Genetic counseling is a fast-growing profession in Canada. Yet, despite its growth, genetic counseling lacks legal recognition in the majority of Canadian provinces. Legal recognition serves to regulate professions, including genetic counseling, that if not properly regulated, expose the public to the risk of harm. Under Canadian law, there are three models of legal recognition: 1) the constitution of a professional order, 2) inclusion in a professional order, and 3) delegation. This paper explores the practical implications of these different models of legal recognition for genetic counselors. It focuses on the balancing act between protecting the public and the resources required to seek legal recognition under the three different models. With a small number of genetic counselors (n = 484, with 89% found in 4 provinces) compared to other professions, the route toward professional regulation for genetic counselors can be challenging. Though legal recognition occurs at the provincial rather than federal level in Canada, we nonetheless advocate for pan-Canadian discussions that may benefit future pursuits of legal recognition.

中文翻译：

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遗传咨询师和法律认可：为加拿大量身定做的方法

遗传咨询在加拿大是一个快速发展的职业。然而，尽管遗传咨询有所增长，但在加拿大大多数省份缺乏法律认可。法律承认有助于规范专业，包括遗传咨询，如果监管不当，会使公众面临受到伤害的风险。根据加拿大法律，有三种法律承认模式：1）专业命令的构成，2）专业命令的包含，3）授权。本文探讨了这些不同的法律认可模式对遗传咨询师的实际意义。它侧重于在三种不同模式下保护公众和寻求法律承认所需资源之间的平衡行为。与少数遗传咨询师（n = 484，其中 89% 在 4 个省发现）与其他职业相比，遗传咨询师的专业监管途径可能具有挑战性。尽管加拿大的法律承认发生在省级而不是联邦一级，但我们仍然提倡泛加拿大的讨论，这可能有利于未来对法律承认的追求。