In this issue:
FSBPT and Prometric renewed a five-year contract for the computer-based delivery of the NPTE. These new Prometric scheduling fees will be in effect starting January 1, 2020.
NPTE PT: $100.30 NPTE PTA: $82.60 Law Exams: $29.50
Approximately 30,000 NPTEs are delivered in computer-based format over four testing windows per year.
We will be at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting, held in Denver, Colorado, February 12-15, 2020. Please stop by and visit us at Booth 1634!
We are accepting presentation ideas and proposals for the 2020 Annual Meeting! The presentations should have a regulatory angle, which includes topics on patient safety and emerging practice areas. In 2019, faculty presented several presentations, including "A Synopsis of What Every Regulator Should Know About Burnout in Physical Therapy" and "DPT Student Perspectives on Patient Safety Risk during Clinical Education."
Please submit your proposal by March 3, 2020. If your proposal is chosen, two presenters will be funded to attend the FSBPT Annual Meeting in Orange County, California, October 22-24.
If you have a topic of interest but you do not have suggested speakers or an official proposal, please share the topic with us. We welcome ideas!
If students are unable to test on their scheduled date due to Prometric testing center weather closures, they will not have to wait until the next fixed test date. FSBPT will work with Prometric to get students rescheduled as soon as possible. Students impacted by a site closure can expect to receive communication from FSBPT and Prometric within one day of their scheduled exam with information on rescheduling.
FSBPT strives to provide the most effective and useful tools for educators. If you are an educator, we are interested in your opinion on the services and products that we offer to you.
Please take a moment to complete the survey. Your input is extremely valuable and it helps to ensure that we are providing the best tools for now and into the future.
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More and more jurisdictions are adding a review of an individual’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history record information (CHRI) prior to issuing an initial license as a PT or PTA. CHRI, unofficially known as the criminal background check (CBC) and more informally known as a Record of Arrests and Prosecutions Sheet, means a search of the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database using an individual’s fingerprints.
Boards have a duty to ensure, to the best of their ability, that PTs and PTAs are safe, competent practitioners who meet certain qualifications for licensure, thus increasing the public’s trust and security in the physical therapy profession and providers. A comprehensive report that provides the board with knowledge of incidents from an applicant’s history may help identify appropriate pre-licensure remediation or post-licensure restrictions.
The basis for any licensure requirement should be to enhance public protection and safety. PTs and PTAs offer a hands-on service that frequently requires touching a patient who is often partially disrobed in ways that are uncommon to social norms, but appropriate in a clinical context. Physical therapy providers work with vulnerable individuals of all ages and walks of life, and may often be alone with an individual when providing services.
Thirty-four jurisdictions in the United States currently require a CHRI for PT or PTA licensure. The PT Compact has had a significant impact on the number of jurisdictions requiring CHRI for licensure. Like both the Nurse Licensure Compact and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, PT Compact members must require a CHRI for initial licensure. Prior to the first states joining the PT Compact in 2016, only fifteen states required CHRI; of the twenty-six PT Compact members in 2019, only six had an FBI CHRI requirement prior to joining the Compact.
Recent graduates of physical therapy education programs in the United States will not be surprised by a requirement for a CHRI for licensure. Physical therapy schools are requiring CHRIs as part of the admission requirements or prior to clinical education experiences. This has been facilitated by clinical education sites requiring CBCs with CHRIs prior to allowing students into clinical experiences. This is not restricted to physical therapy and has been seen in many medical professions.
Additionally, CBCs, which include CHRIs, are commonly performed for employment, especially in settings such as hospitals, schools, and long-term care facilities. Some payers, including government-based payers, have restrictions based on criminal history.
States have begun to evaluate the impact CHRIs may have on licensing and occupational opportunities. In some states, an individual is now able to petition a licensing board for a determination if their criminal history would preclude them from licensure prior to enrolling in an education program. A pre-determination minimizes the risk of the individual investing the time and money into an education program only to find they are ineligible for licensure. Since the publication of the Obama White House’s report on occupational licensing in 2015, which included a recommendation to reduce licensure barriers for ex-offenders, many states have re-examined their policies. In the 2019 state legislative session, thirteen states introduced at least twenty-three bills reforming how CHRIs are used in occupational licensure decisions.
Boards must handle CHRI in compliance with FBI requirements and may not be shared with any unauthorized agencies or individuals. While extremely important to consider, the information contained in the CHRI cannot be the sole determinant of whether or not to grant a license. The CHRI has limitations that must be considered and the entirety of the applicant must be evaluated for qualifications to provide physical therapy services safely and competently.
The process of registering to take the NPTE can be confusing with schools, students, jurisdiction boards, Prometric, and FSBPT all playing a role. To illustrate the NPTE registration process, FSBPT has developed journey maps. By entering their school and the state where they want to practice, students will see a customized step by step map of the registration process making their journey to taking the NPTE a little easier to follow.
Visit the FSBPT website for information on a range of topics.
If you have questions, challenges or ideas, we want to hear from you! FSBPT (703) 299-3100 | FCCPT (703) 684-8406 (Call FSBPT unless otherwise noted after name)
Contact Person
Title
Topics
William A. Hatherill
Chief Executive Officer
FSBPT Issues
Susan Layton Rich Woolf
Chief Operating Officer Vice President
General questions and feedback; research questions
Lorin Mueller, PhD
Managing Director of Assessment
Psychometrics, test development and construction
Christine Sousa
Managing Director of Exam Services
Exam administration issues, ADA
Jamie Nolan, FCCPT
Assistant Director of the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT)
Foreign educated graduates
Rhonda Collins
Administrative Assistant
School reports: schoolreports@fsbpt.org
Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT): peat@fsbpt.org