POSITION SUMMARY:
The Physical
Therapist (PTis responsible for the delivery of Physical Therapy (PT)
services in order to meet the uniqueneeds of eligible children/students
who require PT to support their Individual Family Service Plans (IFPS),
Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or 504 Plans. The PT facilitates the development of children/student
abilities to access and participate in their natural environments and make
progress in their educational programs. The PT selects, administers and interprets a
variety of assessment instruments and standardized measurement tools
appropriate to early intervention and or school practice for children with
special needs; the PT designs strategies and adaptations
focusing on access, functional mobility and safe participation in home, school
and community activities and routines.
This position acts as an active participant in the development of IFSPs/
IEPs and is responsible for the delivery of PT services to meet the unique
needs of a child/student and their family/caregivers/school teams.
DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
Selecting, administering and interpreting a
variety of assessment instruments and standardized measurement tools
appropriate to early intervention and or school practice for children with
special needs;
Participating in the IFSP/IEP process,
determining need for physical therapy as a
service;
Forming partnerships and working
collaboratively with families and other team members to promote an effective
physical therapy plan of care;
Coordinating physical therapy interventions
within family/school activities and routines;
Consulting with
IFSP/IEP teams and families to (1) develop meaningful functional and practical
outcomes (2) help identify intervention strategies which will assist the child/student
and family to achieve specific outcomes (3) help identify the natural
environments in which teams wish to see their children/student participate and
(4) provide supports and services to promote this participation
Developing and
implementing appropriate interventions and strategies that address or
incorporate: (1) self-care, mobility,
learning and play (2)the value of the family and child’s culture (3) environmental
adaptations in the home, school and community; (4) vocational tasks, leisure
activities, and/or equipment use procedures and (4) setting realistic
expectations for child/student performance in the home, school; and community
Ensuring
frequent, ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of therapy interventions
toward achieving desired outcomes within a specified period;
Assisting
the IFSP/IEP team in the identification of the need for adaptive equipment
and/or assistive technology for home, school and/or community;
Consulting
with team members and other service providers as needed to coordinate the
delivery of services to children/students;
Serving
as a liaison between the IFSP/IEP team, the family, medical personnel and
medical equipment vendors;
Using various types of service provisions to
meet child/student and family/team needs;
Keeping timely, accurate records of all
services to and on behalf of children/students, meeting the documentation
requirements of federal and state regulations (COMAR) and completing Medicaid
billing;
Attending continuing education courses
supportive of pediatric, early
intervention or school based practice;
Physical
management of children/student with disabilities, which may require lifting and
handling;
Carrying
materials to and from a variety of settings and management of adaptive
equipment; and
Supporting the safe
transportation of children/students;
Demonstrating basic
computer and word processing abilities in order to support the
IFSP/IEP/504 process and the
documentation of services; and
Performing
other related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Cultural
competence as it relates to working with children/students and their families/teams;
Demonstrated
knowledge of federal, state and local laws and regulations that affect the
delivery of physical therapy services to eligible children and their families;
Ability
to demonstrate professional behavior regarding ethical and legal
responsibilities in the practice of physical therapy;
Ability to demonstrate flexibility and
effective time management skills in order to meet caseload/workload demands and
early intervention/special education time lines;
Ability to travel to appropriate natural
learning environments to provide physical therapy services and attend
child/family/team related meetings;
Effective oral and written communication; and
Effective interpersonal skills.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and/or
Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from an accredited college or university
program; Prior pediatric, early intervention and or school based experience
preferred.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Current
Maryland Physical Therapy licensure constitutes certification; Current license
to practice Physical Therapy in Maryland issued by the Maryland Board of
Physical Therapy Examiners; and Specialty certification in pediatrics
preferred.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
No direct supervisory responsibilities.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Physical Therapist (PT) works in a variety of settings depending upon the facilities and resources at each individual school or home. The PT provides services in the following locations: Home; school, community and day care.