As per ACSLPA Policy, the following was published on February 05, 2025, and will remain on the website for a period of five (5) years after the regulated member completes all outstanding requirements arising from the Hearing Decision.
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ALBERTA COLLEGE OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS AND AUDIOLOGISTS
IN THE MATTER OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT
AND IN THE MATTER OF A HEARING REGARDING THE CONDUCT OF
SIJU GEORGE THOMAS
Summary of the DECISION OF THE HEARING TRIBUNAL & SANCTIONS
Click here for the Full Decision of the Hearing Tribunal & Sanctions
ALLEGATIONS
The Allegations in the Notice to Attend a Hearing were as follows:
1) Between March 1, 2023, and September 30, 2023, you failed to maintain appropriate and required documentation relating to assessments of child clients that you conducted and where the documentation impacted, or had the potential to impact, qualification for government funding, the particulars of which include one or more of the following:
a. You failed to complete and/or submit approximately 96 required written reports about assessments that were to include assessment findings, diagnoses, recommendations and/or plan of care;
b. You failed to complete and/or submit at least 45 required summary letters after conducting their assessments that were to include preliminary assessment findings, a brief description of any diagnoses and/or preliminary recommendations;
c. You failed to communicate to clients in a timely manner when you did not complete and/or submit required written reports and summary letters within the expected timelines of your employer.
2) Between March 1, 2023, and September 30, 2023, you failed to demonstrate professional responsibility and integrity in the delivery of SLP services regarding your conduct described in one or more of the particulars of Allegation 1.
IT IS FURTHER ALLEGED that your conduct constitutes “unprofessional conduct” as defined in subsections 1(1)(pp)(i) [displaying a lack of knowledge of or lack of skill or judgment in the provision of professional services] and 1(1)(pp)(ii) [contravention of the Act, a code of ethics or standards of practice] of the HPA including that your conduct:
1) Breached your statutory and regulatory obligations to ACSLPA as a speech-language pathologist.
2) Failed to fulfill professional and ethical obligations expected and required of a speech-language pathologist.
3) Breached one or more of the following:
a. The ACSLPA Code of Ethics (Revised June 2022);
b. The ACSLPA Standard of Practice (Revised June 2022), Standards 1.3, 1.4, 4.3,
c. ACSLPA guideline on Clinical Documentation and Record Keeping, effective 2011 (Revised June 2021); and/or
d. ACSLPA guideline supplement, “What Constitutes Timely Documentation?” (July 2011).
(referred to altogether as the “Allegations”)
FINDINGS
After hearing from both parties and upon reviewing the evidence before it, the Hearing Tribunal finds that Allegations 1 and 2 are proven. The Hearing Tribunal further finds that Mr. Thomas’ conduct is unprofessional conduct under subsections 1(1)(pp)(i) and (ii) of the HPA.
CONCLUSION
Having accepted the Joint Submission on Penalty for the reasons outlined above [in the Decision of The Hearing Tribunal], the Hearing Tribunal makes the following orders:
1) Mr. Thomas shall receive a reprimand and the Hearing Tribunal’s decision shall serve as a reprimand;
2) Mr. Thomas shall pay a fine of $2,000.00 (the “Fine”) and on the following terms:
a. the Fine is due 24 months after the date that Mr. Thomas receives a copy of the Hearing Tribunal’s written decision;
b. the Fine must be paid to the College, whether or not Mr. Thomas holds an active practice permit with the College; and,
c. the Fine is a debt owed to the College and if not paid by the deadline indicated, may be recovered by the College as an action of debt.
3) Within 90 days of receiving the Hearing Tribunal’s decision, Mr. Thomas shall complete the following remedial education, at his own cost, and shall provide proof of completion to the Complaints Director:
a. Education on documentation: Ethical Documentation and Billing for SLPs (Speechpathology.com) (https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/ethicaldocumentation-and-billing-for-10747).
b. Education on professionalism and ethics: IPHE201- Professionalism and Ethics for Healthcare Professionals (NAIT) (https://www.nait.ca/nait/continuing-education/courses/iphe201-professionalism-and-ethics-for-healthcare).
If any of the required education becomes unavailable, Mr. Thomas shall make a written request to the Complaints Director to be assigned alternative education. Upon receiving Mr. Thomas’ written request, the Complaints Director, in her sole discretion, may assign alternative education in which case, Mr. Thomas will be notified in writing of the new education requirements.
4) Within 90 days of receiving the Hearing Tribunal’s decision, Mr. Thomas shall submit a written reflective essay (the “Essay”) to the Complaints Director on the following terms and conditions:
a. The Essay must be titled “The Importance of Report Writing and Other Professional Obligations: What it Means to my Practice and Profession as an SLP”;
b. The Essay must be at least 1200 words;
c. Mr. Thomas must review the following documents prior to writing the Essay:
i. ACSLPA’s Standards of Practice (https://www.acslpa.ca/members/standards-of-practice);
ii. ACSLPA’s Code of Ethics (https://www.acslpa.ca/code-of ethics/);
iii. ACSLPA’s Guideline on Clinical Documentation and Record Keeping (June 2021) (https://www.acslpa.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2023/01/Clinical-Doc-and-Rec-Keeping-Guideline-Jan2023.pdf); and,
iv. ACSLPA’s Resources on What Constitutes Timely Documentation (June 2020) (https://www.acslpa.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2019/05/What-Constitutes-Timely-Documentaition-Jun2020.pdf).
d. The Essay must be typed and comply with professional formatting guidelines (e.g. APA);
e. The Essay must demonstrate:
i. at least six goals of improvement on Mr. Thomas’ report writing and other professional obligations as an SLP;
ii. reflect learnings and insights from ACSLPA’s Standards of Practice, the Code of Ethics, the Guideline on Clinical Documentation and resource, What Constitutes Timely Documentation; and
iii. describe Mr. Thomas’ strategies, plans and supports for improving his report writing, meeting his professional obligations, and ensuring that he complies with ACSLPA’s expectations.
5) For a period of 18 months following receipt of the Hearing Tribunal’s decision (the “Notification Period”), Mr. Thomas shall provide a letter from any current or prospective employment setting (the “Notification Letter(s)”) to the Complaints Director on the following terms and conditions:
a. Each Notification Letter shall confirm:
i. The location of Mr. Thomas’ employment setting, including the unit(s), if applicable (the “Employment Setting”);
ii. The anticipated start date of employment, if the Employment Letter is from a prospective employer;
iii. The name, contact information and professional designation (if applicable) of the supervisor, anticipated supervisor, or other such manager of Mr. Thomas at the Employment Setting; and
iv. That the supervisor, anticipated supervisor, or other such manager of Mr. Thomas has read and reviewed the Hearing Tribunal’s decision.
6) Mr. Thomas shall pay 35% of the total costs of the investigation and hearing, to a maximum of $2,800.00 (the “Costs”) and on the following terms:
a. the Costs are due 24 months after the date that Mr. Thomas receives a copy of the Hearing Tribunal’s written decision;
b. the Costs must be paid to the College, whether or not Mr. Thomas holds an active practice permit with the College; and,
c. the Costs are a debt owed to the College and if not paid by the deadline indicated, may be recovered by the College as an action of debt.
7) Should Mr. Thomas fail to comply with any of the orders above within the deadline specified or within the period of the extended deadline granted by the Complaints Director, the Complaints Director (or her delegate) may do any or all of the following:
a. Treat Mr. Thomas’ non-compliance as information for a complaint under section 56 of the HPA;
b. In the case of failure to complete the course, or pay costs within the timelines referred to above, or within the amended deadline agreed to by the Complaints Director, Mr. Thomas’ practice permit will be suspended until he has complied with the outstanding order(s); or,
c. Refer the matter back to a hearing tribunal for further direction.
8) The parties agree that the orders set out above at paragraphs 2-6 will appear as conditions on Mr. Thomas’ practice permit and ACSLPA’s online public register until they are completed and notice of the conditions may be provided pursuant to section 119 of the HPA, as follows:
a. Conduct requirement – Fine arising from a disciplinary matter;
b. Conduct requirement – Coursework required arising from a disciplinary matter;
c. Conduct requirement – Essay arising from a disciplinary matter;
d. Conduct requirement – Costs arising from a disciplinary matter;
e. Conduct requirement – Notifications required from employer for 18 months arising from a disciplinary matter.
9) Where mutual agreement is required between Mr. Thomas and the Complaints Director relating to an outstanding requirement, and an agreement cannot be reached by Mr. Thomas and the Complaints Director on the implementation of the outstanding requirement, the Complaints Director (or her delegate) may refer the matter back to a hearing tribunal for further direction.
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