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HCBS Final Rule

Course Summary

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Final Rule ensures individuals have full access to the benefits of community living and the opportunity to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate. The purpose of the rules is to ensure that individuals receive services in settings that are integrated with and support full access to the greater community. This includes opportunities to seek employment and work in competitive and integrated settings, engage in community life, control personal resources, and receive services to the same degree as individuals who do not receive regional center services.

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) rules enacted in 2013 ensure that people with disabilities have full access to and enjoy the benefits of community living through long-term services and support in the most integrated settings of their choosing. The thrust of this online course is for providers to understand what HCBS looks like in everyday life. The course does not cover the many deadlines and compliance mandates. The written and video content are as timely now as when this course was first created.

Course Objectives

Gain knowledge of the HCBS requirements and best practices

Steps to becoming HCBS compliant

Gain knowledge of the special HCBS rules as the rules apply to residential settings.

 

Criminal Record Clearance: Laws and Regs

Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz.  You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.

Course Description
This five-hour online course covers Title 22 regulations for criminal background clearance for employees and live-in residents at CCL facilities. Each step is examined, from live-scan fingerprinting, to the declaration form, to the often misunderstood requirement for exemptions. Lessons also cover in detail how clearance and exemptions can be transferred from one licensed facility to another.

The purpose of criminal clearance is to prevent the exploitation, criminal abuse, and neglect of clients who live in residential care. The criminal background check process comes alive for the student through a look at real cases from the administrative law section of DSS. Administrative hearings adjudicate decisions on exemptions and the revocation of licenses. Finally, a course on criminal record clearance would not be complete without a survey of crimes committed in CCL facilities.

Medication Assistance Rights, Storage and PRN: Laws and Reg Course

Many clients require medication as part of their health care plan. There are many risks associated with medication such as harmful interactions, receiving the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, or taking medications at the wrong time or via the wrong route. Community Care licensing regulations are specific in how medications are stored and staff assist clients in taking their medication. Administrators are responsible for ensuring that staff under their charge are properly training in the self-administration, rights, and protocols associated with the medication.

Course Objectives:
Knowledge of rules regarding administration of medication; awareness of the right to refuse; ability to foster compliance and deter non-compliance
Understanding refills and dosage changes; avoidance of medication errors and adverse drug interactions
Familiarity with medication labels, packaging, and proper storage and disposal practices
Awareness of PRN and over-the-counter medication requirements
Have knowledge of record-keeping and communication
Comprehension of the “Seven Rights,” common ailments of the developmentally disabled, and chemical restraint restrictions

Sexual Harassment

NOT APPROVED FOR STRTP

Course Summary

Sexual Harassment in the workplace is a sensitive issue that can marginalize employees and be costly to employers. The Me Too movement has ignited a sea change in cultural attitudes re what is acceptable behavior at the workplace. Many high-profile legal cases such as Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby have focused attention on how employers have used their power to harass and exploit mostly female employees. Students will learn what behaviors constitute harassment and the importance of developing policies and ongoing training to prevent it. Course content focuses on definitions, harassment policies, scenarios, legal consequences, and best practices for responding to complaints.

This online course satisfies the California law that employees and supervisors receive sexual harassment training.
California employers with five or more employees must provide harassment prevention training to all employees by the end of 2020. Two hours of training is required for supervisors and one hour for non-supervisory employees. Training must take place within six months of hire or promotion and every two years thereafter (SB 1343).

Course Objectives:

Know what constitutes sexual harassment and abusive conduct

Understand the legal definition of sexual harassment

Become familiar with laws regarding sexual harassment

Study sample harassment and abuse policies and scenarios

Know how to safely and effectively report sexual harassment and abusive conduct

Learn techniques for preventing sexual harassment and abusive conduct

Gain an understanding of current events involving sexual harassment

Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz. You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.

Measles Outbreak

Measles is a serious disease that can lead to devastating medical complications and suffering. Measles Outbreak covers the course and symptoms of measles and how medical science successfully eradicated the disease in 2002.  Within the last decade measles has come back due to declining vaccinations rates.  California legislation has eliminated personal exemptions and instituted  increased oversight of medical exemptions. Administrators should be familiar with measles and ensure that all clients and staff are vaccinated.

Course Objectives:
Become familiar with the course symptoms, cause, and treatment of measles.

Understand how measles is transmitted.

Learn the history of measles and the public health effort to eradicate the disease.
Become familiar with recent outbreaks across the country in the last five years and in particular 2019.

Gain knowledge of  the science behind the development of the measles vaccine and the importance of maintaining high rates in all communities.

Gain knowledge of why infants must wait until one year prior to being vaccinated.

Gain a deeper understanding of the success of the  anti-vaccination movement  in convincing parents to not vaccinate their children.

Get up to date on California’s vaccination laws.

Complaints Deficiencies and Corrections: Laws and Reg Course

Title 22 regulations from water temperature, TB tests, and personal rights are in place to protect the health and safety of clients.  The last thing an administrator wants to contend with is an inspection by a Licensed Progam Analyst.   By studying real-life inspections drawn from the   CCL website, the administrator will learn just how facilities are evaluated and the consequences that follow.  Each lesson details actual facility reports organized by the allegation, deficiency, along with the correction pan, and how to maintain compliance.  By viewing deficiencies and complaints across both Adult Residential and Elderly facilities the administrator is in a better position to catch and remedy deficiencies quickly before an LPA does.

Course Objectives:

Understand how the LPA evaluates a facility.

Use facility reports identifying areas of concern in their own facility.

Ensure their own facility is ready for any unannounced or complaint inspection.

Develop a more hands-on working knowledge of how the regulations are enforced.

Students are encouraged to use the Self Assessment Guides below as course companions.

Assessment Guides
Students may want to use the Assessment Tools published by Community Care Licensing to evaluate their own facility.

Adult Residential Self Assessment Guide

RCFE Self Assessment Guide

ARF Key Indicator Tool

ARF Key Indicator Tool 2

Abuse Reporting: Regulation Course

Taking this course again? Click this button.

This course is not approved for ARF, GH, or STRTP.

Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz. You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.

The objectives of the course are:
Learn who is a mandated reporter.
Learn what are your legal responsibilities as a mandated reporter.
Learn what are the reporting exemptions.
Learn to identify the different types of abuse:
Physical
Financial
Psychological
Learn how reports of abuse are investigated.
Learn how to report and 2013 guidelines for physical abuse.
Learn the penalties for not reporting and protections for reporters.

Source Material
“Article 3. Mandatory and Nonmandatory Reports of Abuse [15630 – 15632].” California Legislative Information, 1 Jan. 1995,
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=WIC&division=9.&title=&part=3.&chapter=11.&article=3

“Regional Center Contract Language Fiscal Year 2022-2023.” State of California Department of Development Services, Dec. 2022,
www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Standard_RC_Contract_FY_22_23.pdf.

“Your Legal Duty: Reporting Elder and Adult Dependent Abuse.” California Attorney General’s Crime Office  and State of California Department of Justice-Office of the Attorney General, 2024,
oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/bmfea/yld_text.pdf

Sex and Dementia

Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz.  You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.

Sex and Dementia
This course focuses on dementia and sexuality, intimacy, and sexual behavior in care homes—a subject which remains one of the last taboos of long-term care. The onset of old age or a cognitive impairment does not erase the need for affection, intimacy, and/or relationships, and yet this aspect of aging has often been ignored and sidelined in policy and practice.

While the issues involved can be complex, controversial, and sensitive, and may challenge our own beliefs and value system, it is essential that we understand more about them to foster a more person-centered approach to dementia care. Care home residents with dementia often have complex care needs and trying to understand and respond to the more intimate and sexual aspects of a resident’s personality can be challenging.
This course will also aim to challenge negative attitudes and misconceptions about older people with dementia and their sexuality.

There is a common belief that older people do not engage in or enjoy sexual activity. This belief ignores the fact that all human beings have the capacity and need to express their sexuality no matter their age or disability. Sexual expression is more than a physical sex act; it is the essence of what makes us male and female. The course objective is to provide care providers with the knowledge to enable sexual expression in people suffering from dementia in a meaningful way without loss of dignity or self-esteem.

How do we provide care to individuals with dementia that encompasses the need for sexual expression without putting our own values, feelings, and constraints on the person? Care providers are often in a difficult position of having to judge what is acceptable behavior. These decisions may cause distress to either the person with dementia or their families. It is hoped that this course will shed light on this difficult topic by a deeper look at the meaning and expression of sexuality in dementia.

Natural Supports

Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz.  You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.

Natural Supports
Natural supports can come from family, friends, work, community, or other areas. These supports can be instrumental in helping a person to assimilate into the community or workforce and can improve chances for success and fulfillment. This course will look at the benefits that natural supports can bring to individuals on the job and at home. Case studies will illustrate examples of natural supports in action in the community and the workplace.

The objectives of the course are:
To define and explain the concept of natural supports.
To explore different ways of generating and developing support.
To consider factors such as natural cues, circles of support, and optimal communities
To provide working examples of natural supports and their results.
To understand the issue of stigma and the need for acceptance.
To provide effective methods for creating and cultivating natural supports at work.
To discuss natural supports in the realms of friendship and sexuality.

 

HIPAA Compliance

Administrators and staff who work in residential care facilities are charged with maintaining healthcare records of their residents. HIPAA rules are usually associated with healthcare facilities such as hospitals and physician practices. A Google search of HIPAA shows little to no information on how HIPAA applies to nonmedical entities such as community care facilities. Administrators will learn what HIPAA is and their responsibility in protecting the privacy  resident’s  health care records.

Objectives:

Gain knowledge of the purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule

Identify how HIPAA applies to administrators of residential care homes

Review basic HIPAA definitions

Apply HIPAA basics in the practice setting

Understand exactly what a privacy breach is and how to implement policies of prevention

Gain knowledge of how social media sharing, messaging, and internet usage can violate HIPAA rules

Abuse Reporting and Prevention: RC Zero Tolerance

THIS COURSE IS NOT APPROVED FOR RCFE
APPROVED FOR ARF ONLY

This course is not approved for GH or STRTP.

Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz. You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.

Forced Timer
The CCL ACS section requires all lessons to be on a forced timer. A forced timer means that the user cannot move forward and click complete until the timer has completed. For example, a lesson may be on a forced timer for 5 minutes. You must wait until 5 minutes have passed before marking the lesson complete. If you mark complete prior to the time allotted the timer will begin again.

Abuse Reporting and Prevention: RC Zero Tolerance
Failure to report elder or dependent adult abuse in long-term health care facilities is a crime. California law Welfare and Institution Code Section 1502, requires all community care facility to provide training to all staff in recognizing and reporting abuse. “Your Legal Duty to Report Abuse curriculum was created in 1999 by Department of Social Service, DHS, and Department of Justice to implement this training mandate. The current online courses supplement the original curriculum by addressing key gaps in the content.

Developmental Disability
The original curriculum focuses largely on elderly aspects of abuse. There is little mention of adult dependent abuse and sexual abuse of developmentally disabled individuals. The current course includes both video and text specific to the abuse of developmentally disabled individuals.

2013 Changes
Since 1999 there has been one change in the law in 2013. Known as the Elder and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (W&I 15600). The law added “serious bodily injury to the definition of Elder and Dependent Abuse. The law requires providers to contact law enforcement within two hours of observing, obtaining knowledge or suspecting physical abuse.

In 2013 DDS Required All Regional Centers to Implement a Zero Tolerance Policy for Abuse Reporting. In the Regional Center Contract, Language DDS requires that all vendors be notified annually of the Zero Tolerance for Abuse Policy. The contract is specific in requiring that all vendors are mandated reporters and follow the Welfare and Institution Code 15630 – 15632 reporting requirements. The current online course incorporates this additional reporting requirement for Regional Center vendors.

The objectives of the course are:
Learn who is a mandated reporter.
Learn what are your legal responsibilities as a mandated reporter.
Learn what are the reporting exemptions.
Learn to identify the different types of abuse:
Physical
Financial
Isolation
Psychological
Learn how reports of abuse are investigated.
Learn how to report and 2013 guidelines for physical abuse.
Learn the penalties for not reporting and protections for reporters.

Learn how a stressful work environment can be a causal factor in abuse.

Learn what are characteristics of abusive caretakers.
Become familiar with reporting tools including smart application.

Become familiar with the 2013 Regional Center Zero Tolerance Policy

Understand abuse of developmentally disabled (including sexual abuse).

Learn how to reduce the risk of abuse in both the elderly and developmentally disabled.

Source Material
“Article 3. Mandatory and Nonmandatory Reports of Abuse [15630 – 15632].” California Legislative Information, 1 Jan. 1995,
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=WIC&division=9.&title=&part=3.&chapter=11.&article=3.

“Your Legal Duty: Reporting Elder and Adult Dependent Abuse.” California Attorney General’s Crime Office  and State of California Department of Justice-Office of the Attorney General,
oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/bmfea/yld_text.pdf.

Depression

Course Summary
This three-hour online course looks at the different kinds of depression from minor adjustment reactions to major depression and bipolar disorder. Depression can cause serious disruption to sleep, appetite, enjoyment of life, relationships with others, work, and tasks of daily living. Depression is also associated with the risk of suicide. Students will learn the causes of depression and how it differs in men and women in its incidence and symptoms. Administrators who work with children will better understand how to identify depression in young people and when to seek out treatment. Providers who work with adolescents who have autism will learn to recognize the difference between social isolation in autism and true depression. Students will also learn how the risk for depression increases in the elderly along with physical problems such as heart disease. Readers will appreciate a fascinating lesson on learned helplessness that looks at how an individual’s negative view of self can perpetuate low self-esteem and self-defeating behaviors. The final lesson covers the basics of anti-depressant medication as well as the revival of ECT for more severe depression.

Co-Location
This course is co-located for ARF, RCFE, and GH. Depression is a complex disorder that occurs over the entire lifespan. Assessing depression in an older adult begins by gathering information that includes the age of onset, family history, mental health contacts and treatments. An RCFE administrator who discovers a client had a history of depression in youth is in a better position to communicate a more meaningful history to the physician. A GH or ARF administrator can better understand the arc of depres-sion over an individual’s lifespan and more successfully identify the disorder, seek early treatment, and prevent a more severe decline.

Course Objectives:
Understand what depression is and when to seek out treatment for clients under your care.

Gain knowledge of how to differentiate the signs and characteristics of major depression vs. minor depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal disturbances.

Gain knowledge of how to recognize how depression differs in men and women.

Develop basic competency in learning how to identify depression in children and adolescents who have autism.

Gain knowledge of both Learned Helplessness and Learned Optimism in understanding depression.

Learn the signs and symptoms of Bipolar Disorder, and it’s treatment.

Gain knowledge of antidepressant medications, their usefulness and the revival of ECT for more severe depression.