My name is Kevin Nicholson, and I am the owner of NsTEP Life Care.  I am a physical therapist licensed to practice in Texas, and have over 22 years of experience in the field of physical therapy.  I have completed the professional certificate program in Life Care Planning through Capital University Law School in Columbus, OH, and I am a Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP). 

  In my current full time position, I am the Supervisory Physical Therapist for the Amarillo VA Health Care System.  My interest in life care planning began while providing physical therapy treatment to young veterans returning from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Some of these young men and women were returning home with severe injuries- amputations and spinal cord injuries to name two.  This was my first experience with a younger population of veterans dealing with such serious injuries.  At the same time, many of them were also faced with unemployment, family changes, and sometimes, substance abuse issues.  I began to ask myself "how will these veterans be able to plan for the rest of their life?"  This period of inquiry led me to research an answer to this question.  Over time, and after casual discussion with some of the nurse case managers and social workers that I have worked with over the years, I discovered the field of life care planning.

  As a physical therapist who is also a life care planner, I am able to look at the client from a very practical standpoint– that of function.  Assessing functional deficits is a cornerstone of experienced physical therapy practice, and is a critical part of the life care planning process that NsTEP offers.  With my experience as a physical therapist combined with training and certification as a life care planner, I am able to develop a life care plan that reflects the client’s needs and associated costs related to an injury or illness.