2025 Annual Plan and Budget
Approved November 30, 2024
Published December 3, 2024
Part 1 – Introduction and Background
ACSLPA regulates the practice of speech-language pathologists and audiologists on behalf of all Albertans by establishing, maintaining, and enforcing standards for competent, safe, and ethical practice. ACSLPA’s regulatory work includes but is not limited to:
- setting admission standards for the professions,
- considering applications for regulated membership and issuing practice permits,
- creating and enforcing a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice,
- investigating complaints of unprofessional conduct,
- administering hearings and appeals,
- creating guidelines and practice documents, and
- enforcing Continuing Competence standards.
ACSLPA is an independent public agency created and empowered by the Health Professions Act (HPA). The College operates under a shared-governance model in which 50% of the governing Council are made up of individuals from the public appointed by Government (vacancies remain) and 50% are made up of registered members of ACSLPA.
Under shared governance, ACSLPA’s members continue to experience many of the privileges of self-regulation, meaning that ACSLPA’s regulation is shaped substantially by registrants of the College who are obligated to the public and to each other to uphold the public interest. Features of self-regulation continue to be present through the volunteer work of registered members on the ACSLPA Council, Registration Committee, Membership List, Continuing Competence Committee, IDEA Committee, Nominations Committee, and various taskforces and working groups who meet throughout the year. Self-regulation is also demonstrated through the individual efforts of regulated members in their practice who uphold the public interest through their work and their commitment to competent, safe, and ethical practice each day.
In addition to fulfilling ACSLPA’s mandate and incremental improvements to our operations, the focus of the 2025 Annual Plan and Budget is to implement the final year of ACSLPA’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan and to develop a new strategic plan.
The 2025 Annual Plan and Budget is intended to help interested registrants, partners, and the public learn more about ACSLPA’s direction and priorities for the year. The annual plan has been prepared by staff and approved and endorsed by ACSLPA Council.
Nicole Baumback, R.SLP, President | Melanie Sicotte, R.SLP, Registrar/CEO
ACSLPA regulates two distinct but related professions; audiology and speech-language pathology.
The College is a dynamic professional regulatory organization. It deals with duties and obligations of a regulator as well as the challenges and opportunities of a not-for profit organization.
Almost all ACSLPA’s operating revenue comes from fees paid by its roughly 1,900 registrants.
ACSLPA is governed by a Council that consists of:
- six regulated SLPs and Audiologists selected by regulated members of the College through an election process, and
- six public members appointed by the Government of Alberta to represent the public (two vacancies remain).
The College staff currently consists of:
- four full-time employees, and
- five part-time employees.
ACSLPA has the following committees, which include volunteer registered members:
- Registration Committee,
- Competence Committee,
- Membership List (source of members for Hearing Panels and Complaint Review Committees),
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee, and
- Nominations Committee.
Ad-hoc committees, working groups, and taskforces are created as needed.
Part II – Planned Activities & Costs by Area
The total budgeted operating expense for ACSLPA’s operational activities in 2025 is $1,534,800 (2024 operating budget: $1,483,750) against anticipated revenues of $1,537,300 (2024 budgeted operating revenue: $1,373,000). The result will be a budgeted excess revenue over expenses of $2,500 (2024 budgeted shortfall: $110,750). Invested savings plus reserves were $1,514,593 on September 30, 2024, which is above our required reserved amount of $1,100,000.
ACSLPA’s 2025 capital budget is $16,500 (2024 capital budget: $9,000). Capital spending (e.g., computers) is amortized, or expensed against ACSLPA’s operating budget, over the useful life of assets (i.e., multiple years).
2025 Area Budget: $64,800
2024 Area Budget: $54,500
The Council of ACSLPA fulfills leadership and adjudicative roles. In its leadership role, the Council is the governing body of the College. In its adjudicative role, the Council hears reviews and appeals from the registration and conduct areas of the College.
Budget increase in this functional area is for strategic planning, an IDEA Committee Retreat, and senior leadership succession planning. Elected Council members will receive honourariums for attendance at meetings in accordance with policy. Budget is included for consultants for Council.
In 2025, the work of the Council will include:
- Orientation for new Council members,
- Nomination and election of Council members,
- Four regular hybrid Council meetings (full day), of which two will occur in Calgary and two will occur in Edmonton for those attending in person, and special meetings as needed,
- Two Council dinners with stakeholders,
- One in-person strategic planning retreat (1.5 days), which will be planned at a central location in Alberta,
- Registrar/CEO performance review,
- Amending bylaws and revising policies as required,
- Training for members of Council, and
- Regular council committee meetings.
Areas of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Developing a new 3- or 5-year strategic plan for 2026 forward that will include the identification of risks to achievement of the plan,
- Finishing and implementing a plan for measuring the College’s and Council’s effectiveness,
- Approving a senior leadership succession plan, and
- Holding an IDEA Committee Retreat.
2025 Area Budget: $9,500
2024 Area Budget: $9,000
Key College Documents are the set of directives or principles that govern the conduct of regulated members in their professional practice. ACSLPA has a legislated obligation to establish, maintain, and enforce standards of practice and a code of ethics, and to provide direction to regulated members in their practice.
A small increase in expenses in this functional area is budgeted for 2025 compared with 2024.
In 2025, the routine work in the Key College Documents functional area will include:
- Ongoing incremental improvements and/or updates to key college documents as required.
Areas of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Developing a key college document related to artificial intelligence,
- Working with national partners to consider a future national update to the Competency Profiles for the professions,
- Revising Standard of Practice 4.6 Human Resources Management, and
- Ensuring ACSLPA has a key college document that addresses Indigenous cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism.
2025 Area Budget: $28,100
2024 Area Budget: $27,500
ACSLPA’s effectiveness is enhanced through its affiliations with other organizations that have similar interests and needs. Working in association with others allows for harmonization of requirements, mutual assistance (particularly on complex regulatory matters), and sharing of costs and workload on issues of common concern.
A small increase in expenses in this functional area is budgeted for 2025 compared with 2024.
In 2025, the routine work in the Affiliations functional area will include:
- Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions (AFRHP):
- Continuing Competence Interest Group,
- Registration Interest Group,
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Interest Group,
- Professional Conduct Interest Group,
- Hearings Director Interest Group,
- Virtual Care Interest Group, and
- Communications Interest Group.
- Other affiliations to maintain:
- Alberta Education,
- Alberta Health,
- Alberta employers of speech-language pathologists and audiologists,
- Alberta Association of Audiologists,
- Council for the Accreditation of Canadian University Programs in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CACUP-ASLP),
- Including the National Regulatory Panel (NRP),
- Canadian Network of Agencies for Regulation (CNAR),
- Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE),
- Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC),
- University of Alberta Communication Sciences and Disorders Department and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine,
- The National Alliance of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Regulators (NASPAR), and
- Individual Colleges in Alberta and Canada with common interests/needs.
Areas of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Co-chairing AFRHP EDI Interest Group,
- Renewing Cross-Provincial Practice Memorandum of Understanding (CPP MOU),
- Strengthening ACSLPA’s connections with Alberta Education, and
- Working with Alberta Health to advance a regulation change.
2025 Area Budget: $23,500
2024 Area Budget: $25,000
One of the key pillars of ACSLPA’s regulatory mandate is to establish, maintain, and enforce registration, title use, and renewal standards for the professions. Registration includes admissions (applications), renewal, reinstatement, status changes, the public and internal registers, interprovincial mobility, foreign qualification recognition, and currency hours. Effectiveness in this area requires establishing admissions requirements and standards, engaging with pan-Canadian stakeholders, and close adherence to the Fair Registration Practice Act.
A small decrease in expenses in this functional area is budgeted for 2025 compared with 2024.
In 2025, the routine work in the Registration/Renewal/Title Enforcement functional area will include:
- Registrations, renewals, reinstatements, retirements, and status changes,
- Ongoing incremental improvements and/or updates to registration processes and policies,
- Monitoring non-compliance related to professional liability insurance (PLI) and completion of jurisprudence requirements,
- Receiving complaints against individuals and corporations for inappropriate use of reserved SLP and audiology titles,
- Identifying non-compliance related to title use through self-initiated searches, and
- Contacting individuals and organizations that are suspected of being non-compliant to educate them about the reserved title provisions of the HPA and promote compliance. In some instances, legal action may be required to ensure compliance.
Areas of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Completing participation in the national working group re-examining national English language proficiency requirements and implementing results as required,
- Continuing multi-year project to digitize paper registrant files,
- Completing review of registration streams,
- Finishing training module for individuals participating in supervised practice,
- Evaluating potential implementation of supervised practice for all applicants not already registered in a Canadian jurisdiction,
- Reviewing all supervised practice related documents and processes,
- Considering changes to requirements for registered members who do not hold an active practice permit (non-practicing),
- Reviewing all registration and renewal declarations, and
- Conducting the biannual 2025 registrant demographic survey.
2025 Area Budget: $74,500
2024 Area Budget: $23,250
One of the key pillars of ACSLPA’s regulatory mandate is to receive and investigate complaints against members alleging unprofessional (unskilled or unethical) conduct. The Complaints and Investigations functional area requires the legislated authority of the Complaints Director and Investigator(s) at various points. Primary areas of focus include establishing and communicating appropriate processes, conducting investigations, administering fair and impartial processes and decision-making, identifying opportunities for improvement in other regulatory areas and supporting their adoption, and elevating general awareness of professional conduct among members and the public.
It is not possible to accurately predict income or expenses for this functional area each year as they depend on the complaints that are received, and the fines agreed to in disciplinary agreements; however, ACSLPA’s costs in this area have increased significantly in recent years. In 2025, a continued high rate and complexity of complaints is anticipated. If costs exceed budget, funds may be moved from the Professional Conduct Reserve to cover additional costs for the processing and investigation of complaints as needed.
In 2025, the routine work in the Complaints/Investigations functional area will include:
- Receiving and responding to complaints,
- Optimizing professional conduct processes and policies, and
- Advising from a conduct perspective on other regulatory projects and College work.
Areas of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Revising templates and complaints processes to further implement principles of trauma-informed regulation into the college’s professional conduct activities,
- Creating a policy that addresses actions to be taken when a complaint alleging unprofessional conduct by a regulated member of council or staff is received, and
- Developing a plan for eliciting feedback from individuals involved in the complaints process.
2025 Area Budget: $61,000
2024 Area Budget: $42,000
As part of ACSLPA’s key pillar to receive and investigate complaints against members alleging unprofessional (unskilled or unethical) conduct, ACSLPA also administers hearings, appeals, registration reviews, and complaint reviews. Hearings are called for the purpose of determining whether a member has engaged in unprofessional conduct. Appeals, registration reviews, and complaint reviews exist as an accountability measure to ensure decisions are fair and appropriate in the circumstances. The Hearings and Appeals functional area requires the legislated authority of the Hearings Director, the Complaints Director, Complaints Review Committees, Hearing Tribunals, and Council at various points.
It is not possible to accurately predict income or expenses for this functional area each year as they depend on the complaints and appeal requests that are received, and decisions of the tribunals or committees with respect to fines imposed and cost recovery awarded to ACSLPA; however, ACSLPA’s costs in this area have increased significantly in recent years. In 2025, several hearings and reviews are anticipated. If costs exceed budget, funds may be moved from the Professional Conduct Reserve to cover additional costs for current year tribunals and committees as needed.
In 2025, the routine work in the Hearings/Appeals functional area will include:
- Receiving requests and applications,
- Making incremental improvements and/or updates to hearing, review and appeal processes and policies, and
- Holding hearings, appeals, registration reviews, and complaint reviews as requested.
Area of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Training for members of the membership list from which regulated members are appointed to hearing tribunals and complaint review committees.
2025 Area Budget: $13,000
2024 Area Budget: $14,000
One of the key pillars of ACSLPA’s regulatory mandate is to establish, maintain and enforce a Continuing Competence Program (CCP). Primary areas of focus include establishing and communicating the requirements of the CCP, administering fair and impartial processes and decision-making, conducting an annual audit of participation by members in the program, addressing competence concerns, and elevating general awareness of the importance of Continuing Competence among members and the public.
ACSLPA staff completed CCP assessments and piloted the record review component of practice assessments in 2024. A small decrease in expenses in this functional area is budgeted for 2025 compared with 2024.
In 2025, the routine work in Continuing Competence will include:
- Assisting regulated members to participate in the Continuing Competence Program by responding to inquiries and facilitating access to the online tools,
- Completing the annual CCP assessments (audits & interviews), and
- As needed, practice assessments (record reviews & on-site visits).
Areas of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Improving CCP communications,
- Defining the objectives of the CCP and measures to evaluate its effectiveness,
- Reviewing the CCP accommodations process, and
- Completing full online operationalization of CCP, including all practice assessment stages.
2025 Area Budget: $4,000
2024 Area Budget: $15,750
The purpose of Committee Development and Recognition is to develop and recognize the volunteer members of our statutory, standing, and ad hoc committees. Education and training are provided for committee members to assist them with fulfilling their committee responsibilities. Members of Statutory Committees will receive honorariums for attendance at meetings in accordance with policy.
Year-over-year budget decrease reflects that less committee members are claiming honorariums than expected.
In 2025, the routine work in Committee Development & Recognition will include:
- Recognizing the contributions of committee members.
2025 Area Budget: $4,000
2024 Area Budget: $1,000
Regulatory support includes providing proactive information to members on professional regulatory issues and topics including Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics, Advisory Statements, and Practice Guidelines. Some information is pushed out to registrants, and some is provided in response to individual or group inquiries. Registrant education aims to provide opportunities for registrants to increase their competence and awareness of professional regulatory issues. Topics are selected based on their current relevance, particularly in relation to potential risk to the public.
The year-over-year budget increase reflects ACSLPA’s plan to have more webinars provided by external presenters.
In 2025, the work in Regulatory Support will include:
- Virtual registrant education sessions on professional regulatory issues and key college documents,
- Regulatory support to registrants via telephone, email, website, social media, and written articles, and
- Participation in student training in the University of Alberta Communication Sciences and Disorders Department on a range of professional topics to better equip them for success as practicing professionals and to better familiarize them with the role of ACSLPA as a public agency.
Areas of special focus for 2025 will include:
- Improving collection of data about regulatory support inquiries and use of the data to inform the College’s regulatory decisions, and
- Registrant education focusing on supervision and trends in professional conduct.
2025 Area Budget: $304,800
2024 Area Budget: $294,750
2025 Capital Budget: $16,500
2024 Capital Budget: $9,000
The Administration functional area encompasses all the overhead costs required to support ACSLPA except salaries and wages. This includes everything from paper and postage to contract professional fees and information technology (IT) security.
An increase in expenses in this functional area of around the expected rate of inflation is budgeted for 2025 compared with 2024.
Capital spending (e.g., computers, member login area) is amortized, or expensed against ACSLPA’s operating budget, over the useful life of assets (i.e., multiple years).
In 2025, the routine work in Administration will include:
- Providing operational support and resources for all regulatory and governance activities,
- Accounting, year-end audit, and annual reporting,
- Management and stewardship of investments and accounts,
- Maintenance and support of IT infrastructure and security,
- Human resources support,
- Communications,
- Renewal of required staff training, and
- Ongoing incremental improvements and/or updates to finance, human resources, IT, occupational health and safety, and communications processes and policies.
Areas of special focus in 2025 will include:
- Reviewing and updating ACSLPA’s record retention policies,
- Publishing new supervised practice training on the ACSLPA website,
- Continuing the ongoing review of ACSLPA’s HR policies and implementing changes resulting from the second year of the HR policy review in 2024,
- Developing an approach for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by the College,
- Upgrading computers to Windows 11, and
- Undertaking a public engagement to gather information about the public’s perception of ACSLPA and experiences with Alberta audiologists and SLP’s to inform the College’s regulatory decisions, help ACSLPA evaluate its effectiveness, and support strategic planning.
2025 Area Budget: $947,600
2024 Area Budget: $977,000
Salaries, wages & benefits are by far ACSLPA’s largest cost center. The reason for this is that we provide services to people (members, the public, other stakeholders, etc.) and the bulk of those services are provided by staff. ACSLPA does not have significant materials, facilities, or product costs because,
unlike some other businesses, our materials and products are mainly ideas and words (written, spoken, or otherwise).
Organizational changes have resulted in forecast savings in this functional area for 2025, which will be partially offset by hiring a summer student to help digitize paper registrant files and higher health and dental benefit and payroll remittance costs.