Michigan

Temporary License Requirements/Availability

No person shall engage in the practice of physical therapy or practice as a physical therapist assistant unless licensed or otherwise authorized under this part. A person may only engage in actual personal treatment based on a prescription from a licensed individual An equivalent license issued under sections 166 170 175 or 180 or another state.

The Commission shall grant limited licensure to applicants who have graduated from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education. A limited license issued under this section is duly issued by the Board or Refusal to issue a license to the applicant.

Requirements for License

• Program Accreditation Standards; Physical Therapists; Pass Reference Standards.

(1) The Board of Directors in this rule approves and adopts by reference the standards for accreditation and evaluation of physical therapist education programs set forth by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education in a document entitled Evaluation Standards for Accreditation The Physical Therapist Preparation Education Program became effective January 1, 2006.

(2) Any physical therapist education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Physical Therapy Education qualifies as a board-approved physical therapist education program.

• In addition to meeting the requirements of this specification and these regulations, the applicant shall also meet all the following requirements:
  (a) Graduation from an accredited physical therapist education program that meets the standards adopted by the Commission (b) Pass a Commission-approved physical therapist licensure examination.
  (c) Pass an examination of laws and regulations related to the practice of physical therapy in Michigan administered by the Department.
• To qualify for the exam, applicants should meet one of the following requirements:

(a) Graduation from an accredited physical therapist educational program meeting the standards adopted by the Commission in subparagraph (b), in accordance with the requirements of R 338.7135. semester or A quarter of approved physical therapist education programs are expected to graduate.

• Graduate of a non-accredited institution of higher education; physiotherapist; examination; qualified.
  (a) Evidence of having completed a substantially equivalent physical therapist education program
  Includes Foreign Council for Physical Therapy Certification (fccpt) evaluation of applicant’s non-certification education 124
• (b) If the applicant’s physical therapist education program is taught in a language other than English, evidence of a working knowledge of the English language. To demonstrate working knowledge of the English language, applicants should establish The following:
  (1) Applicants should have a score of no less than 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and a score of no less than 50 on the oral English test conducted by the education and testing service organization.
• ii) The applicant has obtained an overall score of 89 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt) (no less than 21 in the reading section, no less than 18 in the listening section and no less than 26 in the speaking section & no less than 24 in the speaking section writing part. )

Supervision 

Physical therapists who delegate behavioral task functions or interventions to physical therapist assistants should provide general supervision to the physical therapist assistant.

• General supervision means that the PT does not need to be physically present on site, but must be continuously available while the procedure is being performed.
• Continuous availability includes availability by telecommunications or other electronic devices.
• A PT cannot supervise more than 4 PTAs at the same time

Physical therapists who delegate behavioral task functions or interventions are also expected to comply with all of the following:

(a) Ensure the PTA’s qualifications under the supervision of the PT, including verification of the PTA’s training education and licensure. (b) Examine and evaluate a patient or client before commissioning a PTA to perform an intervention. (c) Provide oversight of the PTA To whom the act task functions or interventions are delegated. (d) Provide predetermined procedures and protocols for authorized behavioral task functions or interventions. (e) Keep records of the names of PTAs targeted by behavioral task functions or interventions was entrusted. (f) Supervise the practice of PTA and provide assigned physical therapy behavioral task functions or interventions. (g) Regularly meet in person with a physical therapist assistant to whom a behavioral task function or intervention has been delegated to assess Assistant’s performance review records and educates the PTA on the delegated behavioral task functions or interventions.

Physical Therapy Students 

PTs that delegate conduct tasks or functions to unlicensed individuals shall provide direct supervision of the unlicensed individual.

• Direct supervision means physical therapist is physically present and available immediately
  Instruction and supervision when the patient or client is present while performing behavioral tasks or functions, and the PT is in direct contact with the patient during each visit. (Not available for Student PT or Student PTA)

Physical therapists who delegate tasks or functions to unlicensed professionals shall comply with the following: (a) ensure the eligibility of the unlicensed individual under the direct supervision of the PT, including verifying the eligibility of the unlicensed individual training and education. (b) Examine and evaluate patients before delegating behavioral tasks or functions to unlicensed individuals. (Does not apply to Student PT or Student PTA) (c) Supervise unlicensed individuals who are delegated behavioral tasks or functions. (Four) Provides predetermined procedures and protocols for delegated behavioral tasks or functions. (e) Keep records of the names of unlicensed individuals delegated to perform tasks or functions. (f) monitoring the practices of unlicensed individuals and providing Assigned behavioral tasks or functions. (g) Meet periodically with unlicensed individuals assigned to conduct tasks or functions to evaluate the individual’s performance review record and to educate the unlicensed individual on the conduct tasks or functions has been commissioned.

A PT shall not supervise more than 3 unlicensed individuals at one time, regardless of whether the PT has delegated the supervision of the unlicensed individuals to the PTA

Physical therapists may not delegate the performance of physical therapy interventions to unlicensed individuals. (Not available for Student PT or Student PTA)

Continued Competence 

Currently, there is no requirement listed in the State Practice Act for PTs to report continuing education opportunities in order to maintain their licensure. [1]

Is the Act restrictive? Why/why not?

The bill uses the informal term “shall” but actually means “will”. In addition, the Act of Practice appears to provide various options for achieving the requirements in great detail, and seems willing to adapt to unique circumstances and provide a step-by-step process to achieve Asking is helpful.

Is there anything unusual about this movement?

• An applicant who fails to obtain a passing score on the examinations required in R 338.7133 may retake one or both of the examinations without restriction. Consider that in the future APTA or FSBPT will limit the number of board retakes.
• The committee approves the review of laws and regulations pertaining to the practice of physical therapy in Michigan administered by the Department. The passing score of the laws and regulations examination is a converted score, not less than 75 points. The FSBPT passing score is unspecified and is Odd to find it scaled down to a percentage.
• There are no explicit CE requirements. I want my PT to be as up to date as possible in their approach to treatment, as graduation approaches are bound to change and improve.