FAQs – Public
I think I have been sexually abused by a registrant of the College and I want to complain, but I don’t want this issue made public. Can I submit a complaint anonymously?
The College understands that sexual abuse is very upsetting and can lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame that may make patients unwilling to come forward. However, it cannot act on anonymous complaints.
When the College receives a complaint in the format required by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA), it must investigate the allegations in a way that ensures fairness and transparency to all the parties concerned. As part of this process, the College may need to contact you for further information and thus requires that you provide your name and contact details. The College must also advise the registrant, who is the subject of the complaint, on the nature of the allegations and the patient to which they refer so that they have an opportunity to respond and can provide relevant information and documents to the College’s Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC).
At no point in this process is the patient’s information disclosed publicly.
Should the matter proceed to a discipline hearing, the RHPA makes provision for the identity of sexual misconduct witnesses (including those who have been abused by the member) to be protected.
Read more about the College’s complaints process
Contact the College to make a complaint
How long does the complaints process take?
The RHPA requires that a panel of the ICRC dispose of a complaint (i.e. make a decision on the action required in respect of the complaint or determine that no action is required) within 150 days after the complaint was filed.
If the panel cannot meet this deadline, the Registrar will communicate with the complainant and the registrant in accordance with the requirements of the RHPA.
Can I appeal the decision of a panel of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC)?
The complainant or the registrant who is the subject of the complaint has the right to request a review of a decision of a panel of the ICRC to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB) unless the decision was to:
- refer the matter to the College’s Discipline Committee; or
- refer the matter to another panel of the ICRC for incapacity proceedings.
Registrants who are the subject of Registrar’s Reports or Quality Assurance Committee referrals do not have the right to request a review of the decision to HPARB.
Requests to review decisions of the ICRC must be made by mail or fax to the HPARB and be received within thirty days of the registrant or complainant receiving the decision from the ICRC.
Contact HPARB at:
151 Bloor Street West, 9th Floor
Toronto, ON
M5S 1S4
Canada
Fax: 416-327-8524
How does the College deal with anonymous complaints against a dental technologist?
The ICRC does not initiate a complaints investigation in cases where the complainant is anonymous. However, if the Registrar becomes aware of some information of a serious nature involving a dental technologist that gives the Registrar reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the dental technologist has committed professional misconduct or is incompetent, the Registrar may initiate an investigation, with the ICRC’s approval.
