Help with choosing school for CCMC

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 7, 2014

Can someone help me in selecting a school for case management classes in Michigan, or maybe online courses. I am aware I can just sit for the exam but feel I need further training first.

Did you ever work as a Nurse Case Manager for 2 years while working under the supervision of a Nurse with his/her CCM? If not, you cannot sit for the exam yet.

Also, if you are not a CM yet.... given your background you should be able to land a job as a new or entry level case manager. Start by talking to former and current employers. After you land a job, take classes offered through Nursing organizations and CEU companies. Read journals that target us and study materials that focus on the exam. You should be very prepared to then sit for the exam after two years. Good luck.

MareMareRN · Jan 7, 2014

I worked home care for a few years as a cm. Not sure if my supervisor held her ccm license. Will have to contact her to ask.So I can count those years, right?I will check out the ceu company catalogues they send me. That makes more sense, thank you!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2014

Check the CCMC website for the new requirements to sit the exam-- they changed within the last year. I believe the work requirement may be one year now, but you must also hold a 4-year degree (e.g., nursing, social work).

The website will also tell you that the CCMC does not release the test to any company offering to prepare applicants for the exam, so any claims to be the best or most in tune with the CCMC are just marketing hype. There is an exam blueprint on the website that gives some sample questions and the percentages of areas covered, so that could be helpful to guide your studying.

There are a number of threads here on what books to use to study for the test-- browse through here and check those out, too. You will be learning all the time as a new CM.

http://ccmcertification.org/node/428

WC Case manager · Jan 11, 2014

Check the CCMC website for the new requirements to sit the exam-- they changed within the last year. I believe the work requirement may be one year now but you must also hold a 4-year degree (e.g., nursing, social work). The website will also tell you that the CCMC does not release the test to any company offering to prepare applicants for the exam, so any claims to be the best or most in tune with the CCMC are just marketing hype. There is an exam blueprint on the website that gives some sample questions and the percentages of areas covered, so that could be helpful to guide your studying. There are a number of threads here on what books to use to study for the test-- browse through here and check those out, too. You will be learning all the time as a new CM. http://ccmcertification.org/node/428[/quote']
I didn't read the qualifications as that. It's specifically states licensure or certification where the person holding a license can perform an individual assessment.....in so many words. One does not to have 4 year nursing degree to sit for CCM. An ADN nurse cN performance assessment. The 4 year degree also applies to social workers. Read the requirements again. I am a BSN but I work with a lot of CCMs that are ADNs.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2014

You are correct. This has been updated. This is from the applicant handbook at http://ccmcertification.org/sites/default/files/downloads/2013/Cert%20Guide%20-%20Posted%20to%20website%208.16.13.pdf

SECTION 3: Are You Eligible to Apply?

To be eligible for the CCM Exam, you must:

1. Meet the specified qualifications (Section 4)

2. Qualify within one of CCMC’s employment experience categories (Section 5)

3. Be of good moral character, consistent with The CCMC Code of Professional Conduct (Section

6)

SECTION 4: Qualifications

To be eligible for the CCM Exam, you must hold a:

1. Current, active, and unrestricted licensure or certification in a health or human services

discipline that within its scope of practice allows the professional to conduct an assessment

independently.

OR

2. Baccalaureate or graduate degree in social work, nursing, or another health or human services

field that promotes the physical, psychosocial, and/or vocational well-being of the persons being

served.

The degree must be from an institution that is fully accredited by a nationally recognized

educational accreditation organization, and the individual must have completed a supervised field

experience in case management, health, or behavioral health as part of the degree

requirements.1

......

SECTION 5: Employment Experience

Employment experience requirements must be fully satisfied before at the time the application

is SUBMITTED. To be eligible for the CCM Exam, you must qualify within one of these

categories:

Category 1: 12 months of acceptable full-time case management employment experience

supervised by a board-certified case manager (CCM). Supervision is defined as the

systematic and periodic evaluation of the quality of the delivery of the applicant’s case

management services.

or

Category 2: 24 months of acceptable full-time case management employment experience.

(Supervision by a CCM is not required under this category).

or

Category 3: 12 months of acceptable full-time case management employment experience as a

supervisor of individuals who provide case management services.

Acceptable employment experience MUST meet the following conditions:

1. Focus primarily on case management practice.

2. Perform at least five of the six core components of case management. Within each of the

five of the six core components, you must:

Perform all 8 Essential Activities with direct client contact

Provide services across a continuum of care, beyond a single episode of care that

addresses the ongoing needs of the individual being served.

Be responsible for interacting with other relevant parties within the client’s healthcare

system.

All employment experience, within the past 5 years, may be considered by CCMC in determining

your eligibility for certification but you do not need to enter 5 years worth of employment into the

application. You only need to enter as many employment entries into the application that will

meet one of the above requirements. Please do NOT enter your entire work history into the

application.

7

Part-time employment experience will be pro-rated based on a 37 hour full-time work week. Internship, preceptor-ship, practicum, and volunteer activities are NOT acceptable employment

experience.

....

The Eight Essential Activities with Direct Client Contact

ASSESSMENT The process of collecting in-depth information about a client’s situation and

functioning to identify individual needs in order to develop a comprehensive case management

plan that will address those needs. In addition to client contact, information should be gathered

from other relevant sources (patient/client, professional caregivers, nonprofessional

caregivers, employers, health records, educational/military records, etc.).

PLANNING The process of determining and documenting specific objectives, goals, and actions

designed to meet the client’s needs as identified through the assessment process. The plan

should be action-oriented and time specific.

IMPLEMENTATION The process of executing and documenting specific case management

activities and/or interventions that will lead to accomplishing the goals set forth in the case

management plan.

COORDINATION The process of organizing, securing, integrating, modifying, and documenting

the resources necessary to accomplish the goals set forth in the case management plan.

MONITORING The ongoing process of gathering sufficient information from all relevant sources

and its documentation regarding the case management plan and its activities and/or services to

enable the case manager to determine the plan’s effectiveness.

EVALUATION The process, repeated at appropriate intervals, of determining and documenting

the case management plan’s effectiveness in reaching desired outcomes and goals. This might

lead to a modification or change in the case management plan in its entirety or in any of its

component parts.

8

OUTCOMES The process of measuring the interventions to determine the outcomes of case

management involvement (e.g. clinical, financial, variance, quality/quality of life, client

satisfaction).

GENERAL The activities/interventions that are performed across case management practice and

process (e.g. maintaining client's privacy, confidentiality and safety, advocacy, adherence to

ethical, legal and accreditation/regulatory standards).

The Six Core Components of Case Management

1. Psychosocial Aspects

2. Healthcare Reimbursement

3. Rehabilitation

4. Healthcare Management and Delivery

5. Principles of Practice

6. Case Management Concepts