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California RCFE administrator training

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From caregiver
to administrator.

Compass Care Academy prepares Californians to lead Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, with live online classes, self-paced lessons, and a clear map through the state exam and the paperwork that follows.

Join the interest listFind your program

CDSS vendor approval is pending. Classes will be offered for credit once it's granted.

An administrator walks through the bright living room of a small residential care home as a resident reads the newspaper
Legend
ICTP · New administrators
80 hrs
CETP · Renewal
40 hrs

Live Self-paced▮ = 10 hrs

Two ways in

Two ways in. Start from where you stand.

New to the role, or keeping your certificate current? Pick your door.
HoursNew administrators

Initial Certification Training Program (ICTP), 80 hours

The course every new RCFE administrator in California completes before the state exam. Thirteen modules covering the full Core of Knowledge, from licensing law to dementia care to hospice.60 hrs live · 20 self-paced13 modules · 6 teaching daysLeads to: the state examExplore the ICTPHoursRenewing administrators

Continuing Education Training Program (CETP), 40 hours

Your two-year renewal in one place. Nine practical courses covering every hour the state requires, including laws and regulations and dementia care.20 hrs live · 20 self-paced9 courses · 2 live daysA certificate for every courseExplore the CETP
The hours

Eighty hours, square by square.

Every square is one hour of your ICTP. Blue hours are live online classes with your instructor and cohort. Gold hours are yours to finish on your own time.

80

Hours

  • 60 live online
  • 20 self-paced
  • 6 teaching days of 10 hours, run back-to-back or across three weekends.
  • 20 self-paced hours, finished when you've done the work, not when a timer runs out.
  • An 80% standard on each module's evaluation.

Day 1Licensing and Operations I

Modules 1 and 5

Day 2Licensing and Operations II

Modules 6 and 7

Day 3Resident Intake and Clinical Care I

Module 8, Module 11 (part 1)

Day 4Resident Intake and Clinical Care II

Module 11 (part 2), Module 13

Day 5Specialized Populations I

Modules 12 and 9

Day 6Specialized Populations II and Rights

Modules 10 and 2

On your timeLessons + quizzes

On your timeLessons + quizzes

  1. Day 1: Licensing and Operations I, 10 live hours (Modules 1 and 5)
  2. Day 2: Licensing and Operations II, 10 live hours (Modules 6 and 7)
  3. Day 3: Resident Intake and Clinical Care I, 10 live hours (Module 8, Module 11 (part 1))
  4. Day 4: Resident Intake and Clinical Care II, 10 live hours (Module 11 (part 2), Module 13)
  5. Day 5: Specialized Populations I, 10 live hours (Modules 12 and 9)
  6. Day 6: Specialized Populations II and Rights, 10 live hours (Modules 10 and 2)
  7. On your time: Lessons + quizzes, 10 self-paced hours
  8. On your time: Lessons + quizzes, 10 self-paced hours
How you'll learn
A caregiver, still in scrubs after his shift, takes notes during an online class at his kitchen table
FIG. 02 — After a shift, before the kids wake up.
A woman on her sofa raises a hand to ask a question during a live online class
FIG. 03 — Live class, real questions.

Built for people who already work full days.

Most future administrators are caregivers, med techs and staff who can't stop working to go back to school. So we didn't build it that way.

  1. 01

    Live, from your kitchen table.

    Interactive online classes on a familiar video platform. Ask questions, work through real cases, and learn alongside your cohort.

  2. 02

    Self-paced when life allows.

    Lessons and quizzes on your schedule. Hours count when you finish the work, not for time spent on a page.

  3. 03

    Always know what's left.

    Your dashboard tracks live and self-paced hours separately.

  4. 04

    Missed a session? There's a way back.

    A clear makeup policy for recovering live hours.

  5. 05

    Your time zone, your reminders.

    Class times and deadlines in local time, with an email before every session.

  6. 06

    Certificates built to Title 22.

    Vendor and course numbers, hours, and class dates: every detail the regulation requires.

The route

The whole route, start to certificate.

Which steps happen with us, which happen with the state, and every deadline in between. No surprises.

You are here

  1. With Compass Care

    Join a cohort

    Pick the schedule that fits your life: six teaching days in a row, or across three weekends.

  2. With Compass Care

    Learn live, 60 hours

    Interactive online classes. Attendance is verified for every session.

  3. With Compass Care

    Finish self-paced, 20 hours

    Lessons and quizzes on your own time, with an 80% standard on each module's evaluation.

  4. With Compass Care

    Earn your ICTP certificate

    Issued once every live hour, lesson and evaluation is complete and reviewed by our staff.

    Handoff ·From here, you work directly with CDSS. We'll show you exactly how.

  5. With CDSS

    Pass the state exam

    Register yourself with CDSS, then pass within 60 days of finishing the course, with at least 70%.

    ≤ 60 days
  6. With CDSS

    File form LIC 9214

    Within 30 days of passing. CDSS then reviews your application and clearance.

    ≤ 30 days

Destination

Administrator Certificate

Issued by the CDSS Administrator Certification Bureau.

Read the full certification guide

Already certified? Your route is a loop: 40 hours every two years. CETP

Who walks it

Different starting points. Same destination.

Most people who take this route are already working in elder care. Here's who it's built for.
  • An experienced caregiver walks a newer staff member through a resident care binder

    Caregivers

    Is this you? You already know every resident by name. Now learn licensing, staffing and the business side.

  • A staff member with a clipboard checks the inspection tag on a fire extinguisher in a care home hallway

    Facility staff + med techs

    Is this you? You've seen how a home runs day to day. Train to be the one who runs it.

  • A woman listens closely as an elderly resident tells a story on a garden bench

    Owners

    Is this you? Planning to administer your own facility? This is the certification you'll need.

  • An administrator leads a morning huddle with two caregivers in a care home kitchen

    Career changers

    Is this you? Coming from healthcare, hospitality or management? This is a regulated, meaningful path into elder-care leadership.

Questions

Fair questions. Plain answers.

Certification has a few moving parts. Here are the ones people ask about most.

All questions
Does finishing the course make me a certified administrator?
Not on its own. The ICTP certificate lets you register for the state exam. After you pass, you apply to CDSS with form LIC 9214, and CDSS issues the Administrator Certificate.
Can I take the whole program online?
Yes. Live hours are taught in interactive online classes, and self-paced hours are completed through lessons in your student portal.
I already hold a certificate. Which program do I need?
The 40-hour CETP renewal. Administrators complete 40 hours of continuing education in each two-year cycle. There's no new state exam.
When do classes start?
We're finalizing our CDSS vendor approval. Join the interest list and we'll tell you about first class dates and tuition as soon as they're set.
The next step

Start where you are. We'll help chart the rest.

Join the interest list and we'll tell you first about class dates, tuition and enrollment, as soon as CDSS approval is in place. No cost, no commitment.

Join the interest listRead the FAQ