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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 2 Credentialed Trainer Course — Call for Applications

When can I apply?
The application will be open from Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 to Friday, March 21st, 2025.

Dates: Aug. 21-23, 2025 (Thursday - Saturday)
Location: APTA HQ, Alexandria, VA.

Applications are now being accepted for individuals who are interested in becoming Level 2 Credentialed Trainers of APTAs CCIP. The course provides qualified clinical instructors with advanced teaching and instructional capabilities. Upon completion, the participant will be awarded a five-year Clinical Trainer Credential based on the candidates' successfully meeting established criteria as reflected by faculty evaluations, demonstrating the ability to accurately self-assess, and achieving established performance criteria. Upon receiving the Level 2 Credentialed Clinical Trainer status trainers are authorized to coordinate and conduct Level 2 CCIP courses at their discretion.

The course will be two and a half days in person. To be eligible to receive the Level 2 Trainer credential participants must complete the entire in-person course.

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 acceptance into the course. All applications will be reviewed by an advisory workgroup comprised of experienced course trainers, and selections will be made based on strength of application and needs of the program.

Trainer course costs:

  • Application fee: $50 (nonrefundable).
  • Course fee: $450 (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 Level 1 Trainer for a minimum of three years and successfully having completed one portfolio renewal without conditional status.
  • Successfully completed an APTA CCIP Level 2 Course.
  • Commitment and willingness to provide ongoing Level 1 and 2 training of clinical educators for a minimum of five years. The teaching requirements listed below must be completed between January 1st, 2026 through December 31st, 2030:
    • Two Level 1 courses
    • Two Level 2 courses
    • An additional Level 1 or 2 course.
    • 50 participants
    • Independently teach all sections in both Level 1 and 2 courses
    • Manage both Level 1 and 2 Assessment Centers
  • Access to a viable mechanism for the provision of CCIP courses.
  • Evidence of additional active teaching and learning experiences
    • Ex: CEUs, Job Training (Promotions), Mentoring, etc.

Upon acceptance, applicants are required to commit to completing a refresher CCIP Level 2 Course. If you have taken the course in the past 3 years you are not required to take it again, however you are still welcome to sit in the free course listed below. If required to retake the CCIP Level 2 Course, individuals must plan to:

  • Participate in a FREE CCIP Level 2 course, sponsored by the Trainer Course Faculty (attendance at all five sessions required):
    • July 8, 10, 15, 17 and 22, 2025; 6:00 – 10:00 pm Eastern Time
  • If attending these course dates is not feasible, contact ccip@apta.org to explore alternative options for completing this CCIP Level 2 Course requirement.

To access the application, visit ccip.apta.org. 

Your application must include:

  • One trainer recommendation from your supervisor.

The recommender will receive a form to complete. Recommendation letters are not needed. 

Once you complete the application, all recommendations are received, and upload a copy of your license, 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.

Post Trainer Course Expectations

Provide, independently or team-teach, a minimum of five voluntary APTA courses to a minimum of 50 persons within five years. The trainer must teach:

  1. at least two Level 1 courses.
  2. at least two Level 2 courses.
  3. the remaining course(s) may be either Level 1 or Level 2.

Independently teach all sections of the Level 1 course and all sections of the Level 2 course and manage both Assessment Centers.

Evidence of additional active teaching and learning experiences

  • Ex: CEUs, Job Training (Promotions), Mentoring, etc.

Maintain access to a viable mechanism of support

Ex: consortia, academic institution, employer/clinical facility, etc.

 

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