Before hiring a long-term care worker, the home care agency or the department acting on behalf of the client, as defined under RCW 74.39A.009; or the consumer directed employer under chapter 74.39A RCW; must review and verify the highest level of training or certification achieved by the individual. 

(1) When the individual is a home care aide certified under chapter 18.88B RCW, the home care agency, CDE, or department must:

(a) Verify that the individual's home care aide certification is current and in good standing; and

(b) Confirm that the individual has completed continuing education as required under WACs 388-71-0990 and 388-71-0991.

(2) When the individual is exempt from the seventy-hour long-term care worker training and certification requirements under WAC 388-71-0839, the home care agency, CDE, or department must review and verify the following:

(a) Documents demonstrating the individual's exemption status from training and certification which may include:

(i) Washington state provider active credential number, showing that the individual's license or certification is current and in good standing;

(ii) Letter from a former or current employer documenting work history during the exemption period described in WAC 388-71-0839;

(iii) Employment history records from the Washington state employment security department documenting work history information during the exemption period;

(iv) Federal tax statements documenting work history information during the exemption period; or

(v) Documentation showing completion of the basic training as required under WAC 388-71-0839;

(b) For the year in which they are hired, documentation of completion of twelve hours of continuing education, or information on when the continuing education must be completed, that complies with WAC 388-71-0990 and WAC 388-71-0991.

(3) Individuals who have worked as long- term care workers in the past, but who did not complete the basic training or certification required at the time, may be eligible to have their date of hire reset in accordance with this section and WAC 388-71-0980. 

(a) Individuals who are eligible to reset their date of hire as provided in WAC 388-71-0980 must submit a new application and fee to the department of health and adhere to the training or certification requirement under this chapter.

(b) Individuals who are not eligible to reset their date of hire as provided in WAC 388-71-0980 must not be paid to provide personal care assistance until they complete required training and become certified as a long term care worker.

(4) The home care agency, or the department acting on behalf of the client, as defined under RCW 74.39A.009; or the consumer directed employer under chapter 74.39A RCW must comply with continuing education documentation requirements under WAC 388-71-0970.

(a) Individuals who worked in the previous year in a long term care setting during the previous calendar year, are held accountable for their continuing education completion by their new employer on the date of hire and shall provide at new hire documentation of their continuing education compliance during the calendar year in which they are hired; or

(b) Individuals who work for multiple employers or move between employers shall on the date of hire, provide documentation of continuing education compliance for year in which they are hired, if hired after their birthdate.