We hear from licensees on a daily basis, but until recently we didn’t have much quantitative data about how they perceive and experience CHCPBC as their regulatory college.
Now we do. In September 2026, all licensees were invited to participate in our first benchmark survey, which was conducted by Pivotal Research. I want to share some of the findings from the draft report here.
Who we heard from
- There was a 21% response rate, with 3,623 licensees responding
- The response rate for most professions broadly reflects their numbers as compared to the licensee base. The two exceptions are psychology (slightly overrepresented) and occupational therapy (slightly underrepresented).
- Most respondents identify as women (69%), while 19% are men, 2% are another gender, and 12% preferred not to say.
- 2% of respondents are Indigenous.
- More than half of respondents are in private practice.
The survey asked licensees about several topics related to regulation. Some of the top-line results:
1. The Practice Support service is not as widely used as it could be
Most respondents (83%) have not contacted a Practice Advisor (also known as Practice Support). The main reasons for not using this service are that licensees don’t know what kinds of questions to ask or are unsure how to contact them. We can do more to communicate about the Practice Support service, which is made up of practice advisors from each profession we regulate.
2. Practice standards that licensees most want support with
In general, licensees are confident in their knowledge of CHCPBC’s Ethics and Practice Standards, which replaced the legacy college standards in April 2026.
Those who are less confident were asked which standards they would like more support with. The practice standard for professional performance and responsibility was the top choice, followed by records, and restricted activities and certifications. Respondents expressed a desire to know how the new standards compare with their legacy standards.
3. Communications experience and preferences
While licensees agree that the tone of CHCPBC communications is respectful and professional, they would like us to respond to calls and emails more quickly. They told us said they prefer to receive concise and easy to read messages, email as the clear first choice of communication method. Licensees appreciate receiving profession-specific content where possible.
4. Licensure and understanding how fees are set
Among respondents who renewed their licence in 2026, the majority rated the renewal experience as neutral.
Our newest licensees were more divided: those who first became licensed in the current fiscal year (on or after April 1, 2026) were more likely than existing licensees to say their experience could be improved, but also more likely to say the experience was positive.
There is not a strong understanding of how CHCPBC sets licence renewal fees. While we have published detailed information on this topic, these results tell us we need to do more to address this information gap.
5. Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, Anti-Racism, and Anti-Discrimination
Most respondents have taken part in learning about Indigenous cultural safety and anti-racism within the past two years. Of those who said they need support, the most common learning need is in strengths-based and trauma-informed practice.
Licensees have specific obligations for ant-discrimination under the Health Professions and Occupations Act. Of the five anti-discrimination measures licensees must take, the most common need for support is for the duty to report discrimination by another licensee.
6. Limited awareness of future regulation of psychotherapy
There is a project underway to onboard the profession psychotherapy. Among all licensees, psychologists, school psychologists, and occupational therapists are the most likely to be aware that CHCPBC is scheduled to begin regulating psychotherapy in 2027. Most respondents say the regulation of psychotherapy does not affect their current practice.
Improvement opportunities and next steps
I am grateful to all those who accepted this invitation to provide their candid and anonymous feedback about CHCPBC through the Licensee Perceptions Survey. The feedback is immensely valuable. It confirms what is working well, brings any organizational blind spots into focus, and shows where our energy and efforts are most likely to improve both the licensee experience and our regulatory effectiveness.
Dianne Millette, Registrar and CEO
College of Health and Care Professionals of BC
