The JAG PT New Graduate Mentorship Program consists of providing new PT and OT grads with research-based articles each month along with other educational material on that month’s topic. Every other month educational meetings are scheduled and organized in small groups in a case study curriculum. Here we will encourage our new graduate employees to talk about a case they are seeing in the clinic that relates to the recent topics.
We feel that getting together to discuss testing/screening/treatment options and/or progressions will help build confidence in the clinic and give the opportunity to learn from each other. Additionally, each of our new graduates will be given a mentor in the clinic, the therapist who will be helping you transition to the JAG PT team.
Your mentor will be your point person in the clinic when questions arise with billing, treating, note writing, etc. For the first eight weeks of the mentee’s employment, the new graduate will meet with a mentor on site. Lastly, ongoing external opportunities will be shared. This is on demand learning to grow and continue a clinician’s education on their own schedule.
On-Site
Small Groups
On Demand
Annual Number of Hours of New Graduate Education: 71 hours w/ a gradual increase in patient load
(2.5 hours x 6 = 15 hours in-person meetings, 1 on 1 with mentor = 8 hours, External Opportunities = 48 hours est.
Leadership Team
Kristy Racz, PT, DPT, PCS
Clinical Director, Cedar Knolls
Mentorship Program Co-Coordinator
Kristy Racz graduated from Rutgers Physical Therapy in 2012 with an interest in orthopedic and sports physical therapy. Kristy joined JAG Physical Therapy in 2014, and in 2016, she earned her Orthopedic Specialist Certification. With interests in manual treatments, exercise prescription, Vestibular, and other therapeutic techniques, Kristy has taken many courses to broaden her knowledge and provide the best outcomes for her patients of all ages.
Notable certifications and courses taken:
- Graston
- SFMA
- ICE Physio trained
- American Institute of Balance – Vestibular and Concussion treatment
- Kinesotape
Jonathan Elias, PT DPT, OCS
Associate Director of Rehabilitation
Mentorship Program Co-Coordinator
Jonathan Elias graduated from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in 2013 and began his career in outpatient orthopedic practice. In 2017, Jonathan became a Board-Certified Orthopedic Specialist. Jonathan is now an adjunct professor at a local college, with focus on orthopedic practice and modalities.
Other practice interests include Differential Diagnostics, Vestibular evaluation, and treatment, return to sport treatment, and post-operative care. Jonathan has also worked with other organizations to give guest lectures and in-services in the past few years.
Learning Objectives
Cognitive Functions
- Real Patient Situations
- Professional Literature, Clinical Experience and Patient Input to provide evidence-based interventions
- Assess movement dysfunction and efficiently development
- Properly document physical therapy assessment and plan of care
- Demonstrate legally and ethically sound leadership and management skills in patient care and other situations.
Affective Functions
- Establish professional, respectful, empathic relationships with individuals from a variety of lifestyles, cultures, ages, socioeconomic background, and abilities.
- Develop and maintain effective professional, peer, patients/client and family, and community relationships
- Demonstrate adherence to deadlines and time constraints in practice.
- Practice and delegate responsibilities in a safe, ethical, and legal manner, following guidelines established by federal, state, and local law, JAG Physical Therapy, clinical facilities, the American Physical Therapy Association, and related professional organizations.
- Demonstrate responsibility for self-assessment, professional development, and life-long learning
Psychomotor Functions
- Safely, reliably, and efficiently evaluation and provide interventions that are consistent with currently established best practices to patients across the lifespan.
- Effectively and consistently practice standard precautions.
- Effectively read instructions, manipulate, and safely operate physical therapy equipment and devices
On Demand - External Opportunities
The JAG PT leadership team will ongoingly provide external training opportunities which will be a combination of open programs, where the JAG PT staff can attend training that has been advertised or closed programs, where our JAG PT staff outsource training to be delivered specifically to JAG PT clinicians.
The external opportunities we share gives JAG PT clinicians the opportunity to continue their education and/or to achieve official qualifications and certifications in specialties. Furthermore, by the JAG PT staff continuing their education, it allows JAG PT to promote internally.
Interested in joining the JAG Physical Therapy family? We invite you to visit our careers page to explore available positions and learn more about how you can grow with us.