Fulfill your required training in a convenient format
Penn State delivers continuing education for health care professionals who are preparing to become personal care home administrators and to administrators and direct-care staff who must meet continuing education requirements.
Individuals who are providing elder care for family members or friends and find any of these topics to be of value may choose to take any of these courses for personal enrichment.
Our programs address issues surrounding personal care homes as well as the responsibility to provide safe, humane, comfortable, and supportive residential settings for adults who don't require the services of a licensed, long-term care facility, but do require assistance or supervision with daily living activities and other physical and mental life skills.
All individuals who completed the 100-hour standardized, department-approved administrator training course after Jan. 31, 2009, must successfully complete the orientation program for new administrators and a competency test with a passing score in accordance with 55 Pa.Code § 2600.64(a)(3) (relating to administrator training and orientation).
In addition, current administrators must complete at least 24 hours of training related to job duties. All direct-care staff must complete 12 hours of training.
Penn State is an approved provider through the Department of Human Services Bureau of Human Services Licensing under the Personal Care Homes Licensing Regulations as of April 23, 2005, published in 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2600 (35 Pa.B.2499).
Registration
You may register for the entire program for $1,450, or you may choose to take classes as needed. These courses may be taken as part of the required 24-hour continuing education credits. Scholarships for the 100-hour course are available through the Thomas R. Roth Memorial Scholarship Fund.
To register for individual courses, please call 724-773-3700.
Required orientation
You must attend the required Department of Human Services orientation in addition to the 100-hour course in order to be eligible to take the PCHA exam. There is no fee for the orientation.
Personal Care Administrator Training
PCHA Orientation
- Date: Check back for 2024 orientation dates.
- Time:
- Format: Instructor-led course on Teams facilitated by DHS
- Registration:
PCHA 100-Hour Course September Start
- Dates: October 9 - 13, 2023
- Format: Instructor-led course on Zoom*
- Cost: $1,450
- Registration: PCHA 100-hr September Start
PCHA 100-Hour Course October Start
- Dates: October 30 - November 3, November 6 - 10, and November 13 -14, 2023
- Format: Instructor-led course on Zoom
- Cost: $1,450
- Registration: PCHA 100-hr October Start
Individual courses
- Cost: $16 per CEU
- Register: Click on the links for individual courses. If a course doesn't have a link, call us at 724-773-3700.
| Course | Date | Time | Cost | CEUs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medication Procedures, Medication Effects, Side Effects and Universal Precautions | 9/11/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | $112 | 7 |
| Personal Care Services and Personal Hygiene | 9/12/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | $144 | 9 |
| Staff Supervision and Staff Person Training Including Developing Orientation and Training Guidelines for Staff | 9/21/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | $128 | 8 |
| Nutrition, Food Handling and Sanitation | 9/14/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | $112 | 7 |
| Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Reporting | 9/15/2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | $96 | 6 |
| Recreation | 9/18/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - noon | $64 | 4 |
| Cultural Competency | 9/18/2023 | 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | $48 | 3 |
| Care for Residents with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities | 9/18/2023 | 4:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. | $32 | 2 |
| Resident Rights | 9/19/2023 | 9:00 a.m. - noon | $48 | 3 |
| First Aid & CPR (In-person demonstration) * | 9/19/2023 | 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | $112 | 7 |
| Writing, Completing and Implementing Initial Assessments, Annual Assessments and Support Plans | 9/20/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | $80 | 5 |
| Fire Prevention and Emergency Preparedness | 10/9/2023 | 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | $64 | 4 |
| Care for Residents with Dementia, Cognitive Impairments and Other Special Needs | 10/10/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | $128 | 8 |
| Community Resources, Social Services, and Activities in the Community | 10/11/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - noon | $64 | 4 |
| Budgeting, Financial Recordkeeping and Resident Records | 10/11/2023 | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | $64 | 4 |
| Local, State, and Federal Laws and Regulations Pertaining to the Operations of a Home | 10/12/2023 | 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | $32 | 2 |
| Resident-Home Contracts | 10/12/2023 | 10:00 a.m. - noon | $32 | 2 |
| Gerontology | 10/12/2023 | 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | $96 | 6 |
| Care for Residents with Mental Illness | 10/13/2023 | 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | $144 | 9 |
*CPR In-person Demonstration
In accordance with §2600.63b, a portion of the CPR and first aid training is required to be in-person for this course. Although the first part of the course will be online, a two-hour CPR and first aid demonstration will be required on exam day. If students cannot attend the Penn State Beaver CPR and first aid in-person training, students are expected to obtain their CPR and first aid certification training from an approved provider. Students must provide proof of approved training prior to taking the PCHA examination. The demonstration will be held prior to the exam.
Exam and CPR Demonstration
- Date: October 16, 2023
- Time: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CPR demo and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. for exam
- Place: Penn State Beaver
Upon completion of the 100-hour program you may take the certification exam at no cost. Failure to pass will result in a fee of $200 to retake the exam. Prior to a third exam attempt, you are required to retake the 100-hour program.
Licensed Nursing Home Administrators who wish to become licensed as Personal Care Home Administrators must complete the orientation and exam. The fee for the exam is $200. Please call our office 724-773-3700 to schedule an appointment to take the exam. Exam must be taken on the Beaver campus, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061.
Prerequisites
Qualifications necessary to attend this program:
In accordance with §2600.53a, an individual must have one of the following qualifications to be a personal care administrator:
- A license as a registered nurse from the Department of State.
- An associate degree or 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university.
- A license as a licensed practical nurse from the Department of State and one year of work experience in a related field.
- A license as a nursing home administrator from the Department of State.
- For a home serving eight or fewer residents, individuals must have a general education development diploma or high school diploma and two years of direct care or administrative experience in the human services field.