Physical Therapist Assistant

The Health Federation of Philadelphia; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical with vision benefits

Flexible spending accounts

Life, AD&D insurance

Disability insurance

403(b) Retirement Plan

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

The Health Federation of Philadelphia seeks a full-time Physical Therapist Assistant to join the Ambulatory Health Services team within the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

The PTA will contribute to an integrated primary care model, support chronic condition management, and collaborate with an interprofessional team to deliver patient-centered care.

This position starts October 2026 and offers a comprehensive benefits package and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited program.
• Fully licensed PTA in the State of Pennsylvania.
• 1 year of experience with complex populations preferred.

Responsibilities

• PTA provides treatment of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions for primary care patients under supervision of a PT.
• Collaborates with PT, medical, behavioral health, support staff, patients, family, and others in Integrated Care.
• Ensures patient engagement, safety, and quality of life in day-to-day PTA activities.
• Supports care plans, patient education, and self-management tools.
• Documents care and coordinates referrals with the care team.

Skills

Interprofessional teamwork

Chronic disease management

Mental health awareness

Trauma-informed care

Anti-disparate practices

EHRs

Translation services

Bilingual/Multilingual desirable

Under-resourced populations

Communication

Education

CAPTE-accredited PTA program

PA PTA license

Tools

EHRs

Job description

The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to promote community health by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, comprehensive health and human services.We believe in and are firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status. This commitment applies to all aspects of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promotion.

JOB SUMMARY

Ambulatory Health Services (AHS) within the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) seeks a full-time Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) to serve as a member of the primary care team in a municipal health clinic. The ideal candidate demonstrates our key values:

• Mutual Thriving: Patient thriving is fostered by compassionate providers, individualized care, curiosity, clear communication, empowerment, education, and skill development within a caring and pleasant environment. Patients should feel heard, respected, and trusting towards providers. Provider thriving is fostered by purposeful and rewarding work, patient and community centered models of care, interprofessional collaboration, and development of expertise within a caring and pleasant environment. Providers should feel valued and appreciated, and in turn should extend compassion towards patients and colleagues.
• Complexity-Capable Clinical Reasoning: Addressing complexity that spans the biopsychosocial spectrum requires creative and collaborative application of evidence tailored for each individual patient. Care plans are based on evidence from wide-ranging areas of study, adapt to evolving needs, and are grounded in practical patient-, family-, and community-centered care. Goals of care are centered on skill building, self-efficacy, and living well with chronic conditions. Providers should feel energized by complexity and excited to problem-solve with their patients. Patients should feel cared for as a whole and empowered with knowledge and self-management skills.
• Mission-Aligned Practice: Aligning practice, conduct, and professional development with the mission and vision of PDPH and AHS to promote dignity, partnership, and improved health outcomes for the people and communities we serve.

This position will start in October, 2026.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Responsibilities/Duties

• PTAprovidestreatmentof musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditionsfor primary care patientsof all ages, both walk-in and scheduled, under the supervision of a Physical Therapist (PT):
  • Managing and applying principles of therapeuticand preventativeinterventions for patients with chronicand acuteconditions.
  • Supportingbehavior change, self-efficacy,and skill building.
  • Recommendingexercise, activityadaptation, education, andtools forself-managementincluding non-pharmacological pain management.
  • Assessing and building uponpatientstrengths, coping skills,and preferences.
  • Using contextual factors and pragmatism toinformclinical reasoning and execution of established plan of care.
  • Combining evidence and individualization to guide practice.
• PTAserves patients in an Integrated Carecapacity:
  • Collaborating as needed withPT, medical, behavioral health,support staff,patients, family, community,and others.
  • Supporting management of chronic conditions.
  • Treating the whole patient and all factors affecting their movement and function according to the plan of care.
• The employee is responsible for the day-to-day activity of the PTservice:
  • Securing andmaintainingthe patient’s engagement, safety, andquality of life.
  • Interprofessional coordination and communication.
  • Trauma-informed, anti-disparate, and patient/family/communitycentered practices.

Education

Physical Therapist Assistant associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited program

Fully licensed PTA in the State of Pennsylvania

Skills/Experience

1yearof experience with complex populations preferred

Knowledge and experience preferred in the following areas:

• Collaborating within interprofessional teams
• Under resourced populations
• Chronic medical conditions
• Mental health conditions
• Patient/family/communitycentered care
• Trauma-informed care
• Anti-disparate practices
• EHRs
• Experience using translation services
• Ability tocommunicate in anotherlanguage in addition to English desirable but not required

Work Environment:

Standard PT clinic within primary care setting.

Position Type and Work Schedule:

Fulltime position, Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, or as assigned. Future possibility forevening hours once a weekand/or Saturday mornings once a monthas PT program grows.

Travel:

Daily work is at one location or between 2 locations. Occasional travel for meetings or to cover providers at other sites.

Physical Demands:

Sitting, walking, and standing. Computer work. Able to demonstrate exercises and move/set up equipment. Patient management and safety (transfers, falls prevention).

Salary and Benefits

Our employees are our most valuable resource, so we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, which can include:

• Medical with vision benefits
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life, AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
• Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
• Employee Assistance Program

Eligibility and participation is handled consistent with the plan documents and HFP policy.

DISCLAIMER

The Health Federation reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Company desires. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an employee assigned to this position. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, responsibilities and/or skills to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied, or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “at will.” The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified disabled individuals.

Position Title: Physical Therapist Assistant

Organization: Philadelphia Department of Public Health