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APTA's Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program (CCIP) provides clinical instructors (CIs) with the skills and information they need to provide students with the highest quality of clinical education. As students increasingly choose the physical therapy profession, the importance of effective and available clinical education grows.
Credentialed Clinical Trainers are responsible for helping the more than 3,500 CIs who participate in the CCIP every year to receive the clinical instructor credential.
The Level 1 and Level 2 Trainer course content focuses on adult and active experiential learning approaches. Participants are presumed to have a command of didactic content related to clinical teaching, supervision, and evaluation upon entering this course.
Credentialed Clinical Trainer Course
APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program Level 1 Credentialed Trainer Course — Call for Applications
The 2024 Level 1 Trainer Course will be a targeted course to increase the number of CCIP Level 1 Trainers in underrepresented areas of the western United States. See below for complete list of states!
19 Western States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
When can I apply?
The application will be open from March 4, 2024 to May 3, 2024.
Dates: Aug. 1-3, 2024 (Thursday - Saturday)
Location: Eastern Washington University, Spokane, WA
The CCIP trainer course provides highly qualified clinical and academic faculty with advanced teaching and instructional capabilities. Upon completion, trainer course participants are awarded Credentialed Clinical Trainer status and are authorized to coordinate and conduct CCIP courses at their discretion.
To be considered for participation, applicants must meet the mandatory eligibility requirements specified below. Please note that meeting these requirements is required for application but does not guarantee selection. All applications will be reviewed by an advisory workgroup comprised of experienced course trainers, and selections will be made based on strength of the application and the needs of the program.
Trainer course costs:
- Application fee: $50 (nonrefundable).
- Course fee: $400 (only required from those accepted into the course).
Trainer course eligibility requirements include:
- Status as a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant.
- Membership in APTA or APTA’s International Partners Plan.
- Status as an APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor.
- Teaching experience, including different levels of learners and class size.
- Access to a viable mechanism for the provision of CCIP courses.
Experience as a DCE/ACCE is highly desirable, but not required.
Upon acceptance, applicants are required to commit to completing the revised CCIP Level 1 Course, unless they have completed this course in April 2023 or later. If required to retake the CCIP Level 1 Course, individuals must plan to:
- Participate in a FREE CCIP Level 1 course, sponsored by the Trainer Course Faculty (attendance at all four sessions required):
- July 9, 11, 16, and 18, 2024; 4:00 - 8:00 pm Pacific Time
- If attending these course dates is not feasible, contact ccip@apta.org to explore alternative options for completing this CCIP Level 1 Course requirement.
To access the application, visit ccip.apta.org.
Your application must include:
- One trainer recommendation from your supervisor.
- One trainer recommendation from a peer or colleague.
- One trainer recommendation from a student you instructed in the clinic or academic setting.
Each recommender will receive a form to complete. Recommendation letters are not needed.
Once you complete the application and all recommendations are received, you will be able to submit your application with the $50 nonrefundable application fee.
If you have any questions, please contact ccip@apta.org.
Credentialed Clinical Trainer Benefits
The benefits to participants, their employers, and the profession by becoming a Credentialed Clinical Trainer include:
- Support for career enhancement in areas such as promotion, tenure, educational advancement, and career ladder advancement.
- National recognition as a credentialed clinical trainer.
- Access to the credentialed trainer online community.
- Opportunity to network with other credentialed clinical trainers through an annual credentialed clinical trainer forum and update at Combined Sections Meeting.
- On occasion, if desired, to receive an honorarium for services.
Awarding the Trainer Credential
Course attendance does not guarantee attainment of the trainer credential. Recommendations for the final decision on awarding the clinical trainer credential are presented by the trainer course faculty to the CCIP Advisory Work Group and program staff. The decision is based on successfully meeting established criteria as reflected by faculty evaluations, the ability of candidates to accurately self-assess, and the attainment of performance criteria.
Once the decision has been made to award the clinical trainer credential, participants are entitled to independently provide CCIP courses for academic programs, consortia, clinical sites, or other sponsors on request.
If you have any questions, please contact ccip@apta.org.