Class Code 9085
Resident Care – Developmentally Disabled
Class code 9085 covers workers who provide residential care, habilitation and daily living support to adults and children with developmental disabilities in California residential settings. This classification is priced at a September 1, 2026 approved pure premium of $3.302 per $100 of payroll, which matters because it forms the base of your workers' comp premium calculation.
What Class Code 9085 Covers
Class 9085 applies to employees who deliver direct residential care and habilitation services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in group homes, community care facilities, intermediate care settings and supported living arrangements. Work includes personal care (bathing, toileting, feeding), mobility assistance and transfers, behavior support and crisis intervention, activities of daily living training, and routine documentation of client status. It also covers staff who provide transportation for nonmedical appointments and supervised community integration. Licensed nursing tasks performed by RNs/LPNs are typically coded separately, but unlicensed direct support staff who administer medications under facility protocols generally remain in 9085. Administrative staff who do only office work are not usually included in this class unless they regularly perform direct care duties.
Who It Applies To
- Direct support professionals (DSPs) and residential care attendants
- Group-home live‑in or shift staff serving residents with IDD
- Residential program counselors and habilitation technicians
- Respite care workers and short‑term caregivers for developmentally disabled clients
- Non‑licensed staff who assist with medication under facility protocols
Common Job Duties
- Assisting with activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, grooming and toileting
- Lifting, transferring and repositioning clients using mechanical lifts or manual methods
- Behavior management and de‑escalation, implementing positive support plans
- Preparing and assisting with meals, feeding clients with special diets
- Recording care, maintaining daily logs, reporting behavioral or medical changes
- Transporting clients to appointments or community activities (non‑emergency)
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $3.302 Rate
The pure premium rate of $3.302 per $100 of payroll is the WCIRB's estimate of expected claim costs for this classification. To compute the pure premium, divide total payroll by 100 and multiply by 3.302; insurers then add expense loads, policy fees, state assessments and any modifiers (experience modification, schedule rating) to determine the final premium. Your claims history, safety programs, payroll accuracy and how payroll is allocated across class codes will materially affect the premium you actually pay.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Cal/OSHA requirements most relevant to 9085 include maintaining an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), compliance with the Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care and Social Services standard, and the Bloodborne Pathogens standard when exposure is possible. Employers must provide job‑specific training—safe patient handling and transfer techniques, de‑escalation and behavior support training, PPE use, and timely incident reporting and recordkeeping under California regulations.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 9085
A PEO like Key HR helps employers in this classification by centralizing workers' comp claims handling, implementing tailored safety and safe‑patient handling programs, and coordinating training in behavior de‑escalation and bloodborne pathogen precautions. Key HR can also manage return‑to‑work plans, audit payroll classification to avoid misclassification, and leverage aggregate buying power and proactive case management to reduce claim duration and lower experience modification factors.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Do licensed nurses working in the same facility fall under class 9085?
Licensed nurses (RNs/LPNs) are typically coded under separate professional nursing classifications because their scope of practice and claim profile differ. If nursing staff perform only occasional direct care, consult your insurer or Key HR to allocate payroll correctly for audits.
If my staff administer medications, does that change the class code?
Unlicensed direct support staff who administer medications under a facility protocol generally remain in 9085. If medication administration involves licensed clinical tasks or significant medical procedures, those hours may need to be coded to a medical or licensed professional class.
What practical steps reduce claims and premiums for class 9085 employers?
Implement a formal safe‑patient handling program with lift equipment and training, adopt written behavior support and de‑escalation protocols, enforce PPE and bloodborne pathogen procedures, use early return‑to‑work policies, and maintain accurate payroll records so staff hours are assigned to the proper class code.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 9085
- Classification
- Resident Care – Developmentally Disabled
- Pure Premium Rate
- $3.302 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
Manage Workers' Comp Through a PEO
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