Arizona DCW Training Requirements for Home Care Agencies

Arizona DCW Training Requirements at a Glance

Sagar Kumar, COO and Co-Founder, Verveware

Here are the Arizona DCW training requirements for home care agencies that provide attendant care, personal care or homemaker services to ALTCS members. Every direct care worker (DCW) must meet the training and testing standards in AHCCCS Medical Policy Manual (AMPM) Policy 1240-A:

• Pass the Level I and Level II knowledge and skills tests within 90 calendar days of hire

• Hold current CPR and first aid certification before providing care

• Complete 6 hours of continuing education every year

• Keep training and testing records and use the AHCCCS DCW online testing records database

Which DCWs Need Training and Testing?

The standards apply to every DCW who provides attendant care, personal care or homemaker services to ALTCS members through a DCW agency, including family members who are paid caregivers. Caregivers under the Self-Directed Attendant Care option or the DDD Independent Provider Network fall outside these agency rules.

Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, CNAs, licensed nursing assistants and licensed health aides are exempt from training and testing, though your agency can still require it. A DCW who only cares for a family member is exempt from Level II, but not Level I.

DCWs hired before October 1, 2012 are deemed to meet the standards with their current agency only. If they join another agency, the requirements apply. For the rest of the setup steps, see our guide to starting a Medicaid home care agency in Arizona.

Level I and Level II: What DCWs Must Pass

Testing is based on the Principles of Caregiving curriculum or an approved equivalent:

• Level I, Fundamentals of Caregiving: required for all DCWs.

• Level II, Specialized Modules: Aging and Physical Disabilities, or Developmental Disabilities. DCWs take the module that matches the members they serve, and both if they serve both groups.

DCWs need 80% on each knowledge test and must pass 100% of the skills demonstrations. Training is recommended, but testing is mandatory. A DCW with similar education or work experience can take a one-time challenge test without training, and your agency must verify and document that experience.

The 90-Day Training and Testing Window

Your agency has 90 calendar days from the date of hire to train and test each DCW. Your agency can let DCWs provide care during that window. If the 90 days run out before the DCW passes, they must stop providing care until they do.

There's one exception. A DCW who hasn't done DCW work, or similar work, in the last two years must pass both the knowledge and skills tests before serving ALTCS members.

Testing records are portable, so a DCW who already passed with another agency doesn't need to test again unless they have been out of direct care work for two years.

CPR, First Aid and Continuing Education

Verify that each DCW holds current CPR and first aid certification before they care for an ALTCS member, and keep it current.

DCWs also need 6 hours of continuing education every year, counted from their hire anniversary (October to September for DCWs hired before October 1, 2012). Training completed in the first year can count toward those hours, but CPR and first aid can't. Continuing education should cover new topics each year, and AHCCCS recommends its Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias module. It can be delivered as in-service sessions, online courses, video, written material or conferences.

Records and the DCW Online Database

Your agency must keep a training and testing record for each DCW that shows:

• The services the DCW provides

• Any exemption from training and testing

• The hire date and the date the training period ended

• The signed form allowing you to search their testing records

• Testing types, dates, modules and scores

• The annual timeframe, hours, topics and delivery methods for continuing education

You also need to use the AHCCCS DCW online testing records database in daily operations. Update DCW status changes within 30 days, and keep backup documentation for 10 years. Missing these standards can lead to contract termination or termination of your AHCCCS provider registration.

You can become an AHCCCS Approved Training and Testing Program under ACOM Policy 429 or contract with one.

How Verveware Helps Arizona Agencies Track DCW Training

Verveware LMS delivers caregiver training courses in the Vervecare app. You can set each course's due date in days from hire, send reminders, and see who is Complete, Incomplete or Past Due on the LMS dashboard. Every certificate is stored with its completion date.

LMS courses don't replace AHCCCS competency testing. Only an Approved Training and Testing Program can test DCWs.

Hire dates matter for EVV too. Within 30 days of hire, your agency must identify live-in DCWs and their relationship to the member in your EVV system. Verveware is listed by AHCCCS as an alternate EVV vendor actively sending data to the AHCCCS Aggregator. See our guide to choosing an AHCCCS EVV vendor.

FAQ

How Long Does a New DCW Have to Pass the Arizona DCW Tests?

A DCW agency has 90 calendar days from the hire date to train and test a new DCW. DCWs can work during that time at the agency's discretion, but must stop providing care if they haven't passed by day 90. DCWs with no similar work in the last two years must pass before serving ALTCS members.

Who Is Exempt From Arizona DCW Training and Testing?

Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, CNAs, licensed nursing assistants and licensed health aides are exempt, though agencies can still require testing. DCWs who only care for a family member are exempt from Level II, but not Level I.

How Many Continuing Education Hours Do Arizona DCWs Need?

Arizona DCWs need 6 hours of continuing education every year, counted from their hire anniversary. CPR and first aid training don't count toward the 6 hours.

Do DCWs Have to Retest When They Change Agencies?

No. DCW testing records are portable between agencies. A DCW only needs to retest after being out of direct care work for two years.

Do Respite-Only Caregivers Need DCW Testing in Arizona?

AHCCCS's DCW training and testing FAQ says DCWs who only provide respite care aren't currently required to train and test, though it advises agencies to consider requiring it. Respite caregivers still need current CPR and first aid certification.

Track Arizona DCW Training in Verveware

Request a Verveware demo to see LMS, EVV and scheduling working together for your Arizona agency. Book a demo.