Situation Report | January 25, 2021
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the state Department of Health (DOH) is providing an automatic two-year extension for DOH-approved personal care and home health aide training programs with end dates from September 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021.
On August 24, 2020, a six-month extension was granted to training programs with end dates from March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. These training programs will automatically receive an additional 18 months on their current end date.
Training entities will be expected to follow the normal re-approval processes when the extended end date approaches. Training programs failing to meet the re-approval criteria and deadlines will be required to submit full applications for their training programs.
Information for PCATPs
In order to obtain a re-approval, a personal care aide training program (PCATP) must conduct at least one 40-hour training course within the preceding 36-month approval period and issue one PCA certificate within the preceding 12 months of the approval period. If both requirements are met, the PCATP must send an e-mail with the agency name and license number to pcatp@health.ny.gov at least 30 days prior to the program end date to request re-approval. This ensures that the Home Care Worker Registry (HCR) end date can be updated to reflect the next three-year reapproval period. Failure to contact DOH prior to the program’s end date will result in the inability of the PCATP to train and issue certificates as required through the HCR.
Information for HHATPs
Re-approval of home health aide training programs (HHATPs) will be based on evidence in the Home Care Worker Registry that a full 75-hour course has been conducted at least once during the 36-month period and submission of the HHATP re-approval application to the appropriate regional office. Applications for re-approval must be submitted 90 days prior to expiration of the current three-year approval. Failure to conduct a full 75-hour program in the 36-month period will result in the program having to reapply with a full “initial” application.
For additional information, contact hhatp@health.ny.gov or pcatp@health.ny.gov.
HCA has supported these extensions in the past and has been very active in working with DOH and members to develop hybrid online aide training programs.