Hearing Instrument Practitioners

What is Certified Practice?

CHCPBC’s first priority, as mandated by the BC government, is to protect the public by ensuring clients and patients receive safe, ethical, and competent care for the full range of services, including activities deemed higher risk by the Ministry of Health.

As set by the Ministry of Health, the Speech and Hearing Health Professionals Regulation outlines the higher-risk practices that require certification before a licensee can perform them independently. Certified practices involve above entry level requirements but may or may not involve restricted activities.

Certified Practice (CP) certificates provide licensees with independence and autonomy in specific practice areas that involve above entry level requirements. To be granted certification, a licensee must first complete the relevant certification program. The Certified Practice & Above Entry Level Practice Standard of Practice (PDF) outlines overall certification program requirements and the overall certification process.

Certification Programs

There are 10 CP Certification Programs for above entry level clinical practices. Read the prerequisites and program objectives for each CP Certification program (PDF).

Applying for Certification

Only Full licensees of CHCPBC may apply to commence and complete the program for a CP certificate. Certification is not available to Provisional or Temporary licensees.

Each Certification Program details the specific prerequisites and the levels of supervision required during training. The Supervision Standard of Practice (PDF) describes what each level of supervision entails. All CP certificate supervisors must meet the qualifications for supervision outlined in the Supervision Standard of Practice and in some instances must be pre-approved by the College. See Certification program supervisors below for more information.

Different Certification Programs have different prerequisites and objectives, which licensees must understand and adhere to. All prerequisites must be met before the certification program commences. Full licensure must also be granted before an applicant may commence the certification program.

The timeframe for completion of a certification program can vary based on an individual applicant’s program needs and objective requirements within a particular certification program. Applications will be rejected if all prerequisites were not met prior to commencing the program and/or program objective(s) are not satisfactorily completed.

Licensees with questions about certification program prerequisites and program objectives should contact CHCPBC by email: certification@chcpbc.org.

To apply for commencement of a certification program, download and complete the Application for Certification form (PDF). Then, email the form to certification@chcpbc.org. Once pre-approved, you will be asked to pay the application fee and will receive a copy of the certification program, which outlines the objectives that must be completed under supervision.

Important: All certification programs must be completed within three years of receiving CHCPBC pre-approval to initiate the program.

Certification program supervisors

Important: It is the responsibility of the licensee completing a certification program to ensure their supervisor is appropriately qualified, in line with the Supervision Standard of Practice (PDF). Eligibility criteria include that the supervisor themselves holds the relevant CP certificate and has done so for at least six months. All CP certificate supervisors must meet the qualifications for supervision outlined in the Supervision Standard of Practice and in some instances – for example, where the proposed supervisor is not a CHCPBC licensee – must be pre-approved by the College. Instances of an applicant training under a supervisor who does not meet the certified practice supervisory qualification requirements may be referred to the Investigation Committee and would be subject to possible disciplinary action.

Once the certified practice program commences, a formal request to change or add certification program supervisors is required. To request a change to, or addition of, a certification program supervisor, licensees must download the Request for Additional Certification Program Supervisor form (PDF). Submit your completed form to certification@chcpbc.org.

Licence Committee review

Final decision-making authority with respect to granting certification rests with the Licence Committee. The Committee will provide reasons for its decision and the licensee will be notified.

Review of completed certification programs falls under two broad categories:

• Standard reviews – where it is clear that each of the certification program requirements is met.
• Non-standard reviews – where it is unclear that one or more of the requirements is met.

The Licence Committee delegates authority to the CHCPBC Registrar to approve standard applications; however, non-standard applications must be reviewed by the Licence Committee. These applications generally take longer to be processed given it can take time to gather any additional relevant information and have the Licence Committee consider the matter.

When a licensee is granted certification, the College will advise them of the expiry date of that CP certificate. This expiry date will be on March 31 in the third year following the year that the certificate was issued. When CP certificates are renewed, they are valid for three full years.

Certification renewal

CP certificates must be renewed before the end of the March 31 licence renewal period in the licensure year they expire. Renewal of CP certificates is contingent on:

• Holding Full licensure
• Making the required declarations, including declaring continued provision of the services authorized by the certificate
• Completing and reporting on any of the Professional and Quality Practice Program requirements (to be announced later in 2026)

Important: Continuing to practice under the scope of an expired CP certificate constitutes unlawful practice, which is subject to disciplinary action by the College.

Questions about Certified Practice should be sent to certification@chcpbc.org.

Visit the Professional Liability Insurance page for more information about PLI requirements.