1. (1) Instructor Qualifications.

   1. (a) The Office of Talent, Leadership, and Culture shall develop prerequisite criteria for the instructor techniques course. The Office of Talent, Leadership, and Culture shall develop prerequisite and renewal requirements for all train-the-trainer courses. Criteria to become an instructor must at minimum address the candidate’s length of service and disciplinary record.

   2. (b) All instructors must have successfully completed the Instructor Techniques course prior to the delivery of training, with the following exceptions:

      1. FTOs that provide on-the-job training to newly hired staff,

      2. Support staff who are designated by their supervisor to provide training to a staff member that is a specific and specialized skill of a support staff member’s position and is not a topic identified in Chapter 63H-3, F.A.C.

   3. (c) Any individual who is not IT trained and who seeks authorization to instruct a course related to a specific certification, licensure or training must submit for approval a completed Instructor Exemption form to the Director of Talent, Leadership, and Culture through their respective administrator for each training topic delivered. The Instructor Exemption Form (TLC 001, April 2023) is incorporated by reference into this rule and is available electronically at HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15377" http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15377.
   4. (d) Failure of the Instructor Techniques course will require the student to retake the entire course.
   5. (e) Instructors may receive hour for hour credit for any course they deliver towards their annual in-service training hours.
   6. (f) Only certified CPR/AED/First Aid instructors shall conduct CPR/AED/First Aid training.

2. (2) Training Plans for Direct Care Staff.

   1. (a) Each facility, program area, circuit, or unit shall create and maintain an annual training calendar or plan that identifies all direct care staff training identified in this rule and any additional training required in awarded contracts. The calendar or plan shall include course descriptions and credited hours. The final training plan must be reviewed and approved by the Assistant Secretary of the program area and the Director of Talent, Leadership, and Culture.
   2. (b) Training calendars or plans shall be completed prior to implementation and shall be maintained at the facility, program, or unit, and must be approved by the highest-ranking official at the location.

3. (3) Course Topic Hours.

   1. (a) Curricula are competency-based, meaning the curriculum uses specific objectives and performance-based learning to achieve performance standards, in lieu of established contact hours in a delivery format that ensures the training school delivers all curriculum materials.
   2. (b) Under the direction of the Training Entity, training sites and instructors have the flexibility to redistribute topic hours in areas where greater emphasis is needed. Additionally, with the written approval of the Training Entity, additional learning aids may be used to enhance instruction of the learning goals and objectives.
   3. (c) Sworn law enforcement officers may be exempt from certain topics required of direct care staff if the objectives of the course required by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission align with department course objectives. The Training Entity or their designee shall be responsible for the determination of all exemptions.
   4. (d) All individual staff training hours shall be documented in the SkillPro learning management system.

4. (4) Returning State Direct Care Staff, State Facility Administrators, and State Circuit Administrators.

   1. (a) Certification expiration is governed by the original certification expiration date and completion of continuing education credits with the required timeframe. Certification expiration is not extended or paused due to separation from employment.
   2. (b) A returning staff whose certification is active at the time of rehire may perform direct care duties only if all required annual update requirements are met.
   3. (c) A returning staff whose certification is active, but who is not current on required annual update requirements, shall not have contact with youth for the purposes of supervision, custody, or control until all required updates are completed.

   4. (d) A returning staff whose certification has expired shall be subject to reinstatement requirements based on the length of time since certification expiration, as follows:

      1. Staff whose certification expired less than two (2) years prior to rehire shall complete all CECs and required training within 180 days of rehire. Staff shall not have contact with youth for the purposes of supervision, custody, or control until all required updates are completed.

      2. Staff whose certification expired two (2) years or more prior to rehire shall complete the academy requirements in Rules 63H-3.002 and 63H-3.003, F.A.C.

5. (5) Returning Contracted Direct Care Staff and Support Staff

   1. (a) Returning contracted direct care and support staff who return less than two years from separation shall complete all annual update requirements for training set forth in this rule.
   2. (b) Returning contracted direct care and support staff who return two or more years from separation shall complete all certification and training requirements in this rule.

Rulemaking Authority 985.601, 985.645 FS. Law Implemented 985.02(3), 985.601, 985.645 FS. History–New 3-6-22, Amended 8-3-23, 9-25-25, 6-23-26.