NEW - Helpful information on the Assisted Living Facility AIT program
One pathway to licensure as an Assisted Living Facility Administrator (ALFA) is to complete an Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program based upon your experience and education. Below is a summary of the process that you would follow for the AIT process:
TO APPLY FOR AN AIT REGISTRATION:
ONCE YOUR AIT REGISTRATION IS APPROVED/ISSUED BY THE BOARD:
STEPS FOR LICENSURE: (Once your AIT program is complete and the Board has approved your reports)
Once the Board receives a passing score on the examination and all required documentation for licensure, a license will be issued to the applicant. Please note that the RC/AL examination has a limit of three (3) attempts per calendar year and the CORE examination has a limit of four (4) attempts per calendar year.
The Board must receive official passing scores from NAB for both examinations before a license can be issued.
To qualify for licensure through the ALF AIT program, you must:
Each educational requirement listed above requires a certain number of AIT hours according to your educational qualifications. For more information, please review the Board's Regulations (18VAC95-30-100) or the Assisted Living Facility Administrators Education and Experience matrix available on the Board's website.
Please review the Board’s Regulations and the Assisted Living Facility Administrators Education and Experience matrix available on the Board’s website.
Yes, Board approval is required before any program hours can be counted toward licensure.
The Board offers a list of licensed Preceptors who volunteered to list their information in a public directory and who may be available to provide training. Please note that the Preceptor may have reasons for not being able to precept during the time you are requesting.
You may also use the DHP License Lookup feature online to search by occupation or area.
Additionally, the long-term care provider associations in Virginia (Affiliated Associations page) may provide additional information to assist you in locating a preceptor.
Complete applications are reviewed within 30 days of the receipt of all required documentation. All applications are reviewed in the order in which they were received. Board staff will contact the applicant by email with any questions or concerns regarding the documentation submitted.
You will need to attach your original criminal history record, a certified copy of any final order, decree, or case decision by a court or regulatory agency with lawful authority to issue such order, decree, or case decision, and any other information you wish to be considered with your application (i.e., information on the status of incarceration, parole, or probation, reference letters documentation of rehabilitation, etc.). For more information, please review the Board’s Guidelines for Processing Applications for Licensure: Examination, Endorsement and Reinstatement (Guidance Document 95-12).
You should complete the Monthly Report that documents your hours, shifts, activities, and learning experiences for each month of training. At the completion of your hours, you should submit the original monthly reports and the signed Documentation of Completion form for the Board's review and approval.
Note: You will not receive credit for training hours before approval and registration as an AIT with the Board
Your accumulated Monthly Reports and Documentation of Completion form should be submitted to the Board (by email or mail) with original signatures for consideration within 30 days following the completion of the AIT program.
You may access the online application website to view your checklist, track your application's progress, and print any additional instructions and forms provided by the Board. If you need assistance accessing the site, contact the DHP Call Center at (804) 367-4444. Once you have successfully logged in, please click the "View Checklist" link located next to your licensure type under "Pending Licenses" on the "Welcome" page. At the bottom of the Checklist Information Page, you can view the Checklist (License Requirements) that the Board utilizes as they process your application. This checklist allows you to track the progress of your application.
You will need to submit a Notice of Change of Status or Discontinuance form to the Board for processing. The Board will notify you once this information has been processed.
You will not receive credit for training hours under a resumed AIT program until your new preceptor or training facility have been approved by the Board.
Training in an ALF AIT program or for an internship shall be conducted only in:
1.) An assisted living facility or unit licensed by the Virginia Board of Social Services or by a similar licensing body in another jurisdiction;
2.) An assisted living facility owned or operated by an agency of any city, county, or the Commonwealth or of the United States government; or
3.) An assisted living unit located in and operated by a licensed hospital as defined in § 32.1-123 of the Code of Virginia, a state-operated hospital, or a hospital licensed in another jurisdiction.
Training in an ALF AIT program or for an internship shall not be conducted in:
An assisted living facility with a provisional license as determined by the Department of Social Services in which the AIT program is a new ALF AIT program.
An assisted living facility with a conditional license as determined by the Department of Social Services in which the AIT applicant is the owner of the facility.
A facility that is licensed as a residential only and does not require an administrator licensed by the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators.
An assisted living facility with a licensed resident capacity of fewer than 20 residents.
Once the Board approves an AIT to begin a training program, hours must be completed in no more than 24 months from the date of approval unless the Board has approved an extension. An AIT shall receive credit for no more than 40 hours of training per week.
For AITs who serve concurrently as acting administrators of assisted living facilities (“Acting AITs”), the timeframe for completion of the AIT program is found in 18VAC95-30-150.
An ALF AIT shall be required to serve weekday, evening, night, and weekend shifts and to receive training in all areas of an assisted living facility operation. An AIT shall receive credit for no more than 40 hours of training per week.
A Preceptor may supervise no more than two AIT's at any one time.
If the program is interrupted because the registered Preceptor is unable to serve, the trainee shall notify the Board within ten (10) working days and shall obtain a new preceptor who is registered with the Board within 60 days.
Credit for training shall resume when a new preceptor is obtained and approved by the Board.
If an alternate training plan is developed, it shall be submitted to the Board for approval before the trainee resumes training.
If the training program is terminated prior to completion, the trainee and the Preceptor shall each submit a written explanation of the causes of program termination to the Board within ten (10) business days. The Preceptor shall also submit all required monthly progress reports completed prior to termination within ten (10) business days.
To notify the Board of the interruption or termination of the AIT program, please submit the original signed Notice of Change of Status or Discontinuance form, with an updated proposed AIT Training Plan/Domains of Practice form detailing the number of hours left to complete, to the Board for processing.
Your accumulated monthly reports and Documentation of Completion form should be submitted to the Board by mail or email, with original signatures.
Some AITs have questions related to the monthly form questions 1-4. The Board offers the following suggestions:
Please be as complete as possible in your responses. Leaving a blank or omitting a response to any questions could result in additional information being requested by the Board.
An AIT is required to receive training in all areas of assisted living facility administration as appropriate to the experience and training of the AIT, and in accordance with the NAB Domains of Practice and as outlined in the AIT Manual. In addition, effective December 21, 2022, an AIT shall complete training on the care of residents with cognitive or mental impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
An Acting AIT is an AIT that has also assumed the responsibility as the acting administrator in an assisted living facility while simultaneously completing their AIT program. A facility may name an acting administrator following circumstances such as the death, resignation, or discharge of a previous administrator of record. When the acting administrator intends to become the licensed administrator, an AIT program is required before applying for licensure. To serve as the Acting AIT during this time period, the Board requires this application. Please also review Virginia Code §54.1-3103.1.
In December 2022, the AIT Program regulations were updated to require training on the care of residents with cognitive or mental impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The regulations do not specify a certain hours requirement because the hours may depend on several factors, including the setting in which the AIT is training, the residential population being served, or the experience and education of the AIT upon entry and throughout the AIT Program. Each AIT and their Preceptor should their best and professional judgment to ensure that the AIT receives the adequate training necessary to care for residents with cognitive or mental impairments. The AIT and Preceptor will attest to completing these hours throughout the AIT Program using the Monthly Report form.
Board of Long-Term Care Administrators
Email: ltc@dhp.virginia.gov
Corie E. Tillman Wolf, J.D., Executive Director
Jenny Inker, Ph.D., MBA, ALFA, Chair