Title 22 section 87407(b) requires RCFE continuing education to come from courses approved by the Department for RCFE administrators, and to be related by subject matter and logic to the Core of Knowledge, current and relevant to facility operations and care. ARF works slightly differently. Section 85064.3(b) lets you combine Department approved ARF courses with other sources, including up to 24 hours of continuing education you are already required to complete for the Department of Developmental Services, so an ARF administrator with DDS obligations has a route an RCFE administrator does not. A class that was excellent but not approved for your type is worth zero hours, and you will only find out when your renewal is processed.
The delivery format filter
The second filter is the delivery format. For both certificate types at least 20 of the 40 hours have to be live, and no more than 20 may be self-paced. Section 87407(c)(2) also excludes home study and correspondence type courses entirely, because they are not interactive. That is a different thing from approved self-paced online coursework, and the distinction matters when you are shopping on price.
Repeats do not count twice
Section 87407(c)(4) says a specific course may only be counted once per renewal period, so retaking the same class does not generate new hours. Section 87407(c)(3) excludes the Initial Certification Training Program from renewal credit for the same reason. For ARF the equivalent rules are section 85064.3(c)(4) and (c)(3).
The 10 hour daily cap
The fourth filter is the calendar. Section 87407(c)(1), and section 85064.3(c)(1) for ARF, say no more than 10 hours completed in a single day will be counted, whether in class, online, or a combination. Four ten hour days is the fastest legitimate path to 40 for either certificate type.
The subject matter filter
The fifth filter is subject matter. RCFE renewals require at least eight dementia hours under section 87407(a)(1) and four laws and regulations hours under section 87407(a)(2). ARF renewals require at least four laws and regulations hours under section 85064.3(a)(1), and carry no dementia requirement. Both require the one hour LGBT cultural competency instruction if it was not in your ICTP. Buy a package built to cover the required subjects rather than assembling hours and hoping they add up. NCPI’s 40 hour RCFE and ARF renewal package does exactly that, it is $239.99 and $199 for our previous students, the lowest price in California, from a CDSS approved vendor. Call or text 619-322-9578 or email contact@ncpicare.com.
