If you are interested in residential care administration in California, it’s important to understand what is required for license. In California, administrative licensing is tied to the type of facility you work in. Getting an initial certification for RCFE administrators will be necessary regardless of the type of experience you may have, although requirements may differ if you are already a licensed administrator in other types of care environments.
Applicants must complete an initial 80-hour certification program that is provided by an approved vendor through the Administrator Certification Section of the California Community Care Licensing Division. These classes can be provided in an online or classroom environment. However, if you already have a Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) license, you will only need to take 12 hours of courses related to laws, policies and procedures related to RCFs, use, misuse, and interactions of medications common to residential settings, and admission, retention and assessment procedures. Of course, the critical step for getting an initial certification for RCFE administrators will be taking the exam.
Applicants must pass the exam with a 70% passing grade. They receive three attempts to pass the exam; however, those three attempts must be made within sixty days of taking the certification course. For this reason, there are many test preparation companies that help prospective administrators practice for this exam. The exam is typically scored within seven days and the applicant is generally notified within fourteen days by mail of his or her test results.
A copy of test scores, a completed application, the application fee, verification of completed education and/or other licenses, signed requests for criminal record checks, are mailed to the Administrative Certification Section and your certification is complete. Obtaining initial certification for RCFE administrators is no more or less complicated than licensure for any other profession. It is simply a matter of understanding the process. However, like any other profession, test preparation is critical, as is choosing a good vendor for your initial certification program, so be sure you do your homework.
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