Are you interested in animal rehabilitation? At this year’s Assembly of Representatives, the IPTA solidified its support that PTs and PTAs can contribute to the welfare of our non human animals, providing they meet appropriate educational standards and training specific to veterinary care.
We are working to partner with the Illinois Veterinary Society as well as other professions who would like to be able to provide more services to animals to adopt educational standards similar to those developed by the APTA’s Orthopedic Section through their Animal Rehabilitation Special Interest Group. You can review those standards here:
https://www.orthopt.org/uploads/content_files/files/Clinical%20Practice%20Standards_Animal%20PT_ARSIG_Board%20Approved_April%202019.pdf
IPTA is currently recruiting PT and PTA members who have and interest/expertise in animal rehabilitation to participate in meetings that could help to shape animal rehab practice in Illinois and potentially lead to passage of regulations that will govern animal rehabilitation. We anticipate this work could be completed in 1 – 2 years and ask that participants commit to seeing this project through completion.
If you are interested in being part of this, simply complete the application and submit in order to be considered for appointment by the Board of Directors.
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The Animal Rehabilitation Workgroup is being formed by the IPTA Board of Directors for the purpose of fulfilling the following objectives of the 2019-2020 Strategic Plan:
Goal 2: IPTA will help to transform the delivery of health care.
4. Explore opportunities for expansion in the physical therapy scope of practice.
b. Partner with the Illinois Veterinary Society to explore development of educational standards for PTs treating animals.
Measure: Agreed standards by the end of 2020.
Tasks
The workgroup is tasked with completing following according to the timeline provided:
This initiative is pending the decision by the Illinois Veterinary Society whether to accept our invitation to collaborate. They have been provided with copies of our Assembly motions as well as the recently released animal rehabilitation educational standards developed by the Orthopedic Section’s Animal Rehab SIG. Our invitation included a proposal to develop educational standards that would apply to all licensed health care professionals seeking to work with animals without having a degree/licensure in veterinary medicine.
Accountability
The workgroup is accountable to the Board of Directors.
Constituency
Members appointed by the President and approved by the Board. Colleen Flannery will serve as the staff liaison to the workgroup. Mike Riley will serve as the Board Champion and liaison between the workgroup and Board. The workgroup will seek input from others as needed to complete their tasks.
Resources:
If any funds are needed then a request with justification should be submitted to IPTA President. Additional resources should be requested through the assigned staff member (space, staff support, funds, information, etc). A response to the request (approval or options) will be provided within 48 hours.
Meetings:
The wor group will determine the number, frequency, location/format of meetings. The Chair of the work group is responsible for preparing meeting agendas, assigning responsibilities, tracking progress and completion of tasks, and preparing interim reports to the Board as requested. The Chair will work with the assigned IPTA staff member to prepare and distribute materials in advance of each meeting.
Records:
The workgroup will appoint a member to keep meeting notes. Meeting notes and all related documents will become part of the IPTA Archives.