Andy Kusi-Appiah

In a professional discipline hearing, the member admitted extensive misconduct involving forged client signatures, fabricated clinical records, backdated documentation, inaccurate service information, and emailing confidential client records to a personal email account.

The panel accepted the admissions and found professional misconduct proven under the governing statute and regulation, while holding that the conduct was dishonourable and unprofessional but not disgraceful given the acknowledged health context.

The panel accepted a joint submission on penalty aimed at public protection and remediation.

The order included a reprimand, a suspended eight-month suspension effective only upon any future reissuance of registration, conditions requiring ethics and clinical documentation courses, publication, and $5,000 in costs.

In a professional discipline proceeding, the panel found that a social work member committed professional misconduct by allowing a therapeutic relationship with a vulnerable client to become personal and sexual, exchanging intimate messages and photographs, concealing the relationship, and abruptly ending contact.

The panel held that the admitted conduct breached multiple standards in the Handbook, constituted sexual abuse within subsection 43(4) of the governing statute, and was disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional.

The panel accepted a joint submission on penalty as within the acceptable range and consistent with public protection, deterrence, and maintenance of professional standards.

The member was reprimanded, her certificate of registration was revoked, she was barred from reapplying for five years, publication was ordered, and costs of $1,000 were imposed.

In a professional discipline hearing, the member admitted misconduct arising from counselling a client with an acquired brain injury while lacking relevant competence, using abusive and demeaning communications, breaching confidentiality, and engaging in boundary violations and conflicts of interest through overlapping family representation and personal self-disclosure.

The Panel found the admitted facts established multiple breaches of the governing regulation, the Code of Ethics, and the Standards of Practice Handbook, and further found the conduct disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional.

Applying the public-interest approach to joint submissions, the Panel accepted the jointly proposed order.

The member was reprimanded, suspended for four months with one month remittable on compliance, made subject to remedial terms and education requirements, and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs.

Professional discipline decision concerning a social worker who admitted professional misconduct arising from couples counselling in which she failed to adequately screen for, recognize, and respond to signs of intimate partner abuse.

The panel found that the member failed to make necessary inquiries, assess power dynamics, use appropriate screening tools, ensure a safety plan, and remain current in practice standards and supervision obligations.

The panel also found the conduct dishonourable and unprofessional, particularly given a prior caution on similar issues.

A joint penalty submission was accepted imposing a reprimand, a one-month suspension suspended for two years subject to compliance, remedial education and supervision terms, publication, and $5,000 in costs.

In a professional discipline hearing, the tribunal found the member guilty of professional misconduct for repeatedly accessing sealed adoption records without authorization, copying or noting their contents, and disclosing the information to an adoptee with whom she was in a personal relationship.

The tribunal held that pre-registration conduct could ground discipline where it bore on current suitability to practise and found the member's confidentiality breach, dishonesty during the employer investigation, and resulting harm to affected persons demonstrated disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional conduct.

The panel accepted a joint submission on penalty despite expressing concern that revocation might otherwise have been warranted.

It imposed an oral reprimand, a 16-month suspension with partial remission conditional on compliance, remediation terms, publication, and $13,000 in costs.

The College prosecuted a discipline case arising from a social worker’s prolonged boundary violations with a client receiving counselling and psychotherapy, including frequent after-hours electronic communications, inappropriate self-disclosure, inadequate charting, and termination of services without a proper termination session.

The Panel accepted an agreed statement of facts and found professional misconduct under the governing statute and regulation, including failures to maintain boundaries, document care, obtain timely consultation, and provide professionally grounded services.

The Panel held that the conduct would reasonably be regarded as dishonourable or unprofessional.

It accepted a joint submission on penalty and imposed a reprimand, a three-month suspension, remedial terms including training, psychotherapy and supervision, publication, and $1,000 in costs.