Adult Family Home Training – Revised Requirements

PDF Version of DQA 12-014  (PDF, 60 KB)

Adult Family Home Training – Revised Requirements

Issue

The purpose of this memorandum is to identify and further clarify the training requirements for adult family home service providers and licensees. This memo also describes the sources of training that are acceptable to the Department.

Adult Family Home Training Requirements

Wisconsin Administrative Code § DHS 88.04(5)(a), states that “the licensee and each service provider shall complete 15 hours of training approved by the licensing agency related to health, safety and welfare of residents, resident rights and treatment appropriate to residents served prior to or within 6 months after starting to provide care.” This training shall include training in fire safety and first aid.

NOTE: Although § DHS 88.04(5)(a) allows for up to 6 months to obtain training, employees must be competent to provide services and treatment appropriate to meet the needs of the residents. Allowing staff who are not adequately trained to work in the adult family home may result in a condition that puts the health, safety and welfare of the residents at risk. Per § DHS 88.04(2)(f), “the licensee may not permit the existence or continuation of a condition in the home which places the health, safety or welfare of a resident at substantial risk of harm.”

Section DHS 88.04(5)(b) states in part that “the licensee and each service provider shall complete 8 hours of training approved by the licensing agency related to the health, safety, welfare, rights and treatment of residents every year beginning with the calendar year after the year in which the initial training is received.”

Section DHS 88.09(2)(a) states in part that “the licensee shall maintain and keep up-to-date a separate personnel record for each service provider. The licensee shall ensure that all service provider records are adequately safeguarded against destruction, loss, or unauthorized use. A service provider record shall include all of the following:

1. Name and address.

2. Social security number.

3. Date of birth.

4. Beginning date of employment.

5. Job-related experience and training.

6. Educational qualifications.

7. Job description.

8. Documentation of successful completion of the training requirements under s.DHS 88.04(5).

9. The results of screening for communicable disease.

10. Description of any disciplinary action.

11. Date of discharge or resignation.”

Discussion

1. Question: What is considered “training approved by the licensing agency related to health, safety and welfare of residents, resident rights and treatment appropriate to residents served”?

Answer: Approved training includes:

• Training in standard precautions, fire safety, first aid and choking, or medication administration provided by a Department approved trainer for community based residential facility (CBRF) training. The name of the person who received the training must be included on the CBRF training registry. (See Question #4 below.)

• Training provided by a recognized training entity or an entity with expertise in the subject area (for example: technical college, university, Red Cross, American Heart Association, fire department, hospital or other health care provider, public health department).

• Training provided by a managed care organization (MCO) or county human services department.

• Training provided by an advocacy agency such as the Board on Aging and Long Term Care Ombudsman or Disability Rights Wisconsin.

• Training provided by a trainer or consultant with expertise in the subject area. Acceptable documentation of the trainer’s credentials would include, but is not limited to: Documentation such as a license or certificate (i.e., RN or LPN license, EMT certification); a valid Instructor Card issued from American Red Cross, American Heart Association; a resume showing experience/knowledge in the subject area. The Department will accept a broad spectrum of documentation that supports an individual’s knowledge and expertise in the topic area.

• CBRF training programs that were approved prior to April 1, 2009. The Department will not accept training in standard precautions, fire safety, first aid/choking and medication administration taken on or after April 1, 2010, from instructors who were approved prior to April 1, 2009. Previously approved CBRF training programs may be found at: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/rl_dsl/CBRF/prevAprvdTrgProgs.htm

2. Question: Do fire safety and first aid courses required under § DHS 88.04(5)(a) need to be courses approved for CBRFs?

Answer: No. Fire safety and first aid courses that are taught by Department approved CBRF trainers will be accepted IF the student is on the CBRF training registry. However, other sources of fire safety and first aid training are also acceptable, as noted in Question #1.

3. Question: What is accepted as 8 hours per year of training approved by the licensing agency related to the health, safety, and welfare, rights and treatment of residents?

Answer: The Department will review documented training to determine the appropriateness of the training. Appropriate training for adult family home service providers and licensees could include:

• Medications and medication administration

• Standard precautions

• First aid and procedures to alleviate choking

• Fire safety and emergency procedures

• Resident rights

• Prevention and reporting of abuse, neglect and misappropriation of resident property

• Provision of personal care

• Needs of the client group served

• Challenging behaviors

4. Question: What documentation is required to be available as evidence of initial and ongoing training?

Answer: As stated in Question #1 above, if the person has completed training in standard precautions, fire safety, first aid and choking, or medication administration provided by a Department approved trainer for CBRF training on or after April 1, 2010, the person MUST be included on the CBRF training registry. For all other training, the personnel record must include the name of the employee, the name of the instructor, a description of the training content, date of training, and the length of the training.

For additional information regarding approved CBRF trainers and the CBRF training registry please visit: http://www.uwosh.edu/ccdet/CBRF/index.htm

5. Question: Is online training acceptable?

Answer: Online training, webcasts and videos are acceptable formats for presenting information. The source of the training needs to be a recognized entity or trainer with experience in the subject area (see Question #1). Training provided by these methods must be documented in the employee’s personnel records as stated in Question #4.

Contact Information

If you have questions regarding this memo, please contact the appropriate regional office for the county in which your facility is located.

Contact information can be found at the following website: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/rl_dsl/Contacts/ALSreglmap.htm

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Last Updated: August 22, 2012