General Information
Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Region is proud to offer a clinical fellowship designed to provide highly trained physical therapists with advanced knowledge and have experience with a concentrated clinical environment.
The multi-disciplinary curriculum of this fellowship is designed to provide physical therapists with the opportunity to receive advanced training from pain researchers, physicians, pain psychologist, and clinicians that specialize in management of persistent pain in the areas of pain neuroscience, pain psychology, medical management and interventions, manual therapy, movement science, sleep medicine and nutrition This program utilizes a broad-based, eclectic curriculum that will provide graduates with the ability to integrate advanced knowledge and skills related to pain neuroscience and psychology with advanced skills in orthopaedic physical therapy, movement analysis, motor control, and biomechanics to patients with acute to chronic pain. Our program prefers the small group classrooms and lab training sessions. Our one-on-one clinical supervision model allows our clinical faculty the ability to focus their instruction on the individual needs of each fellow. This program is not accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association.
This fellowship begins the last week of February or first week of March of each year and runs for 52 consecutive weeks. The clinical training in this fellowship program is fulfilled in two ten-hour days per week and the classroom and lab training occurs during the weekend sessions coursework through the University of South Australia, 38 weekend days and 2 weekdays. This format allows the fellows the time and flexibility to maintain or pursue their individual research, academic, clinical practice or personal commitments. Up to 3 fellows are accepted to participate in the program each year. Fellows are employed and provides patient care at the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles and Woodland Hills facilities, The fellows are paid for the hours that they provide patient care at the Clinical Specialist Fellow rate (In 2022, the minimum pay rate for a fellow is $49.449/hour with benefits, or $59.338/hour without benefits). The registration fee for the program is $3000.00.
Curriculum Outline
Each fellow receives:
- 516 hours of classroom/lab instruction (Includes Online coursework – Certificate in Pain Science program from University of Australia)
- A minimum of 132 hours of 1:1 supervision while treating patients
- A minimum of 948 hours of unsupervised clinical practice with a clinic preceptor available (Includes time working at free clinic)
The content of the classroom instruction in this fellowship encompasses the following areas:
- Pain Neuroscience Education
- Integrated Clinical Management of the Pain Patient
- Pain Psychology- Acceptance Commitment Therapy
- Graded Exposure/Graded Motor Imagery
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Medical Management and Pain Interventions
- Sleep Medicine
- Nutrition
- Clinical Reasoning
- Advanced Medical Screening
- Movement Analysis
- Motor Learning
- Motor Coordination
- Manual examination and treatment of the spine
- Kinesiology/Clinical Biomechanics
- Movement Impairment Syndromes
- Gait/Human Locomotion
- Clinical research
The director of the program is Aleem Dinani MPT.
The coordinator of the curriculum of the program is Jason Tonley DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
Prospective Applicants
All applications for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Persistent Pain Fellowship will be submitted directly to the program. Please click on the application link below to download the application.
Persistent Pain Fellowship Application
Letters of Recommendation
Your letters of recommendation will be directly submitted to the program coordinator. Please use the link the below to download the program letter of recommendation. Completed letter of recommendation should be submitted by email to Jason.C.Tonley@kp.org
*** You are encouraged to follow up with the author to ensure the letter is completed and submitted.
Application Evaluative Criteria
The applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee consisting of the Department Administrator(s), Clinical Faculty, and Chiefs of Service of the Kaiser Permanente Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department where your application is submitted.
- Academic
- Post graduate training
- Clinical experience in orthopaedic physical therapy
- Teaching experience
- Research experience
- Community Service
Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and disability or health status.
Minimal eligibility requirements for acceptance into the program include:
- Licensure as a Physical Therapist by the Physical Therapy Board of California.
- Comply with all Kaiser Permanente employment requirements.
- Completed 2 years of clinic practice or,
- Complete an accredited Physical Therapy Residency or Fellowship Program or equivalent training
Desirable applicants include those who…
- Have completed a clinical residency in orthopaedic physical therapy.
- Have attained Board Certification as a Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy.
- Possess superior verbal and written communication skills.
- Have experience with being a clinical supervisor of therapists and therapy interns.
- Have experience in data collection, analysis, and publication.
- Have participated in activities that have positively addressed a need in the community.
The application deadline is September 30th of each year.
Download 2024/25 Fellowship Handbook
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Aleem Dinani MPT | Program Director
Jason Tonley DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT | Program Coordinator
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
Program Graduation Rate:
- Since 2019:
- Enrolled: 14 Fellows
- Graduated: 11 Fellows
- Graduation Rate: 100%