clearance. If a charge or conviction for a relevant or specified criminal offence is found, CRRP reviews records to determine if there is a risk to children or vulnerable adults.

CRRP will contact you as part of this process. If CRRP determines there is no risk, the College is informed. As “good character” is a requirement for registration, further review by CCHPBC may be required. If CRRP determines that a risk exists, CCHPBC is informed and may take action in accordance with the Health Professions Act.

“What is a relevant or specified offence?”

The Criminal Records Review Act lists the relevant and specified offences associated with risk to children and vulnerable adults.

“If I am charged with a criminal offence, do I need to report it to the College?”

Yes, if you are charged with a relevant or specified criminal offence, you need to report it to the College promptly. Under the Act, convictions include: “conditional discharges,” “alternative measures” and “peace bonds” ordered under sections 717 and 810 of the Criminal Code.

A health profession corporation (HPC) is a business model that is unique to the Health Professions Act (HPA), and specific regulations apply to it. For some professions, HPCs are regulated by the College and registrants who want to incorporate are required to apply for and maintain an annual health profession corporation permit. For others, the College does not regulate corporations but does specify requirements for naming companies when the company name contains a title restricted under the profession-specific regulation.

Please contact us at registration@cchpbc.ca for more information.

Please note: Staff at the College do not have the expertise and ability to provide business, legal, financial, or tax advice.

A “standard” is the minimum level of performance and professional practice required of a health and care professional to ensure service that is ethical and safe for the public. Standards exist to promote, guide, and direct professional practice. Health and care professionals are required to know and adhere to the Standards of Practice of their profession. The standards are enforceable under governing legislation as well as the core competencies for each profession regulated by the College. 

Each regulated health professional is expected to be familiar with their profession’s code and to integrate it into their day-to-day practice.

Each profession currently retains specific standards. These can be found the the Practice Resource section for each profession:

• Chiropractic Doctors
• Naturopathic Doctors
• Registered Massage Therapists
• Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists

The members of each profession regulated by the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC are guided by their Code of Ethics or Code of Conduct. Each code does the following:

• helps these professionals keep the client’s welfare as the primary concern in all decision making
• provides you with information about the basic ethical care and services you can expect from these health and care professionals
• guides the establishment of standards and guidelines for the professions’ regulatory responsibilities and activities

Each regulated health professional is expected to be familiar with their profession’s code and to integrate it into their day-to-day practice.

Health Professions Act: Umbrella legislation that provides a common regulatory framework for health professions in British Columbia.

• Chiropractors Regulation
• Massage Therapists Regulation
• Naturopathic Physicians Regulation
• Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists Regulation
• Health Professions General Regulation
• Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act
• Personal Information Protection Act
• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• Criminal Records Review Act

The College’s policies are guidelines established to regulate the conduct and practices of registrants of the college. These policies are designed to ensure that students, faculty, and staff adhere to professional standards, ethical practices, and legal requirements in their education and training. By upholding these policies, colleges protect the public by ensuring that healthcare providers are competent, ethical, and accountable in their practice. These policies often cover areas such as academic integrity, clinical practice standards, patient confidentiality, and professional behavior, among others.