Expired? Certification or Continuing Education?
Are you coming up for your administrator renewal, or has time caught up with you and you’ve found yourself expired? What does the state require? Do you need certification or continuing education? Many times I have been asked, “Which program should I take?” or “I’ve been expired for one year, and do I need to start my certification all over?”
The Department of Social Services requires administrators to complete forty (40) hours of continuing education every two (2) years. As an RCFE provider, regulations require eight (8) of the forty (40) hours on dementia-related subjects.
Continuing education can be taken in many different formats: live, online, webinar, or conference settings such as Community Education’s routine mini-conferences. It is best to take your continuing education through a vendor approved by the Department of Social Services. From time-to-time I speak with providers who have taken their hours through an unknown company, and when they submitted their hours they are denied due to that company not being an approved vendor. Unfortunately, at that time the provider is usually expired and now facing a fee of $300.00 to renew. Best practice is to take your hours throughout your two-year certification period. Below is a quick guide that will assist you in understanding the process.
Once certified, how do I maintain my certification?
- Within the two (2) year certification period, you must complete forty (40) hours of continuing education in order to renew your certification.
- Administrators that are expired, but fall within four years of their expiration, are required to take continuing education for each two-year period expired.
- Key word: EXPIRED - Four-year period starts once you expire.
Sir/Madam, I finished my 40 hours last year and did all the required proceedings to renew my administrator, my problem is I was told to renew it before the January/2008. and I did because it was expired, May 2005. I paid the penalty and send all the documents and I even have my certification for the new law about the Medications training, I completed it before December and to my understanding I sent and I have the receipt that it was received last December 5, 2007 at the Sacramento, administration office. I called last week to find out what`s the problem and I haven’t had any idea yet! Can you send me advice on this one? My understanding is that it`s not yet 4 years expired! Anyway I paid the penalty! please help me to find out! Thank you very much, I hoped you will forgive me for this is really a long messages!
In response to Estelita’s blog, I also renewed after expiring (I had been expired for one year and had not been working in an ARF), but I never received a renewal certificate of any kind and am not sure if I should have. I have the documents stating that I completed the 40 hours of recertification, but that’s all. Any help on this? Thank you!
Estelita,
I see you were expired in May of 2005, this means you would have needed forty hours from 2003 to 2005 and another forty hours from 2005 to 2007. This totaling 80 hours of continuing education along with a $300 processing fee. If you are an RCFE provider you would be required to have eight dementia hours for each renewal period (16 dementia hours total).
As for the medication requirement, please note this requirement is only required for RCFE providers and is not required as part of your continuing education. Community Education has received approvals for our Basic Medication class which offers eight continuing education units for ARF, RCFE and Group Home administrators.
My suggestion is to contact the Department of Social Services, Certification Section at (916) 324-3755 and leave a daytime number where you can be reached. If you would like to discuss this further please fell free to call the office at any time.
Jennifer,
As long as you completed the appropriate amount of hours and paid your processing/penalty fee you should have received a renewal certificate. I suggest you contact the Department of Social Services, Certification Section at (916) 324-3755. Please be prepared to provide them with your certification number or Social Security number and they can go directly to your file and see where you stand.
Note: Application for Administrator Re-Certification form - LIC9215
LIC9215 - http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb/entres/forms/English/LIC9215.PDF
I paid another 8 hours for this year from continuing ed so I need another 32 hours to pay for this year is that what you mean? And I`ve seen the Caregiver Professionals, can you explain what this means? Do you mean we can be professionals and study this as another education?
Estelita,
Before you pay for additional classes you should contact DSS to see exactly where you stand. As for the Caregiver Professional it simply identifies our blog site, we do not offer a professional caregiver certificate class at this time.
My certificate expired at 1005 of May and my sister expired the same year but January and we both did attend our 40 hrs last year, and we both paid the penalty and recertification due, mine I did not received the renewed certification, I did forgot to submit my Medication certification as additionala and my finger print and my four digit # if I send it will I received my new certificate? Actually I have a new paid 8 hrs continuing Education but I plan for this to attend this march but it`s for my next 2 yrs advance.
Typical error 2005, it expires and my understanding is and if I remember correctly I did called licencing about it and I was advised to pay my penalty and attend 40 hrs cause 80 hrs is if it`s 4 yrs expired! it`s only 2 years expired last year! And I renewed it last year! Not this year!
Estelita,
Please call our office at 800-321-1727 and we can discuss this further. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ed
[...] Edward Garza wrote an interesting post today on Expired? Certification or Continuing Education?Here’s a quick excerptAre you coming up for your administrator renewal, or has time caught up with you and you’ve found yourself expired? What does the state require? Do you need certification or continuing education? Many times I have been asked, … [...]