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Case management is a rewarding profession. These workers are on the frontlines of providing vital services to some of society’s most vulnerable populations – often people experiencing dire conditions. Case managers must keep pace with changes in their field by investing in professional development.
Here we’ll outline some approaches to education, certifications, licensing, and professional networking to help case managers advance professionally and keep in line with current best practices in case management.
Pursuing a Career in Case Management
Case managers typically enter the field with a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or humanities. Some also pursue master’s degrees in social work, public health, psychology, nursing, or criminal justice.
Case management spans numerous fields and specialties. Professionals in the field can pursue roles in:
Home Health Case Management- Medical Case Management
- Health Insurance Case Management
- Disability Case Management
- Early Childhood Case Management
- Homelessness Case Management
Case Management Certifications
- Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCM): Registered nurses, social workers, and worker’s compensation professionals often pursue this specialized certification. This credential helps professional case managers learn how to best allocate resources, make data-informed decisions, and assess needs. CCMs are highly skilled in helping clients navigate life transitions and change, identify and address areas of need, work toward goals, and advocate for their continued success.
- American Case Management Association Certification (ACM): This certification is directed toward health care delivery and transitions of care, and the credential is issued to registered nurses, social workers, or case managers who have worked for 2080 hours or one year in case management, pass the examination, and meet other ACMA criteria. The exam uses clinical simulation testing methodology to evaluate practical case management competencies and critical thinking skills.
- Case Management Administrator Certification (CMAC): Registered nurses and social workers who are ACM-certified may apply for a five-year CMAC credential. This credentialing process helps case managers gain the skills necessary to advance into leadership roles.
After attaining a CCM or ACM credential, the case manager becomes a member of the credentialing organization – unlocking access to professional resources, mentors, and a network of colleagues across the country.
Continuing Education
From interactive web-based case studies and training modules to competency testing, this training provided by the American Case Management Association helps case managers and physician advisors at all levels gain standardized training in their field. The training includes new content in 2022: COVID-19 lessons learned, ethics, complex case management, palliative care and hospice, and legislative updates.- PACE Courses: Offered predominantly online via CMSA, these courses cover a broad range of topics. Members gain continuing education credits upon course completion.
- Case Management Society of America Training and Membership:
- Commission for Case Manager Certification Free Webinars: You don’t need to be certified through CCM to access this premium archive of more than 40 free lectures covering all facets of case management trends, challenges, and tips.
- Care Transitions Today Podcast: In the past two seasons of the podcast, the hosts have covered a broad range of topics, including COVID-19 impacts, artificial intelligence, pediatric risk stratification, emergency preparedness, and the future of mental health care. Case managers at all levels can benefit from listening to Deb McElroy and Rikki Moye’s thoughtful perspectives and insights into the field.
Case Management Licensing Requirements
Not all case managers need a license, depending on their location and occupation. Medical case managers may be registered nurses, which would require state nursing licensing, whereas others specializing in psychotherapy may hold Licensed Clinical Social Worker credentials. Attaining professional certifications and renewing those credentials every five years helps case managers advance professionally.
We work with case managers to streamline their workflows and save time.
At CaseWorthy, case management is our specialty. We offer a scalable, fully customizable case management solution that makes data collection, organization, reporting, and continuity of care seamless and efficient.
