AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
AFH Letter #02-014 Enclosure
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS….
Were the minimum qualifications changed recently?
HB 2444 signed into law on March 28, 2002, eliminated the requirement for
registration with Department of Health. This law also recognizes educational
alternatives to a U.S. high school diploma or GED certificate.
What new minimum qualifications became effective beginning September 1,
2001?
A U.S. high school diploma or general educational development (GED) certificate;
and completion of 320 hours of successful direct caregiving experience obtained
after age 18 to vulnerable adults in a licensed or contracted setting.
What are the educational alternatives?
- Successful completion of government-approved public or private school education in a foreign country that includes an annual average of one thousand hours of instruction over twelve years or no less than twelve thousand hours of instruction;
- A foreign college, foreign university, or United States community college two-year diploma;
- Admission to, or completion of coursework at, a foreign university or college for which credit was granted;
- Admission to, or completion of coursework at, a United States college or university for which credits were awarded;
- Admission to, or completion of postgraduate coursework at, a United States college or university for which credits were awarded; or
- Successful passage of the United States board examination for registered nursing, or any professional medical occupation for which college or university preparation was required.
When do these changes to the minimum qualifications become effective?
The changes are effective immediately.
Do foreign language educational documents need to be translated
into English?
Yes. Any document written in a foreign language must be translated into
English. A language translation service must translate the document and
certify the translation as correct.
Do these changes affect current providers or resident managers
in existing adult family homes?
The change to the requirements, effective immediately, applies to those
persons who apply for a new license as a provider after September 1, 2001.
It also applies to those persons employed as resident managers after September
1, 2001.
Do these changes affect a current provider who seeks a license
for an additional AFH after September 1, 2001?
Currently licensed providers will not be considered a "new provider"
for the purposes of implementing HB 2444, as they were a part of the adult
family home industry prior to this legislation. Current providers may apply
to be a new provider with a license for more than one home without meeting
the changes to the requirements, so long as they meet all other requirements.
Do these changes affect a current resident manager who moves to
another employer after September 1, 2001?
That resident manager would be required to meet the changes to the new qualifications
for resident managers employed after September 1, 2001. The law does not
provide a "grandfather clause" for resident managers who change
employers.
Will the current AFH application be revised to reflect these new
requirements?
Yes. The Business Analysis and Applications Unit at Headquarters is currently
revising the application, and will forward the revised application to Residential
Care Services regional offices.
What is acceptable documentation for the required educational qualifications?
A copy of either a U.S. High School Diploma; GED certificate; foreign high
school, college, or university diploma; transcript of credits granted at
a foreign college or university; U.S. community college (2-year) diploma;
transcript of credits granted at a U.S. college or university; valid Washington
State Registered Nurse license; or valid Washington State license for any
professional medical occupation requiring college or university education.
What is acceptable documentation of caregiving experience?
A completed Caregiver Attestation form by employers or others. The attestation
form verifies the dates of employment and/or volunteer work experience as
a caregiver in a licensed or contracted setting.
The law does not require the experience be for pay, but the law does require
that the experience occurred after age 18.
The caregiver attestation form attests to the fact that the proposed licensee
or resident manager has successfully provided 320 hours of direct caregiving
experience.
The individual who provides verification of the caregiving experience must
also attest that they were in the position to supervise the direct observation.
"Supervise" does not mean that only supervisors may provide verification.
However, it does mean that the individual completing the form was in a position
to personally observe, in an ongoing manner, the applicant's actual caregiving.
The form must also be notarized, and provide accurate address and telephone
contact information for the individual who is completing the form.
If you have more than one reference for the 320 hours of direct caregiving experience, please make copies of the attestation form for each individual who will sign as a notarized reference.
Home and Community Services (HCS) and Division of Developmental
Disabilities (DDD) contract directly with hundreds of individual providers
who have many hours of caregiving experience in client homes. Is this experience
included in the term "contracted setting"?
Yes. However, the caregiving experience must have been supervised.
