PHYSICAL THERAPIST I

Physical Therapist I

The Physical Therapist I provides professional physical therapy services to assist patients with physical or mental disabilities to attain, regain, or maintain physical functions or to adjust to their disabilities.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Interprets physicians' referrals for physical therapy services and selects the appropriate diagnostic or prognostic procedures for evaluating patients' deficits, limitations, and/or disabilities such as muscle weakness, joint limitation, loss of functional ability and sensory deficiency from muscle, nerve, joint and bone diseases and injuries or birth defects.
• Performs evaluation procedures such as test of function, strength, tone, range of motion, upright motor control, spasticity, sensation, proprioception, visual field, bulbar functions, cognition, gait analysis, body image, electro diagnostic and other tests; analyzes the results to determine the extent of patients' deficits, limitations, and/or disabilities, to establish patient goals, to assess functional progress, and to develop and adjust initial and subsequent treatment programs.
• Performs complex treatments such as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, muscle re-education, bulbar treatment, joint and soft tissue mobilization, mobility training, neuro-developmental techniques, functional electrical stimulation, fabrication and application of orthotic devices; provides prosthetic training, post-operative management and patient/caregiver education and training.
• Confers and advises physicians about patient evaluation, treatment, and progress; makes recommendations for improving patient function using medical, surgical, or bracing procedures.
• Advises and consults with allied health fields and other health care personnel, teachers and families regarding patients' progress and discharge plans.
• Participates on an interdisciplinary treatment team and reports on assigned patients' condition and progress; modifies individual treatment plans to meet changing needs of patients; keeps team, patients, and families informed of patient progress; orders equipment and works with vendors in preparation of the order.
• Supervises patient care treatments/modalities/interventions/procedures delegated or assigned to a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, Rehabilitation Therapy Technician, or a student physical therapist, explaining each assigned patient's treatment programs, demonstrating unfamiliar procedures and reviewing and discussing work performed.
• Within the framework of an overall clinical training program for affiliated or graduate students, provides on-the-job clinical instruction and evaluation for student physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, rehabilitation therapy technicians, and volunteers.
• Maintains documentation of patients' treatment plans and progress notes as required by standards.
• Participates in continuing education/staff development programs and other hospital, departmental, and professional licensing requirements.
• Participates in departmental quality improvement programs.

Requirements to qualify:

• Graduation from a physical therapy curriculum acceptable to the Commission on Accreditation on Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and approved by the Physical Therapy Board of California (PTBC) - OR - Successful completion in a Physical Therapy school or schools of a resident course of professional instruction equivalent to the educational standards approved by the Physical Therapy Board of California (PTBC).
• A license to practice as a Physical Therapist issued by the Physical Therapy Board of California (PTBC).
• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

Physical Class III - Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.