For Professionals

 For Professionals

Welcome to the For Professionals Page, your ultimate destination for everything career-related. We’ve recently consolidated our content to provide all the essential information you need in one convenient place.

  • In-Depth Information: Gain detailed insights and updates tailored to your profession, ensuring you stay ahead and continually grow in your career.
  • Guided Process: Navigate the application or registration process with ease through our streamlined guidance, ensuring a smooth experience from start to finish.
  • Quick Links: Find additional information, tools, and support services that are specifically designed for your professional needs.

Navigate through our links to learn about professional standards, clinical practice standards, and much more.

Professions We Regulate

Chiropractors

Naturopathic Physicians

Massage Therapists

Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists

General Information for Applicants & Licensees

Professional Standards

Professional standards set out the minimum expectation for professionalism and ethical conduct that all licensees must meet.  

The professional standards are not intended to be used as standalone documents. Rather, they form an interconnected and interdependent framework for professional and ethical practice that must be considered as a whole.  

Licensees should move through the standards holistically by reading across principles, making connections among expectations and integrating them with relevant policies, practice resources, and regulatory requirements while applying professional judgement and addressing individual patient needs. 

By making these connections, licensees gain the foundational knowledge required to support professional and ethical practice that supports safe, competent care.

Effective April 1, 2026, all previously enforced standards of practice, codes of conduct, codes of ethics, handbooks and guidance developed by legacy Colleges under the Health Professions Act (HPA) are no longer in force.

Professional Standards:  

Visit this news release to learn more about the development of the professional standards.

Clinical Practice Standards

Clinical practice standards set out the minimum expectation that a licensee must meet for higher-risk areas of professional scope of practice, which may vary by profession.   

Clinical practice standards are developed and maintained when required by legislation, or where they are determined to be necessary according to a risk-based framework that incorporates the principles of right-touch regulation.   

Effective April 1, 2026, all previously enforced standards of practice, codes of conduct, codes of ethics, handbooks and guidance developed by legacy Colleges under the Health Professions Act (HPA) are no longer in force.  

Clinical practice standards for naturopathic medicine: 

Resources:

Clinical practice standards for chiropractic:  

Resources:

Scope of Practice Statements

Scope of Practice Explanatory Statements provide supplemental guidance to the scope of practice statements under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) regulation. They are designed to help licensees understand the limits, conditions, and out of scope activities that shape which diagnostic, therapeutic, procedural, and prescriptive activities are permitted to support consistent, safe, and lawful practice.

Request for certificate of standing

Certificate of Standing – Consent for Release of Information 

Licenced health professionals who are requesting a Certificate of Standing to be sent to an out-of-province regulator must complete the Certificate of Standing – Consent for Release of Information form. 

This form provides your written consent authorizing the College to release information to another regulatory body. 

What Information May Be Disclosed 

By signing this form, you consent to the full disclosure of any information CCHPBC may have regarding your: 

  • Professional conduct 
  • Competence 
  • Capacity to practise 

This may include, but is not limited to: 

  • Complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions 
  • Non-disciplinary matters, including: 
    • Registration decisions 
    • Conditions or limits on licensure arising from health or fitness-to-practise concerns 
    • Consent agreements or undertakings 
    • Consent to withdrawal from practice or from the register 
    • Restrictions or cancellation of registration 
    • Copies of any written information in your CCHPBC file related to the matters above 

The signed Consent for Release of Information form serves as CCHPBC’s full and final authority to release this information to the requesting out-of-province regulator. 

How to Request a Certificate of Standing 

1._Download, print and complete the Certificate of Standing – Consent for Release of Information form.  

  • Electronic signatures are not accepted 

2._Submit the completed form:  

  • By mail to the College:  

900 – 200 Granville St.
Vancouver, BC  V6C 1S4 
Canada 

3._CCHPBC will send the Certificate of Standing directly to the out-of-province regulator (certificates of Standing are not sent to licensees). 

If you have questions about the form or the process, please contact registration@cchpbc.ca. 

Criminal Record Check

The Criminal Records Review Act (BC legislation) requires all licenced 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.

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 licensees will be required to consent to a CRC check when they complete an application for licensure, reinstatement, and/or renewal, as applicable.
  • Please note your application review and approval is not contingent on CRRP clearance. Applicants and licensees are asked to respond promptly to fulfill additional requests from CRRP, such as fingerprinting.

Need more information or have questions about your application

The criminal record check program (CRRP) is designed to complete vulnerable sector checks required by the Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA). The administration of the check is completed by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General – Government of British Columbia. Applicants will need to contact the CRRP directly to inquire on the status of the application. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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

Under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), failure to authorize a criminal record check verification authorization must require an investigation by the governing body and take appropriate action under the Act.

“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?”

Applicants and Licensees can find more information on the Criminal Records Review Program (CRRP) website for more details on fingerprinting and results: Organization Orientation Package.

“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, you must self-report information relating to legal proceedings, including but not limited to criminal charges to the College as soon as possible.

First Aid Certification

For massage therapists, chiropractors, and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists:

Further to our mandate to serve and protect the public, the College’s Bylaws require all full licensees to obtain and maintain Standard First Aid with CPR-C certification.

The following Standard First Aid with CPR-C certifications as acceptable to fulfill this requirement:

Certifications must be issued through one of the above providers.

Licensees are able to take courses for certification with any of the named providers, including courses that exceed the minimum requirements such as the Standard First Aid with CPR-HCP offered through St. John Ambulance which is a course developed specifically for Health Care Professionals. Find out more about first aid with CPR requirements.

Note: First Aid certification with CPR-C is a requirement for registration.

For naturopathic physicians:

All licensed naturopathic physicians must maintain valid Basic Life Support (BLS) for HCP, or CPR for HCP with AED. Licensees must renew BLS (HCP)/CPR for HCP with AED prior to the expiry set by the provider.

Licensees with Prescriptive Authority certification must hold Naturopathic Advanced Life Support (NALS), in addition to BLS (HCP)/CPR for HCP with AED. Licensees must renew their NALS qualification every two (2) years.

All life support and advanced life support courses must be completed in-person.

Approved BLS (HCP)/CPR for HCP Training:

Licensees may take any BLS (HCP) or CPR for HCP with AED from any trainer approved by the following providers:

  • Canadian Red Cross
  • Heart and Stroke Foundation
  • St. John Ambulance
  • Canadian Ski Patrol
  • Lifesaving Society
  • FireMedix Training

Approved NALS Training:

Licensee may take any of the following courses to satisfy the training requirements for NALS:

  • Naturopathic Advanced Life Support, provided by OHM Medical Training Services Inc.
  • Naturopathic Advanced Life Support, provided by TAMIK Training and Supplies Ltd.
  • Naturopathic Advanced Life Support, provided by Life Safe Medical Training.
  • Naturopathic Advanced Life Support, taught by Dr. Cheryl Karthaus, ND.
  • Naturopathic Advanced Life Support, provided by Gravity Health.
  • Emergency Procedures Course taught by Dr. Michael Prytula, ND.

Legislation and Acts