How to Get Free Continuing Education Unit CEUs for Your Administrator Certificate in California

California group homes for children, the disabled or the elderly must have a certified administrator. Recertification is required every two years. To be recertified, administrators must complete 40 continuing education units (CEUs) every two years. Twenty CEUs may be earned online, but the remainder must be earned at a brick-and-mortar location. The cost of 40 CEUs is generally around $300 as of 2010, but with advance planning, you can pick up some free continuing education units from your local Regional Center or Office of Education.

Instructions

• 1

  Contact your local Regional Center. Ask to speak to the person in charge of "Training and Development." A list of the 21 regional centers in California can be found in the resources section with this article.

• 2

  Ask for a course list that gives the dates and times of all classes offering CEUs. If a course list is not available, ask specifically for free classes offering continuing education units. Generally the free classes offer only two to three CEUs, so you would have to take a large number over two years to complete all 40 units without cost. For example, Valley Mountain Regional Center offers free clinical classes dealing with specific health-related issues affecting Regional Center consumers. They offer one to two classes per month, and each class typically earns two CEUs.

• 3

  Register for classes by either emailing or phoning the Regional Center training contact person. After you attend the class, you will receive a certificate stating the class information and the number of CEUs earned. Save the certificate. You will need to submit a copy to the California Department of Social Services when it's time to renew your administrator certificate.

Free Continuing Education Units Through the Office of Education

• 4

  Contact your county Office of Education (link in resources). Each county in California has an Office of Education that operates under the umbrella of the the California Department of Education. In addition to traditional public schooling matters, they handle the Direct Service Provider training (DSP). Caregivers in California are required to complete DSP within their first year of employment when working with the developmentally disabled. While DSP training will not give CEUs that count toward renewing your administrator certificate, the Office of Education occasionally offers free CEU courses in addition to DSP training.

• 5

  Register for any available continuing education training by phone or email.

• 6

  Attend the courses. Save the certificates you receive for submission with your administrator certificate renewal application.