Director of Clinical Education - Physical Therapist Assistant Program

Director of Clinical Education – Physical Therapist Assistant ProgramPosition Summary

The Director of Clinical Education (DCE) for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program is responsible for the development, coordination, administration, assessment, and continuous improvement of the clinical education component of the PTA curriculum.

The DCE serves as the primary liaison between Stanbridge University, students, clinical instructors, Site Coordinators of Clinical Education (SCCEs), and affiliated clinical education sites. This position ensures students receive high-quality, appropriately sequenced clinical learning experiences that support achievement of program outcomes, professional competencies, and readiness for contemporary physical therapist assistant practice.

The DCE is responsible for developing and maintaining clinical affiliation partnerships, coordinating student clinical placements, monitoring student performance and clinical progression, supporting clinical faculty, ensuring compliance with clinical education requirements, and maintaining documentation necessary for institutional, regulatory, and accreditation purposes.

The DCE collaborates closely with the PTA Program Director, faculty, academic leadership, clinical partners, and University departments to ensure the clinical education program remains aligned with the standards and expectations of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), applicable state requirements, institutional policies, and contemporary physical therapy practice.

Essential FunctionsClinical Education Leadership and Administration

Provide leadership, oversight, coordination, and continuous improvement of all clinical education activities within the Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

Develop, implement, evaluate, and revise the clinical education component of the curriculum in collaboration with the Program Director and faculty.

Ensure clinical education experiences are appropriately sequenced and integrated with didactic and laboratory instruction.

Coordinate clinical education schedules, student assignments, placement timelines, and clinical site requirements.

Maintain accurate and current clinical education records, affiliation documentation, student placement records, evaluations, compliance documentation, and related program materials.

Monitor clinical education outcomes and recommend improvements based on student performance, stakeholder feedback, accreditation expectations, and program data.

Participate in program assessment, strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, accreditation preparation, and continuous quality improvement activities.

Ensure clinical education policies, procedures, and practices remain consistent with institutional requirements and applicable accreditation standards.

Clinical Site Development and Partnership Management

Identify, develop, evaluate, and maintain clinical affiliation relationships sufficient to support the needs of the PTA Program and enrolled students.

Expand clinical placement capacity through proactive relationship development with healthcare organizations, rehabilitation providers, outpatient practices, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and other appropriate clinical settings.

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for assigned clinical education partners.
• Maintain regular communication with SCCEs, Clinical Instructors, clinical leadership, and organizational representatives.
• Evaluate the appropriateness and educational quality of clinical education sites.

Conduct clinical site visits and other engagement activities as necessary to maintain effective partnerships and evaluate student learning environments.

Collaborate with University departments regarding affiliation agreements, compliance requirements, insurance documentation, and other clinical partnership matters.

Identify emerging clinical placement needs and develop strategies to maintain sufficient and diverse placement capacity.

Student Clinical Placement and Support

Coordinate and oversee student clinical education placements in accordance with curriculum requirements, student readiness, site availability, and program objectives.

Evaluate student preparedness for participation in clinical education experiences.

Match students with appropriate clinical sites and learning environments based on educational objectives, student needs, site characteristics, and available clinical instructors.

Orient students to clinical education expectations, policies, professional behavior standards, documentation requirements, and evaluation processes.

Monitor student performance and progression throughout clinical education experiences.

Maintain regular communication with students and clinical instructors during clinical rotations.

Identify students experiencing clinical performance, professionalism, communication, or competency concerns and coordinate appropriate interventions.

Provide counseling, coaching, remediation, or other support in collaboration with the Program Director and faculty when necessary.

Participate in decisions regarding student clinical progression and successful completion of clinical education requirements.

Ensure student clinical experiences support development of professional behaviors, clinical reasoning, technical competence, patient-centered care, and readiness for entry-level PTA practice.

Clinical Instructor and SCCE Development

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with Clinical Instructors and Site Coordinators of Clinical Education.

Provide orientation and ongoing support to clinical faculty regarding program expectations, student learning objectives, evaluation processes, and institutional requirements.

Promote effective clinical teaching, mentoring, supervision, assessment, and feedback practices.

Serve as a resource to clinical instructors regarding student performance, clinical education expectations, and problem resolution.

Encourage participation in professional development opportunities for clinical instructors and clinical education partners.

Recognize and support clinical partners who contribute to the educational mission of the University.

Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance

Maintain current knowledge of CAPTE accreditation standards and required elements applicable to clinical education within Physical Therapist Assistant programs.

Ensure clinical education policies, procedures, documentation, learning experiences, and assessment practices support continued compliance with applicable CAPTE requirements.

Assist the Program Director with preparation of accreditation reports, self-studies, substantive change documentation, site visits, and related accreditation activities.

Maintain documentation demonstrating the quality, sufficiency, diversity, and effectiveness of clinical education experiences.

Ensure clinical education operations comply with applicable institutional policies, regulatory requirements, affiliation agreements, and professional standards.

Participate in institutional and programmatic accreditation activities as assigned.

Teaching and Academic Participation

Participate as a member of the PTA faculty and contribute to the academic mission of the program.

Teach courses, laboratories, seminars, clinical preparation activities, or other instructional assignments as appropriate based on program needs and individual qualifications.

Participate in curriculum review, faculty meetings, committees, student advising, assessment activities, and faculty development.

Maintain contemporary knowledge of physical therapy practice, clinical education, healthcare delivery, and the role and scope of practice of the Physical Therapist Assistant.

Promote evidence-based practice, ethical conduct, professionalism, patient-centered care, and lifelong learning.

Participate in University and program activities that support student success, retention, graduation, licensure preparation, and employment outcomes.

Communication and Collaboration

Collaborate effectively with the PTA Program Director, faculty, academic leadership, University departments, students, and external clinical partners.

Communicate clinical education expectations, policies, timelines, concerns, and outcomes clearly and professionally.

Exercise sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and confidentiality when addressing student and clinical partner matters.

Identify and resolve clinical education issues proactively and appropriately.

Represent Stanbridge University professionally in interactions with clinical facilities, healthcare organizations, professional associations, and community partners.

Qualifications

Required

Graduate of an accredited Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant education program.

Current, active, and unrestricted Physical Therapist (PT) or Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) license in California, or eligibility to obtain California licensure prior to employment.

Minimum of a master’s degree from an accredited institution in physical therapy, education, healthcare administration, healthcare leadership, or a related discipline.

Minimum of three years of full-time or equivalent post-licensure clinical practice as a Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant.

Minimum of two years of clinical practice experience as a Site Coordinator of Clinical Education (SCCE) and/or Clinical Instructor (CI) in physical therapy, or a minimum of two years of experience in teaching, curriculum development, and administration in a Physical Therapist Assistant education program.

Knowledge of contemporary physical therapy practice and the professional role and scope of practice of the Physical Therapist Assistant.

Strong organizational, interpersonal, written and verbal communication, relationship-management, counseling, and problem-solving skills.

Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex clinical education activities involving students, clinical instructors, clinical partners, deadlines, document