Eligibility Requirements

Physical therapist and physical therapist assistant teams must have:

• Been engaged in providing clinical services for at least three years.
• Must be licensed or regulated if required by the jurisdiction where the individual is working.
• May include one or more physical therapists and one or more physical therapist assistants.

Criteria for Selection

• A relationship characterized by trust, mutual respect, adaptability, cooperation, and an appreciation of individual and cultural differences.
• A relationship that involves direction, supervision, and effective communication.
• A relationship that has been enhanced through mentoring, continuing education, and professional development.
• A positive effect on the quality of physical therapy care provided to patients and clients in their practice setting as a result of their ability to work as a team.
• Contributions to the enhancement of the overall delivery of physical therapy services in their practice setting as a result of their teamwork.

A strong application should demonstrate the following:

Team relationship is characterized by trust, mutual respect, adaptability, cooperation, and an appreciation of individual and cultural differences.

• Promotion of trust and mutual respect is evident.
• Adaptability and cooperation are evident.
• Individual and cultural differences are recognized and appreciated.

A relationship that involves direction, supervision, and effective communication.

Effective communications promoting the highest standards of practice.

• Appropriate direction and supervision are provided to promote quality care for each patient/client.
• Team has been enhanced through mentoring, continuing education, and professional development.

Teamwork has contributed to the enhancement of the overall delivery of physical therapy services within the practice setting.

• Mentoring is used to promote the highest standards.
• Continuing education and professional development is encouraged and utilized by each member of the team.

The team relationship has had an effect on the delivery of high-quality physical therapy services to patients and clients within the practice setting.

Letters of support that are positive, cite specific examples of professional accomplishments, and provide additional information on depth, scope, and quality in a convincing manner.

What Recipients Receive

An award will be presented to each physical therapist and physical therapist assistant member of the selected PT/PTA team. The award will be presented by APTA's Board of Directors at an APTA national event, and an official announcement will appear in an association publication.

Submission Requirements

During the online process, the following documents will be required for upload:

• Completed eligibility form.
• Current curriculum vitae or resume of the nominees (both PT and PTA).
• A letter of nomination that specifically focuses on the strengths of the nominated PT/PTA team in relation to the award criteria, not to exceed three pages. Letters of nomination cannot serve as one of the required letters of support.
• Two letters of support obtained from individuals (e.g., patients, peers, colleagues, employees) upon whom the team has had an impact, which specifically address one or more of the criteria for selection, not to exceed two pages each. (Note: If more than two letters of support are received, only the first two will be considered. The nominator will be asked to remove additional letters.)
• Description of the team's formal (written) or informal (communicated) protocol: team structure, method of communication, determination of assignments to patients and clients, and method of supervision related to patient and client needs.

Submit a Nomination

The nominations call for the Honors & Awards Program is open from Sept. 1- Dec. 1. Nominations must be submitted through our online portal by Dec. 1. Late submissions will not be considered. Selected recipients and their nominators will be notified in May.

Additional Resources

For questions regarding the nomination process or the award, please contact honorsandawards@apta.org.