PROBE: Ethics & Boundaries Program – Canada

A Non-Profit Program for All Canadian Healthcare Professionals

In 2022 anonymous surveys, PROBE participants rated the program at 4.3 / 5.0, where 4 = very helpful and 5 = extremely helpful

“The faculty’s capacity to be warm, engaging, and non-judgmental allowed for a deeper and more meaningful experience”

“The program gave me tools to do better going forward”

“The platform worked extremely well…Many of us have been quite isolated in our situations and I felt a comforting sense of belonging”

“The faculty were very educated about the material they presented. I didn’t feel judged or embarrassed about why I was here.”

NOTE: ALL PROBE SESSIONS IN CANADA AND THE U.S. WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCE

CPEP LIVE – LIVE, INTERACTIVE VIDEO EDUCATION

THE PROBE PROGRAM: PROFESSIONAL/PROBLEM-BASED ETHICS – Canada

PROBE Canada is an ethics and boundaries course specifically designed to meet the unique needs of Canadian healthcare professionals. Like its US counterpart, PROBE Canada (Professional, Problem-Based Ethics) is a non-adversarial ethics and boundaries program for all healthcare professionals – not just physicians.

Intensive small group sessions target participants’ unprofessional or unethical behavior, such as:

  • Misrepresentations
  • Boundary crossings
  • Financial improprieties, and other lapses

Discussions and case analyses facilitate participant “probing” into why they went astray and recommitting to professional ideals. After the seminar, participants submit a final essay that shows understanding of the Program content and the ability to apply the content to the reasons for referral. Guidance and support for completing this assignment are provided through detailed written instructions and verbal advice from faculty. Participants receive a certificate of completion and a final grade at the conclusion of the Program.

This course is designed to fulfill regulatory college or credentialing requirements for remedial education. To date, participants have come from seven Canadian provinces and have included dental professionals, pharmacists, physiotherapists, physicians, trainees and others.

Enrollment Costs
Seminar Cost:

$2,195 USD plus HST by Province – For doctoral level training or an advanced or independent practice clinician, such as: Physician, Dentist, Chiropractor, Veterinarian, Chiropodist, Advanced Practice Nurse, Psychologist, and any other healthcare professional with doctoral level training (e.g., Ph.D.)

$1,875 USD plus HST by Province – Nurse (RN, LPN), physiotherapist, registered pharmacist, allied health professional, student, and resident

What You Need to Know

The PROBE Canada program is offered virtually via CPEP LIVE throughout the year.  Sessions will be listed by time zone – Eastern time (ET) time or Mountain time (MT) 

In the U.S., PROBE is offered virtually via CPEP LIVE throughout the year.  A list of upcoming courses is at the bottom of this page.

Please Click Here for a complete list of available sessions. A list of upcoming courses is at the bottom of this page.

Enrolling in PROBE is easy. Simply Click Here to access the registration page.

“The faculty were excellent. They… were very educated about the material they presented.  I didn’t feel judged or embarrassed about why I was here.”

“The faculty… allowed us to express ourselves, helped us to find words, never were condescending or judgmental, always were clear and concise and easy to understand and follow.”

“The course offers an excellent framework in objectively assessing transgressions.”

“It gave me a chance to appreciate my regulatory body’s/society’s perspective.”

PROBE is open to all healthcare professionals and trainees. This includes physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and dental assistants, physical therapists, chiropractors, medical students, residents and others. Every session is multi-disciplinary and are never restricted to one specialty or degree.

$2,195 US plus HST by Province – For doctoral level training or an advanced or independent practice clinician, such as: Physician, Dentist, Chiropractor, Veterinarian, Chiropodist, Advanced Practice Nurse, Psychologist, and any other healthcare professional with doctoral level training (e.g., Ph.D.)

$1,875 US plus HST by Province – Nurse (RN, LPN), physiotherapist, registered pharmacist, allied health professional, student, and resident

If you have any questions regarding which tier to select, please contact CPEP education professional at
(303) 577 – 3232 or email info@cpepdoc.org.

Participation in PROBE is confidential. CPEP does not discuss a participant with any parties except those for whom a participant-signed release is on file. Note: Most licensing boards or credentialing bodies will require participants to sign a release.

While sharing and addressing confidential information among participants and faculty during the PROBE sessions is essential to the success of the Program, any acknowledgment or discussion of confidential information outside of the meeting room is explicitly prohibited by mutual agreement at the outset of the session.

Participants are referred for a variety of types of ethics violations or unprofessional conduct. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Boundary violations in the practice of health care including, but not limited to, sexual misconduct, drug diversion, and inappropriate use of social media
  • Misrepresentation or falsification of credentials
  • Financial irregularities
  • Disruptive behavior
  • Civil or criminal violations
  • Failure to adequately inform patients in obtaining consent
  • Medical record-keeping deficiencies
  • After your enrollment form, tuition, and referring organization documents have been received and reviewed, you will receive confirmation of enrollment.  Please allow approximately seven business days
  • Approximately three weeks prior to the start of the seminar, you will receive an e-mail with a link to the syllabus, which must be read prior to the seminar start date
  • The e-mail will also contain links to two assignments that must be completed in advance of the seminar
  • The seminar itself begins with a two-hour evening session, followed by a full day, then a final half-day session
  • A final essay is due two weeks following attendance at the program.  An exact due date will be provided

There are three possible outcomes for participants in the PROBE program:

  1. Unconditional Pass: Participant has demonstrated the ability to think ethically about their reasons for referral
  2. Conditional Pass: Participant has largely demonstrated the ability to think ethically about their reasons for referral, but the faculty believe there are still certain areas that could benefit from additional work.
  3. Fail: Participant has not demonstrated the ability to think ethically about their reasons for referral

Note: Many licensing boards and credentialing bodies will require a grade of Unconditional Pass in order to fulfill the requirements of their orders.

Additional Resources

PROBE Plus

What You Need to Know

PROBE Plus is only for individuals who have already completed the PROBE Program. Participants who earned an unconditional pass in the PROBE Program automatically qualify.  Those participants who earned a conditional pass will be assessed for their appropriateness for enrollment on a case-by-case basis.  Participants who did not pass PROBE do not qualify for PROBE Plus.

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Upon enrollment, the participant will receive materials describing the activities and expectations for the six month program. The participant and the assigned faculty mentor will establish the dates for scheduled conference calls over the course of the program.

  • In the initial telephone conversation, the participant and the mentor will review the aims, components and process of PROBE Plus and set specific expectations.
  • The mentor will draft an agreement, including a schedule of dates for additional telephone conferences and for submission of written work. Initially the participant will submit written work to the faculty mentor every two weeks, but this schedule may be amended by mutual, written decision of the mentor and participant.
  • Written work includes a journal of reflections that will help to identify specific goals for the mentoring process that follows, as well as a final essay that will address material arising from the journaling, phone conversations, and concerns of the referring entity.

The faculty mentor will then prepare a written report that evaluates and assesses the participant’s overall level of success in meeting their goals and applying what they have learned to their daily practice.

The fee for PROBE Plus is $2,500 US plus HST by Province.

“The faculty were excellent. They… were very educated about the material they presented.  I didn’t feel judged or embarrassed about why I was here.”

“The faculty… allowed us to express ourselves, helped us to find words, never were condescending or judgmental, always were clear and concise and easy to understand and follow.”

“The course offers an excellent framework in objectively assessing transgressions.”

“It gave me a chance to appreciate my regulatory body’s/society’s perspective.”

Enrolling in PROBE Plus is easy, but is done separately from the PROBE seminar registration. To learn more about registering for PROBE Plus, please call 303-577-3232 and speak with one of our education professionals.