Physical Therapist Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established May 3, 1972

Scope

The classes in this series are used to perform, plan and administer a wide variety of physical therapy work in a State hospital or institution and to do other related work.

The Physical Therapist I is the working level in this series. Incumbents in this class administer active, passive, and resistive therapeutic exercises and local or general massage, muscle training and corrective exercises, and coordination work; administer hydrotherapy treatments; assist in administering various types of electrotherapy including ultraviolet, infrared, diathermy and inductothermy; teach parents of hospitalized children exercises which are to be continued at home and interpret to them the significance of physical therapy services; instruct clients in walking, standing, balance, use of crutches, cane, or walker and in the care of braces and artificial limbs; demonstrate plans for the construction of home equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs, and assist parents in planning their construction; take pulse, temperature, weights, and measurements of clients; observe clients undergoing treatment and�report unusual occurrences and physical condition of clients to medical officers and supervisors; attend clinics and keep clinical notes and records and make reports; maintain the treatment room and equipment in sanitary condition; order necessary equipment and supplies.

The Physical Therapist II class is the supervisory level in the series. Incumbents in this class, in conjunction with medical officers, plan and supervise the physical therapy program in a State hospital or correctional institution or in a general hospital, and coordinate these activities with other instructional programs; train students and technical and nontechnical assistants; assign, supervise, and evaluate their work, and take or recommend appropriate action with respect to their work performance; administer active, passive, and resistive therapeutic exercises and local or general massage, muscle training, and corrective exercises and coordination work; supervise the administration of hydrotherapy treatments; administer various types of electric therapy, including ultraviolet, infrared, diathermy and inductothermy; observe the physical conditions and reactions of clients and report unusual occurrences to medical officers; carry out instructions of the physician in charge of the individual case as to the physical therapy prescribed; attend clinics and keep clinical notes and records and make reports; care for equipment and quarters.

Minimum Qualifications

Physical Therapist I

Physical Therapist I, Departments of Mental Health and Developmental

Services

Possession of the legal requirements for the practice of physical therapy in California as determined by the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance. (Applicants may be admitted to the examination prior to meeting these requirements, but the Board of Medical Quality Assurance must determine that all legal requirements have been met before candidates will be eligible for appointment.)

Physical Therapist II

Either I

One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Physical Therapist I or Physical Therapist I, Departments of Mental Health and Developmental Services.

Or II

Possession of the legal requirements for the practice of physical therapy in California as determined by the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance. and

One year of supervised physical therapy experience. and

Graduation from a recognized school of physical therapy.

Knowledge and Abilities

Physical Therapist I

Physical Therapist I, Departments of Mental Health and Developmental

Services

Knowledge of: Principles and methods of physical therapy; operations of therapeutic machines, including ultraviolet, infrared, diathermy, and inductothermy, and the physical effects resulting from such treatment; skeletal anatomy and the basic pathology involved in diseases or injuries resulting in physical and mental disabilities; construction and use of appliances and equipment suitable for home construction.

Ability to: Administer various types of physical therapy; teach the disabled the fundamentals of self-care and other suitable activities; interpret physical therapy treatments to nurses, attendants, parents and clients, and teach others the treatment which must be continued after hospitalization; prepare reports and keep records and case histories; analyze situations accurately and take effective action.

Physical Therapist II

Knowledge of: All of the above; principles of effective supervision; the department's Affirmative Action Program objectives; a supervisor's role in the Affirmative Action Program and the processes available to meet affirmative action objectives.

Ability to: All of the above, and train, direct, and evaluate the work of others; effectively carry out the department's affirmative action objectives.

Special Personal Characteristics

All Levels:

A sympathetic understanding of the mentally and developmentally disabled; willingness to work in a State hospital or institution; tact; high moral standards; reliability; emotional stability and freedom from communicable diseases.

Drug Testing Requirement

Physical Therapist I, Departments of Mental Health and Developmental

Services

Applicants for positions in this class are required to pass a drug screening test. Testing of current employees who are applicants in an examination or who are transferring is permitted only if the person does not have a current appointment to a class for which drug testing is a requirement.

Class History