About the Code of Professional Responsibility

CASA issues the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility to provide ethical principles and rules for all persons who are certified by CASA to use the CSA designation. Implicit in a designee’s acceptance of the certification is an obligation to comply with the mandates and requirements of all applicable laws and regulations, and to take the responsibility to perform all professional services and activities in an ethical manner. The CSA Code of Professional Responsibility is based on the standards of competence, honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, and professionalism. An independent body, the non-profit CSA Board of Standards, enforces provisions of the Code.

CASA may amend the Code from time to time. CASA will notify CSA’s of any Code changes that might affect them.

Click here to read the code.
 

CASA Disclosure Policy

The Canadian Academy of Senior Advisors (CASA) treats as confidential a CSA’s personal information. At its discretion, however, and in accordance with disclosure authority maintained by the CSA Board of Standards (“Board”), CASA may release to certain federal and provincial licensing and credentialing bodies and governmental regulatory agencies, or may publish on its website, details of a current or former CSA’s disciplinary history, if any, resulting from complaints heard by the Board. Similarly, CASA reserves the right to divulge to such bodies or agencies, or to publish on its website, information in connection with wrongful use or other actions taken by CASA, or on its behalf, against certain individuals or entities.
 

CSA Board of Standards

The CSA Board of Standards, (“BOS” or the “Board was established to review and resolve complaints lodged against Certified Senior Advisors (“CSAs”) for alleged violations of the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility (“Code”) in the conduct of their business.
 
Currently the Board is made up of three directors, each of whom serves a three-year term. Each director is a CSA, and each brings to their tasks the knowledge gained from many years of professional experience. Collectively, the Board’s professional expertise spans the health, social, financial and legal industries. To read the Board Members Bio’s, click here.
 
CSA Board Nominations - If you know of a CSA whose professional qualifications and commitment to ethical conduct make him or her a viable candidate to serve on the CSA Board of Standards – or if you’re that candidate – please complete and submit to the Board its Board Nomination Form.
 
Please call 604-628-9471 if you have any questions about the CSA Board.
 

Filing a Complaint with the CSA Board

The CSA Board of Standards requires that all complaints be filed by using the CSA Board Complaint Form. No unsigned or anonymous complaints are accepted by the Board. Complaints—and any materials in support of them—are sent to be forwarded to the Board. There are multiple ways that you can contact us:

• Call us toll-free at 877-272-7575
• Local phone: 604-628-9471
• Write us at:
  CSA Board of Standards
  #907 – 6540 Hastings Street
  Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1A4
• Fax us at 604-628-9471
• Email Us
  

Any person who files a complaint against a CSA becomes the “complainant” for that complaint case. No complainants can be anonymous. A complete copy of all the materials furnished by the complainant is provided to the CSA against whom the complaint is being made.
 
Complainants should assemble as much physical documentation as possible to support their version of events when sending a complaint to the Board.
All complaints must be filed using the CSA Board Complaint Form. However, for general questions, please use the email identified above.
 

For compliance officers: everything you want to know

If your company offers products that may be sold to seniors, it’s important that your personnel be fully informed about the special challenges of working with aging clients. That way, they can help a senior make choices that are in the senior’s best interests and take into account the health, financial and social issues that shape seniors’ lives.
 
Although it’s very likely that your personnel have a thorough understanding of your products, they probably have less understanding of the special needs of their senior clients. It is this gap that can cause so many compliance problems. The CSA education is geared toward eliminating that gap. To learn more about our designation, click here. If you have any questions, call us at 877-272-7575.
 

For provincial/federal agencies: information about the designation

The Canadian Academy of Senior Advisors endorses, supports and assists provincial and federal regulators to ensure that all CSAs conduct themselves truthfully, ethically and professionally. We work with regulators to ensure that CSAs follow all regulations and live up to the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility as well.
 
If you have a question about a specific CSA or someone purporting to be a CSA, please call. You’ll have our full cooperation.
 
We have important information about CASA, its curriculum and faculty, its designation and its CSA designees in this website. If we have missed a question you have, please call us at 877-272-7575. We invite regulators to audit our class, which is the culmination of the CSA designation training. Call for more information.