Professional orders have multiple responsibilities and rely on various committees to achieve their mission.

Some committees are statutory, that is, they are provided for in the statutes and are therefore mandatory for all orders. Other committees are functional, that is, they meet a need on a permanent basis. Professional orders can also form ad hoc committees or work groups to meet specific or one-time needs.

1 – Admissions Committee

The Admissions Committee studies requests for licenses to practise chiropractic in Quebec and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the issuing of licenses.

2 – Accounts Arbitration Council

The Accounts Arbitration Council receives and handles arbitration requests when the conciliation process conducted by the Syndic fails. As part of a sentence, the Arbitration Council can maintain or decrease the amount of the account in dispute and determine the amount of the reimbursement or payment to which one of the parties involved may be entitled.

3 – Professional Liability Insurance Committee

The Professional Liability Insurance Committee studies all aspects of professional liability insurance. It verifies proof of insurance provided for in section 10 of the Regulation respecting professional liability insurance of the Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec, ensures that all chiropractors comply with the requirement provided for in section 5 of the regulation and reports its findings to the Board of Directors.

4 – Disciplinary Council

The Disciplinary Council handles all complaints filed against any member of the OCQ (or any former member of the OCQ if the complaint involves an offence allegedly committed when the person was a member). If the chiropractor is found guilty as charged, the Disciplinary Council can impose penalties that vary in accordance with the seriousness of the offence.

5 – Education Committee

The Education Committee is advisory in nature and has the mandate to examine questions regarding the quality of education of chiropractors, in accordance with the respective and complementary skills of the OCQ, universities and the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports.

6 – Professional Inspection Committee

The Professional Inspection Committee oversees the practice of the profession among members of the OCQ. It verifies their overall skills, which include record keeping and bookkeeping, the equipment they use to practise their profession and the goods that their clients entrust them with. Through its initiatives, the committee endeavours to raise OCQ members’ awareness of the concepts of public protection and the quality of a professional act.

7 – Complaint Review Committee

The role of the Complaint Review Committee is to offer an opinion on the Syndic’s or Assistant Syndic’s decision not to file a complaint, when requested.

8 – Syndic

The role of the Syndic of a professional order is to receive reports issued by the public or a member of the order of an offence allegedly committed by a member of the order, and to conduct an inquiry before deciding whether or not to file a complaint with the Disciplinary Council. The Office of the Syndic is separate from the Board of Directors and must act appropriately to preserve this independence.

9 – Functional Committees

9.1 – Communications Committee

The Communications Committee advises the various bodies of the OCQ on matters of communication. The committee ensures that the message is consistent with the OCQ’s mandate and strategic plan.

9.2 – Committee on the Illegal Practice of Chiropractic

The Committee on the Illegal Practice of Chiropractic investigates people suspected of performing acts reserved for chiropractors or unlawfully using the title of chiropractor, on the basis of information it receives. The committee produces inquiry reports, studies the reports that it receives and, if necessary, recommends to the Board of Directors that complaints be filed in court against the alleged offenders.

9.3 – Governance Committee

The Governance Committee assists and advises members of the Board of Directors on matters of governance to ensure the sound management of the organization, in keeping with its legal and regulatory requirements. The committee focuses on operating, monitoring and accountability mechanisms, and the series of organizational mechanisms that govern the organization’s decision-making.

9.4 – Youth Committee

The Youth Committee proposes activities to encourage young people to join the profession and offers opinions on various topics related to the OCQ’s mission. It actively searches for solutions to issues and problems that affect young chiropractors and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors.

9.5 – Professional Development and Continuing Education Committee

The Professional Development and Continuing Education Committee ensures that continuing education activities allow members to acquire, maintain, update, improve and expand their professional skills and knowledge related to the practice of their profession. The professional development and continuing education programs also allow them to keep up to date on scientific developments from both a therapeutic and a diagnostic standpoint. The committee continually assesses members’ needs and the continuing education activities offered to them and implements education programs that satisfy the needs related to the practice of the profession. The committee also makes recommendations to the board of directors regarding its needs and effective functioning.

9.6 – Regulations Committee

The Regulations Committee studies all aspects of OCQ regulations and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors. The committee can recommend new regulations or amendments to regulations currently in effect.

10 – Finance Committee

The Finance Committee oversees the OCQ’s financial affairs and acts as an advisor. It offers opinions and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the financial health of the OCQ, financial management practices and the adoption of the budget. It receives and assesses the recommendations proposed by senior management regarding the OCQ’s financial affairs and works closely with the Audit Committee.

11 – Audit Committee
The Audit Committee helps the Board of Directors fulfill its supervisory responsibilities. The committee examines and monitors the following processes: the presentation of financial information; the internal monitoring system; risk management; adherence to laws, regulations, resolutions, ethical policies and principles, and related procedures; the application of regulations and policies regarding financial management; the audit and follow-up of operational processes.

12 – Standards of Practice Committee
The Standards of Practice Committee updates, creates, and disseminates standards of practice on the basis of the laws and regulations in effect, jurisprudence, clinical practice guides, standards established by other chiropractic regulatory organizations and chiropractic educational institutions, and any other source deemed appropriate.

13 – Practice Improvement Steering Committee

The Practice Improvement Steering Committee aims to improve communication and coordination between the OCQ’s public protection bodies, primarily the Professional Inspection Committee, the Professional Development and Continuing Education Committee and the OCQ’s Executive Committee. The objectives of the committee are to improve, align and optimize its mechanisms for overseeing the practice of the profession and public protection.