New Jersey CHHA Training Requirements: A Guide for Homecare Agencies
New Jersey CHHA training requirements for homecare agencies: the 76-hour program, exam, renewal, 12 hours of yearly PCA in-service and the records to keep.
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What Are New Jersey's CHHA Training Requirements?
Sagar Kumar, COO and Co-Founder, Verveware
New Jersey CHHA training requirements apply to every caregiver your homecare agency sends to give hands-on personal care, including Medicaid personal care assistant (PCA) services. The Board of Nursing certifies these certified homemaker-home health aides (CHHAs), but your agency carries much of the ongoing work. Here's what to check, track and keep on file.
A New Jersey CHHA needs at least 76 hours of Board-approved training (60 classroom and 16 clinical), a passed competency exam and a criminal history background check. After that, Medicaid PCA aides need at least 12 hours of agency in-service education every year.
Requirement | Rule | What your agency checks |
|---|---|---|
76-hour training program and competency exam | Active certificate before placing the aide | |
Renewal every two years (all expire November 30 of odd years) | N.J.A.C. 13:37-14.13 | Aide is on your Board employee roster and renews on time |
12 hours of in-service a year (Medicaid PCA) | Hours and dates for each aide | |
RN supervisory visit at least every 60 days | N.J.A.C. 10:60-3.5 and 13:45B-14.9 | Visit notes for every aide |
Companions and homemakers who don't give hands-on care don't need CHHA certification, but a health care service firm must give the client written notice that the worker isn't certified. Medicare home health agencies also follow federal aide rules, which this guide doesn't cover.
How a CHHA Gets Certified in New Jersey
The standard route is a Board-approved program of at least 76 hours: 60 classroom hours and 16 clinical hours in a skills lab or patient care setting, supervised by an RN. The program ends with a competency evaluation. The applicant then passes the Board's competency exam (an oral exam in English or Spanish is an option) and a criminal history background check.
Other routes:
A certified nurse aide completes a course covering the homecare topics in N.J.A.C. 13:37-14.5
A nursing student completes a clinical nursing course in an RN or LPN program
An aide certified in another state applies by reciprocity, with a promise of employment from a New Jersey agency and at least six months of CHHA work in the last five years
Training through the program or nursing route must be finished no more than six months before the application. Every application needs proof that the applicant is or will be employed by an agency, and the employer adds the aide to its employee roster with the Board.
The Board rule lets an applicant work under RN supervision while waiting for the next exam. But a health care service firm may only place actively certified CHHAs, and Medicaid PCA requires a certified aide. After a second failed exam, the applicant must complete a new training program and can't work as a CHHA until passing.
Renewing a CHHA Certificate
Certificates are renewed every two years, and all of them expire on November 30 of odd years. The next deadline is November 30, 2027. A CHHA can renew late within 30 days and keep working, but after that the certificate is suspended.
A CHHA can't renew without being on a current employer's roster with the Board. An aide who isn't employed renews as inactive and needs proof of employment to reactivate.
CHHA In-Service and RN Supervision Rules
Each Medicaid PCA aide must complete at least 12 hours of in-service education a year, offered by your agency. An RN makes a supervisory visit within 48 hours of the start of service and at least every 60 days after that, during the aide's shift. If several aides serve one client, the visits rotate until every aide has been observed.
An aide only performs tasks the RN supervisor has delegated or directed. The supervisor confirms the aide can do each delegated task and documents it in the client record. A CHHA gives medication only when an RN delegates that specific medication and documents it.
Health care service firms also check in at least every 30 days on whether the plan of care is working, and the supervisor makes an in-home evaluation at least every 60 days.
CHHA Training Records to Keep
A copy of each aide's CHHA certificate in the personnel file
Background check results
In-service hours, topics and dates
RN supervisory visit notes
Delegated tasks and the training on each one
Weekly PCA assignment sheets signed by the aide
Health care service firms keep required records for seven years.
How Verveware Helps New Jersey Agencies Track CHHA Training
Verveware LMS lets you set up a course plan with its length, due date and the compliance item it satisfies, like annual in-service. It sends push, SMS and email reminders and shows who is Complete, Incomplete or Past Due, filtered by supervisor or location. Every certificate is stored with its completion date. Caregivers take courses in the same Vervecare app they use to clock in and out for EVV.
Keep certificates, background check results and supervisory notes with Verveware document storage. New Jersey's 80% EVV standard for managed care PCA visits starts January 1, 2027; see our HHAeXchange alternative in New Jersey guide. Starting out? Read how to start a Medicaid homecare agency in New Jersey.
Online courses don't replace the Board-approved training program or its 16 RN-supervised clinical hours. Verveware supports your records; it does not replace documentation required by the Board of Nursing, DMAHS or your MCO.
FAQ
How Many Hours Is CHHA Training in New Jersey?
New Jersey requires a Board-approved CHHA training program of at least 76 hours: 60 classroom hours and 16 clinical hours supervised by an RN. The aide must also pass a competency exam and a criminal history background check before certification.
How Often Do CHHAs Renew in New Jersey?
Every two years. All New Jersey CHHA certificates expire on November 30 of odd years, so the next deadline is November 30, 2027. The aide must be on a current employer's roster with the Board to renew.
How Many In-Service Hours Do NJ CHHAs Need?
Under N.J.A.C. 10:60, aides providing Medicaid personal care assistant services must complete at least 12 hours of in-service education a year, offered by the agency. Keep the hours, topics and dates for each aide.
Can a CNA Become a CHHA in New Jersey?
Yes. A certified nurse aide can qualify by completing a course that covers the homecare topics in N.J.A.C. 13:37-14.5, then applying to the Board with a background check and proof of employment by an agency.
Can a CHHA Work Privately in New Jersey?
No. A New Jersey CHHA must be employed by an agency and work under the supervision of a registered nurse. The Board doesn't allow CHHAs to work privately.
See CHHA Training Records in Verveware
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