If you are a patient who has been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct by an MLT and you are considering filing a complaint with the CMLTA, you may call the CMLTA for information and assistance. When you call, you will speak to the CMLTA’s Patient Relations Officer. The Patient Relations Officer can provide information on the complaint process and services available to you. Your initial enquiries may be made anonymously. If you decide to file a formal complaint, it must be submitted in writing, identify you by name, and be signed.

Why Report?

The CMLTA recognizes that coming forward with a complaint of unprofessional conduct and particularly a complaint involving sexual abuse or sexual misconduct can be very difficult. The CMLTA is committed to treating all complaints, including those involving sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, with the utmost seriousness.

While there are many reasons why you may choose not to report, there are; however, good reasons for reporting such inappropriate conduct to the CMLTA.

• Public protection: incidents of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct are often not isolated. By coming forward, you could help us act to ensure what happened to you does not happen to someone else.
• Awareness: the CMLTA will not know about the offence if it is not reported. Each regulatory College relies upon the reporting of individuals and can only learn about sexual abuse and sexual misconduct from patients who make complaints.
• Closure: if you have been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct by a regulated health professional, knowing that there is an investigation and potential consequences may assist in your healing.

Complaint Reporting

When your formal written complaint is received, the CMLTA’s Complaints Director may conduct an investigation or appoint an alternate investigator to conduct an investigation. The investigator will contact you to discuss your concerns and obtain additional information. They will ask you to explain what happened as clearly and in as much detail as you can possibly provide. Investigators have trauma-informed sexual assault training.

Legislation requires us to notify the MLT of your complaint, and the member is given the opportunity to respond to it.

Your complaint is handled with the utmost seriousness and will be fully investigated. When the investigation is complete, all the materials gathered by the investigator are given to the Complaints Director who reviews the information and decides what should happen next.

The Complaints Director may decide to refer the concerns about the MLT to a hearing or may determine no further action is needed if the conduct or care was appropriate.

If the Complaints Director dismisses your complaint, you will be provided with a written decision including the reasons for the dismissal. If dissatisfied with the decision of the Complaints Director, you may request that the decision be reviewed by the Complaint Review Committee.

If you would like to lodge a formal complaint against an MLT, please complete the Complaint Reporting Form and submit it to the College.

Hearing

If the Complaints Director refers your complaint for a hearing, the CMLTA will present evidence before a panel, called a Hearing Tribunal, consisting of two MLTs and two members of the public that have been appointed for this role by the government. They will hear the evidence presented by both parties and make a ruling based on that evidence.

If the Hearing Tribunal decides the conduct of the MLT constitutes unprofessional conduct based, in whole or in part, on sexual abuse or sexual misconduct; you will have the opportunity to present a written or oral impact statement before the tribunal determines the penalty.

If the Hearing Tribunal finds the allegations of sexual abuse are proven, the MLT’s registration will be cancelled, and they will not be allowed to practice, in Alberta, for life. A finding of sexual misconduct requires the Hearing Tribunal to suspend the MLT’s practice permit; timelines imposed by the Hearing Tribunal will depend on the circumstances of the case.

The MLT or the Complaints Director may appeal the Hearing Tribunal’s decision to the CMLTA Council.