Adult Care Licensure Section

Requirements for Certification and Re-Certification of Administrators

1. The applicant must submit an Assisted Living Administrator Certification Application (PDF, 14 KB)
2. The applicant must be at least 21 years of age. A copy of the driver's license or some other proof of age must be provided.
3. The applicant must obtain a satisfactory criminal history fingerprint card check by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Authority for Release of Information forms must be filled out and signed and fingerprint cards sent to the Division of Health Service Regulation at the address above, along with a money order or certified check for $14.00 made out to the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation. Applicants can have their fingerprints made on the cards by going to their local sheriff's office or police department. All of this information must be sent to DHSR in order for the DHSR to request the SBI to conduct the criminal history record check. The check normally takes at least two weeks. Note:  The fingerprint card to be used and an explanatory memo are in the certification packet sent to applicants.  It may be requested from this office.  While the certification application is available on this website to be downloaded, you will still need to request a certification packet containing the fingerprint card.
4. The applicant must provide an official transcript from an accredited college or university (including community colleges) of the completion of at least 2 years of college coursework (60 semester hours or 96 quarter hours).
   OR
   The applicant must provide an official transcript from an accredited college or university (including community college) of the completion of at least 1 year of coursework (30 semester hours or 48 quarter hours) from an accredited college or university, plus proof of at least 1 year of supervisory experience in a licensed adult care home, nursing home, or other health or residential care setting within the 5 years preceding the date of application for certification. Proof of this experience must be provided in the form of a resume with at least one letter of reference from the applicant’s supervisor at the time of their employment. The letter must include dates of employment, statement of supervisory experience and business phone number of the supervisor.
5. The applicant must complete the 120-hour Administrator -in-Training (AIT) program as required by G.S. 90-288.14(14) (PDF, 10 KB). The training consists of 75 hours of coursework or study and 140 hours of on-the-job training under an approved preceptor for which .32 hours credit are granted for each work hour for a total of 45 hours.
   
   

   AIT Program Providers

   James Allen Long Term Care Education 706 Greenwood Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514-5923 Telephone: 919-815-0387 Fax: 919-933-6825 Email: jamesea@email.unc.edu	Peggy Smith North Carolina Assisted Living Association 3392 Six Forks Road Raleigh, NC 27609 Telephone: 919-467-2486 Fax: 919-467-5132 Email: peggy@ncala.org
   Lane Luke Program Developer, Lifelong Learning Central Piedmont Community College Corporate and Continuing Education PO Box 35009 Charlotte, NC 28235-5009 Telephone: 704-330-2722, Ext. 7289 Email: lane.luke@cpcc.edu	Janet Schanzenbach North Carolina Association, Long Term Care Facilities 4010 Barrett Drive, Suite 102 Raleigh, NC 27609 Telephone: 919-787-3560 Fax: 919-783-5415 Email: janet@ncaltcf.com
   Ed Rosenberg, PhD Dept. of Sociology and Social Work Chapell Wilson Hall Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608 Telephone: 828-262-6146; 828-262-2294 Email: RosenbergE@appstate.edu	Belinda Wilson Assisted Living Management, LLC 12217 Jarden Court Raleigh, NC 27613 Telehone: 919-845-5332 Email: bwilson777@msn.com

6. The applicant must successfully complete a written exam administered by the Division of Health Service Regulation. A testing schedule (PDF, 26 KB) is included with the administrator certification application packet. The schedule may also be requested by calling this office at 919-855-3793.
7. All administrator certifications must be renewed every 2 years. In order for the certification to be renewed, the administrator must complete 30 Continuing Education Unit's (CEU) during every 2-year certification period. The certification approval letter will indicate if the required CEU's are prorated based on when the administrator is certified. Renewal information will be sent to certified administrators in advance of required recertification.

Licensed Nursing Home Administrators Applying for Certification

Licensed nursing home administrators do not need to take the AIT training. A satisfactory criminal history background check, successful completion of the written exam administered by the Division of Health Service Regulation, and a copy of the current nursing home administrator license will also be required for certification. Please send all required documentation to the Division of Health Service Regulation at the address noted above.

Reciprocity

Applicants who hold a valid certificate as an assisted living administrator issued by another state may be granted certification in North Carolina if DHSR determines that standards for certification are substantially equivalent to those in this state. However, the applicant must provide a completed application for certification and successfully complete the administrator’s exam. The applicant is also subject to a criminal background check.

Posting

Certificates must be prominently posted in the adult care home where the administrator works.

Statute and Rules

The adult care home rule regarding administrator certification is 10A NCAC 13F .0401 which references the administrator certification law, G.S. 90, Article 20A (Sections 288.10 – 288.20).