The Physical Therapist Assistant - Assistant Program Director holds a faculty (academic or clinical) appointment and has administrative academic, service, and scholarship responsibilities consistent with the mission and philosophy of the academic program. This individual demonstrates competence in clinical education teaching and curriculum development. In addition, the Physical Therapist Assistant – Assistant Program Director’s primary responsibility is to plan, coordinate, facilitate, administer, and monitor activities on behalf of the academic program and in coordination with the academic and clinical faculty.
The Physical Therapist Assistant - Assistant Program Director ensures the availability of clinical sites for the educational experience of the Physical Therapist Assistant students. It is the responsibility of this position to prepare the students for their clinical experience with lab practice, classroom lectures and scheduling of physicals, background checks and/or drug testing required for clinical placement. All Concorde associates are required to display professionalism and uphold Concorde’s Mission and the core values of respect for the individual, integrity, teamwork, customer service, and achievement.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Able to initiate, administer, assess, and document clinical education programs
Secure new clinical affiliation agreements (contracts) as required by the program
Maintain affiliation agreements and ensure timely renewals of expiring contracts
Develop, monitor, and refine the clinical education component of the curriculum
Coordinate clinical education with didactic education as assigned by the program director and schedule students in appropriate clinical rotations
Evaluate and ensure the appropriateness/effectiveness of all clinical education affiliates
Ensure proper and complete documentation of all visits to clinical sites
Visit clinical affiliates at regular intervals to ensure that students meet clinical objectives and ensure that all requirements for clinical education in the program are met by every student
Review and maintain students’ records related to immunizations, background checks and drug testing to assure compliance with Concorde and individual affiliate requirements prior to placing students at clinical sites
Serve as Instructor of Record or assist with instruction in didactic/laboratory courses as assigned and within accreditor guidelines
Provide support and supervision to ensure programmatic and institutional completion, licensure, and placement outcomes are met
Orient and train clinical instructors and/or preceptors at clinical sites
Maintain supervisory responsibility of all students attending a clinical site
Advise, coach, and mentor students as appropriate and necessary
Be available in person, by phone or other methods of communication to solve problems as they arise at any time a student is in clinic
Ensure that clinical documentation is complete, accurate and maintained securely as directed by the Program Director
Assist with all requirements of programmatic and institutional accreditors including advisory committee meetings, scheduled and unannounced visits, annual reports, self-studies, and responses
Assist with performance feedback, including formal classroom observations, for instructional faculty as appropriate and be open to coaching from the Program Director or Academic Dean
Strong focus on community involvement. Participation in local/national societies if requested.
Attend all program graduation ceremonies
Must work independently and coordinate work with colleagues and peers
Other duties as assigned by the Program Director
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
The Physical Therapist Assistant - Assistant Program Director is responsible for the supervision of the students in his/her classroom and the students at the clinical sites/laboratory. The Physical Therapist Assistant - Assistant Program Director is responsible for scheduling and supervising the clinical instructors so that the clinical students are all seen as required by the program.
*In the absence of the Program Director, the Assistant Program Director assumes the Program Director’s duties and responsibilities.
Communicates between the academic institution and affiliated clinical education sites
Clinical Education program planning, implementation, and assessment
Clinical site development
Clinical faculty development
Must have a master’s degree
Must be a physical therapist assistant who is licensed or regulated as a PT or PTA in the United States
Must have a minimum of 3 years full-time, post-licensure clinical practice experience
Must have at least 2 years of experience as a CCCE or CI or experience in teaching, curriculum development and administration in a PT or PTA program
Must demonstrate experience in administration/management
Must demonstrate experience in educational theory and methodology, instructional design, student evaluation and outcome assessment, including the equivalent of nine credits of coursework in educational foundations. (Proviso: CAPTE will begin enforcing the expectation for post-professional course work in 2018.
Knowledge of legislative, regulatory, legal and practice issues affecting clinical education students, and the profession of physical therapy
Proficiency in curriculum development, teaching methodology, supervision, instruction, evaluation, and guidance
Preferred experience with education students in a clinical setting
Must have strong communication, organization, interpersonal, problem-solving, and counseling skills
Current knowledge and skill in the use of information and computer technology (word processing, email, database) or proven ability to learn these skills