The required trainings are set by Appendix B of the iBudget Handbook. Zero Tolerance comes first — before a new hire serves anyone — then HIPAA within 30 days and Direct Care Core Competencies, CPR, First Aid and AIDS/HIV within 90. APD delivers most courses free through TRAIN Florida, and your staff files need the certificates to prove completion. The catch isn't the first round — it's that HIPAA renews annually, CPR and First Aid certificates must never lapse, Zero Tolerance renews every three years, and service-specific courses run on their own schedules. Multiply by every caregiver on the roster and expiration tracking becomes the whole game.
The core courses and their clocks
- Zero ToleranceEvery 3 years
Due before providing services, then every three years. Abuse, neglect and exploitation: recognizing the signs, reporting to the Florida Abuse Hotline, prevention and safety planning. Self-paced on TRAIN Florida.
- Direct Care Core Competencies (DCCC)One-time
Due within 90 days of providing services. Person-centered planning, developmental disabilities, health and safety, choices and rights, and the direct support professional's role. Self-paced on TRAIN Florida; a Provider Discovery Review score below 86% can require a retake.
- HIPAAAnnually
Due within 30 days, then every year — the shortest clock on the list.
- CPR & First AidKeep current
Due within 90 days, and the certificate must stay valid at all times. Taken with an approved vendor (American Red Cross, American Heart Association and others listed in the Handbook), not TRAIN Florida.
- AIDS/HIVKeep current
Due within 90 days, with a valid certificate held at all times.
- iConnect trainingPer role
The iConnect courses for the tasks each person performs in the state system, including EVV and the EVV Manager role.
- Service-specific coursesVaries
Appendix C of the Handbook adds training by service — for example medication administration and validation (Rule 65G-7) and behavioral emergency procedures (Rule 65G-8), both taught by APD-approved trainers outside TRAIN Florida.
Tracking renewals across a roster
A lapsed certificate is one of the most common findings in a Provider Discovery Review because nothing announces the lapse — the caregiver keeps working, the file quietly goes stale. In Waiversoft, every training slot in the employee file checklist carries its expiration date, upcoming renewals roll into 30/60/90-day buckets on the dashboard, and admins get a daily digest before anything expires — the monthly sweep, automated.
Frequently asked questions
Where do APD staff complete required trainings?
Most APD-required courses are free on TRAIN Florida (train.org/florida); since APD Provider Advisory 2025-004, Direct Care Core Competencies and Zero Tolerance are self-paced online only there. CPR and First Aid are taken with an approved vendor, and medication administration and behavioral emergency procedures with APD-approved trainers.
When is Zero Tolerance training due?
Before a staff member provides services, then every three years. It is not an annual course. (During TRAIN access delays in 2021, APD allowed up to 30 days after hire; check whether that allowance still applies before relying on it.)
When are Direct Care Core Competencies due?
Within 90 days of starting to provide services. It's a one-time course with an 85% passing score, but a Provider Discovery Review score below 86% can require the staff member to retake it.
What is the APD training portal?
“APD training portal” usually means APD's provider training pages on apd.myflorida.com, which point to the courses — most of them on TRAIN Florida. It isn't a separate learning system; apdcares.org is an APD web address that redirects to the same site.
How often does Zero Tolerance training renew?
Zero Tolerance expires every 3 years. HIPAA renews annually, CPR and First Aid certificates must never lapse, and DCCC is one-time — the mixed cycles are exactly why per-person tracking matters.
Do all staff need every training?
The core set applies to direct-care staff broadly, with one carve-out: staff holding professional certificates (nurses, therapists and similar) need only Direct Care Core Competencies, Zero Tolerance, HIPAA and iConnect training. Service-specific requirements — medication administration, behavioral emergency procedures — depend on what each person renders. Check Appendices B and C of the iBudget Handbook for each service you're enrolled in.
What proof do reviewers want?
Certificates in each staff member's personnel file, current as of the review period. In a Provider Discovery Review, an expired certificate counts the same as a missing one.