PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT

Position/Program Information

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES

EXAM NUMBER: Y5836H

OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: 03/21/2007

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS A REBULLETIN TO UPDATE THE EXAMINATION CONTENT INFORMATION.

SPECIAL SALARY INFORMATION:
Due to the Manpower Shortage Recruitment, new appointments and current incumbents shall be compensated at Step 5 of the applicable salary range. This is in effect until June 30, 2025 or until it is determined that a shortage no longer exists, whichever is sooner

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY: The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. DHS operates as an integrated health system, operating 25 health centers and four acute care hospitals, in addition to providing health care to youth in the juvenile justice system and inmates in the LA County jails. Across the network of DHS' directly operated clinical sites and through partnerships with community-based clinics, DHS cares for about 600,000 unique patients each year, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual operating budget of 6.9 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov . Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition, to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.

MISSION:
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

DEFINITION:
Performs physical therapy procedures, as delegated by a physical therapist, to assist patients with physical or mental disease or injury in acute medical or rehabilitative hospitals, clinics, or other settings to attain, regain, or maintain physical functioning or to adjust to their disabilities.

Essential Job Functions

• Performs delegated treatment procedures such as therapeutic exercises to maintain and restore strength, endurance, coordination and range of motion; gait training and functional training for transferring and wheelchair activities; and treatment procedures involving the use of therapeutic equipment, machines, and assistive or supportive devices.
• Applies modalities such as hot and cold packs, paraffin, whirlpool, Hubbard tank, pool, infrared, diathermy, ultrasound, ultra-violet, and electrical stimulation to relieve pain or promote healing.
• Encourages and motivates patients to participate in the treatment program by discussing and explaining their treatment goals and objectives.
• Progresses patient through treatment program, deciding when to advance the patient to more difficult activities, when to modify the level of activity, or when to interrupt the treatment based upon patient's reaction and response to the treatment program; reports observations to a physical therapist.
• Demonstrates, trains, and directs patients in the use and care of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches, and other special equipment.
• Writes progress notes in patients' physical therapy records documenting reaction and response to treatment.
• Maintains accurate records of therapy treatments performed and the duration and frequency of treatments that will be reviewed and countersigned by the physical therapist.
• Instructs members of other health disciplines or caregivers in standard methods of performing transfers, ambulation, and positioning of patients.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Successful completion of a physical therapy assistant program in a school recognized by the Commission on Accreditation* of Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association and approved by the Physical Therapy Board of California.

LICENSE:
Current license or application for licensure** as a Physical Therapy Assistant by the Physical Therapy Board of California, Physical Therapy Examining Committee.

**Evidence of such application must be presented upon publication of the results of the next examination following the date of filing for the application.

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: Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighting over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

Additional Information

Special Requirement Information:
*In order to receive credit for any college course work, or any type of college degree, such as a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, completion of a certificate program, certificate or license under the minimum requirements, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization; or official license or certificates with your application within 15 calendar days of filing online.

The required license and/or certificate MUST be current and unrestricted; a conditional, provisional, probationary or restricted license and/or certificate will NOT be accepted.

Special Information:
Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Available Shift:
Any

Examination Content:
This examination will consist of an evaluation of education and experience based on application information weighted at 100%.

Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

Notification Letters and other correspondences will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that applicants provide a valid email address. Please add Ahsu3@dhs.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address book and to the list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as SPAM/JUNK mail.

Vacancy Information:
The resulting eligible register from this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Health Services as they occur.

Eligibility Information:
Applications will be processed on an "as-received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

The names of candidates receiving a passing score on the examination will be added to the eligible register and will appear in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.

No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" tab for this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website.

All information is subject to verification. We may reject your application at any time during the examination and hiring process, including after appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.

Utilizing VERBIAGE from the Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you met the requirements. Doing so may result in INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met. Application filing may be suspended at any time without advance notice.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the requirements. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

Applications electronically received after 5:00 p.m., PST, on the last day of filing will not be accepted.

NOTE: If you are unable to attach required documents, you must email the documents to the exam analyst, within 15 calendar days of filing online. Please include the exam number and the exam title.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
All applicants must enter a valid social security number at the time of filing. Entering anything other than a valid social security number (i.e. 000-00-0000, 111-11-1111, etc.) will result in an automatic rejection of your application.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Annie Hsu, Exam Analyst
Telephone Number: (213) 288-7000
Ahsu3@dhs.lacounty.gov

ADA COORDINATOR PHONE:
(323) 914-7111

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE:
(800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

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