Examples of topics include: problem-solving, de-escalation, treatment and care plans, medication management and health literacy and client engagement.

See the full curriculum.

In order to participate, you must be eligible for the training. Please review the eligibility requirements before trying to register for class.

Ready to Get Started?

If you’re eligible, and there’s a class available in your area, you can register for class.

Who Qualifies?

The Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist Program is designed for caregivers who are working with people who have complex needs. Eligibility requirements must be met for both you and your client.

If you have received communications about this training, it is likely but not certain that you’re eligible. If you’ve not received communications about the training but would like to know if you’re eligible, please call the Member Resource Center, at 1.866.371.3200, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be an individual provider with a current or future authorization
• Have completed Basic Training
• Be providing personal in-home care to an eligible client
• Have 600 or more Cumulative Care Hours
• Meet at least one of the following sets of criteria:
  • Have completed a qualifying Basic Training regimen and/or
  • Have a RN, LPN, NAC, HM, ARNP, or OSPI certifications and/or
  • Be exempt due to employment history

To be eligible, your client must:

• Be receiving personal in-home care from HCS or DDA
• Has high or complex needs as defined by DSHS
• Meet at least one of the following two sets of criteria:
  • Eligible for Medicaid Health Home Services with a PRISM Risk Score of 1.5 or greater upon enrollment, and/or
  • Have a CARE Behavior Score of 12 or above and have a Behavior Support Plan (or agree to accept a behavior support plan within 2 months of the provider competing training)

A New Career Path for Advanced Caregivers

In an exclusive offer to Advanced Training students, you will have the opportunity to take part in the Advanced Home Care Aide Registered Apprenticeship program, which will give you national certification with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Click here to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

For any questions not included below, please call the Member Resource Center at 1.866.371.3200.

What do I do for my client when I’m in class?

There are several options for making sure your client’s needs are met while you’re in class:

Option 1: Case Manager
Your client can contact their case manager to ask about temporary substitute care.*
Their case manager may be aware of another care provider that can fill in for you when you’re attending class.

Option 2: Friends and Family
Decide if informal, friends-and-family support may work for this short period of time.
Because the class happens one day a week, for only four to six hours of class, you or your client may be able to arrange for help from friends and family while you attend class.

Option 3: Referral Registry
You can help your client find temporary substitute care for the one day a week that you’re in class.*
Your client can use the Home Care Referral Registry if they are receiving Medicaid, COPES, or CFC services. They can arrange for “relief” or “back-up” caregiving by simply clicking on the area of the state that they live and calling the local number listed. Or, they can skip the website and call 1-800-970-5456 to arrange for care.

Option 4: Flexible Scheduling
Choose the day of the week that works best for you and your client.
Advanced Training requires one day a week in the classroom, but one class might schedule all Fridays for in-class time, while another may schedule all Saturdays (for example). Find a class that has in-class time on a day that works best for you and your client.

Remember: in-class time is limited to one day a week, and classes are only four to six hours in length. The rest of the training happens online, and you get to choose which time works best for you.

*Please contact your case manager to talk more about substitute care and how this may impact care hours and your pay.

Why is there a $0.75 raise after the training is completed?

Advanced Training students build on their Basic Training and when Advanced Training is completed graduates have 105 hours to 145 hours total training. This is a significant investment in training. Advanced Home Care Aide Specialists are also working with clients who require a more complex level of care, and therefore require more caregiving skills. These increases in skills and knowledge are reflected the wage differential.

The pay raise for Advanced Training used to be $0.50. I took the training before; do I still get a $0.75 raise?

Yes. Starting July 1st, 2019, the pay raise for people who complete Advanced Training is $0.75. Those who took the training and completed it before July 1st, 2019, will still receive the $0.75 raise.

What do I have to do to receive the $0.75 raise?

Your pay will be automatically adjusted after you complete and pass the course. You do not need to take action to receive the pay raise.

When do I get paid for the training?

You’ll get paid for the training through your regular paycheck, over the eight weeks of the training. Other than logging your hours on your timesheet, you do not need to take action to receive pay for your time taking the training.

To be paid for class time, you must be currently working as an individual provider with a client. You will only be paid for the classes that you attend while you are currently caring for a client.

What if I stop working for my eligible client before I complete the Advanced Training Program?

You can still take classes and complete the program. However, you will only get paid if you are currently working as an individual provider with a client.

I have met all my CE requirements for this year. Can I apply this training to a future year?

You can apply the training to the following year, if this training occurs after your CE due date for this year.

How much time do I spend in class, and online?

Class time is limited to one in-person Skills Lab a week, which ranges in class time from four to six hours. Online time required per week ranges from three to five hours a week. Over eight weeks, you’ll spend 70 hours total.

I want to take the class but already know I’d have to miss a day. Can I still sign up?

Yes. The training includes one make-up day. The make-up day is not required unless you have missed more than one Skills Labs, or if you need to complete Skills Demo Tests or return a computer.

Do I receive a certification when I’m done?

When you finish the training and pass the class, you’ll be a certified Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist and can use this title professionally.

What is included in the curriculum for the class?

Skills Labs will include the following subjects: Person-Centered Care, Problem-solving, Motivational Interviewing, De-escalation, Treatment and Care Plans, Monitoring, Observation, & Reporting, Medication Management, Health Literacy and Client Engagement, and Organizing Care Activities. See the full curriculum description.

Where is the class located?

Classes are scheduled all over Washington state. As soon as a class is scheduled, the location and times are listed in the training portal. When you login to the portal, you can choose the time and location that works best for you.

What does my client get out of this training?

Your client will benefit from your additional caregiving knowledge. The “soft skills” you’ll learn are also designed to help you interact effectively and positively, with caregiving goals in mind. There are also some skills that can help more directly, such as medication management and working with treatment and care plans.

I’m a parent provider, and I’ve been taking care of my son/daughter for years. Why would I want to take this training?

The knowledge and familiarity you have with your family member is irreplaceable. This training includes skills that may still benefit your caregiving and add to your knowledge, including Problem-solving, De-escalation, Treatment and Care Plans, Medication Management, Health Literacy and Client Engagement, and Organizing Care Activities. To hear more about the course, visit our testimonial page. Also, in order to receive a $0.75 pay raise, this training is required.

I already know this stuff… why would I want to take this training?

This training is optional. The reasons caregivers may attend the training include: 1) a $0.75 pay increase, 2) the opportunity to learn advanced caregiving skills that help clients with complex needs, 3) help building a stronger and better relationship with your client, and 4) a boost in your caregiving career.

The only way to receive the pay increase is to complete and pass the training, and become a certified Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist.

What Caregivers are Saying

The Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist training was designed for a specific purpose. Clients and caregivers alike benefit from this training that helps build caregiving skills for clients with complex needs.

What other caregivers have to say about the Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist Training:

“I just finished the Advanced Home Care Aide training today, and if everyone had the opportunity to take this class, the world would probably be a much better place. Who knew, even though we believed we are good and caring people, that we still had so much more work to do?! This class has literally changed my worldview. Please make this available for everybody.”

“The training helped me to be more confident, know more about problem-solving, and be able to communicate better with my client.”

“I found things out about my son that I never knew before.”

“I really liked learning about the person-centered approach, and how to use conflict resolution.”

“The one-page personal profile is awesome. It helps other people on the care team see how the client expresses themselves.”

You can also hear more from Linda Lee, Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist:

“When you take Advanced Training you get the confidence to know you’re doing the right thing; that you’re making a difference in someone’s life.”