Where to find a licensed physical therapist:
- Yellow pages in phone book under “rehabilitation”
- Local hospitals
- Outpatient facilities
- Rehabilitation facilities
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Elementary schools
- Mental health facilities
- Home health agencies
- Private practice
- American Physical Therapy Association website, www.apta.org. Look for “Find a PT” or “Information for Consumers.”
Verification that your physical therapist is licensed.
- Ask to view their license from your state or jurisdiction (District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Virgin Island). This will list the individual’s name, initial licensure date and renewal date.
- Most state boards also provide the ability to “look-up” a licensed individual directly from their website. Click on the “Licensing Authorities” tab to the left and scroll down to find your state licensing board. Then click on “View [state] license verification” in the right column.
- Most physical therapists and physical therapist assistants are highly ethical, competent and caring individuals. Even so, you may see disciplinary actions listed when you verify a license. Sometimes the discipline is for a relatively minor incident such as failure to renew on time; other actions are more serious. Make sure you understand the nature of the disciplinary report when making a decision about this PT or PTA. You can also call the state board office and ask if the physical therapist or physical therapist assistant has been disciplined.
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