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Direct Service Worker Registry, LAC 48:I Chapter 92 (§§9201–9285)

LouisianaregulationLouisiana Department of Health, Bureau of Health Services Financing / Health Standards Section

What this rule requires your agency to do

  • 1Licensed and/or certified health care providers shall access the registry to determine if there is a finding against a prospective hire or currently employed/contracted DSW; if there is a finding, the prospective employee shall not be hired nor shall a current employee have continued employment. (§9202.C)(§9202.C)
  • 2Direct service workers and trainees shall not use verbal, mental, sexual or physical abuse, corporal punishment or involuntary seclusion, nor neglect an individual or commit exploitation, extortion, or misappropriation. (§9273.A)(§9273.A)
  • 3Direct service workers shall receive person-specific training from an RN, and the RN's determination of competency shall be certified in writing and maintained in the DSW's personnel file. (§9245.A.1)(§9245.A.1)
  • 4Prior to hiring any direct service worker or trainee, the provider shall assure that the individual is at least 18 years of age and has the ability to read, write and comprehend the English language, and shall access the registry in accordance with §9202.C. (§9231.A)(§9231.A)
  • 5Direct service staff shall receive 16 hours of medication administration training coordinated and approved by an RN, covering the core curriculum, documentation training, and skill proficiency areas. (§9245.B)(§9245.B)
  • 6A DSW who has not completed didactic training and demonstrated competency in accordance with LDH/Louisiana Board of Nursing guidelines shall not be allowed to perform medication administration or any noncomplex tasks. (§9245.C)(§9245.C)
  • 7The health care provider shall have a written process to check the registry every six months for all currently employed or contracted DSWs or trainees, and shall follow that process in demonstration of compliance. (§9231.B)(§9231.B)
  • 8A registered nurse shall authorize and monitor medication administration and noncomplex tasks performed by direct service workers, including periodic RN assessment no less than annually. (§9243.A)(§9243.A)

Applies to: Licensed and/or certified health care providers employing or contracting direct service workers (DSWs); DSWs and trainees

Establishes the Direct Service Worker Registry, mandatory pre-hire and semiannual registry checks by employers, prohibition on employing workers with findings of abuse/neglect/misappropriation, and training/authorization requirements for DSW medication administration and noncomplex tasks in home and community-based settings. (Note: Chapter 92 has been the subject of later amendments, including a 2023 rulemaking to LAC 48:I.9231 adding an age-restriction exception process for 16- and 17-year-old workers.)

Regulatory information, not legal advice — always confirm against the cited official source. Verification reduces error; it does not certify compliance.