National Social Work Month: CCMC commends social workers for advocacy and guidance for clients, families, care team

Commission offers social workers one-year subscriptions to the Case Management Body of Knowledge to enhance understanding of case management and workforce needs

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commission for Case Manager Certification® salutes the nation's 650,000-plus social workers today for their work to support and advocate for millions of clients. Social workers offer guidance and resources to help individuals overcome physical, emotional and social challenges. Social workers are among the Commission's board-certified case managers, and the Commission invites more to pursue certification and join the growing ranks of professionals whose skills, knowledge and experience are critically needed in the health care sector.

In observance of March as National Social Worker Month, the Commission will offer a limited number of free one-year subscriptions to its Case Management Body of Knowledge® (CMBOK®) to social workers. The CMBOK is an online education tool, presenting the foundational knowledge a professional case manager must possess to work independently and effectively.

"Social workers are advocates for individuals and families, offering an added dimension to the field of medical case management. But today their numbers are small—too many are missing from the case management ranks. This must change to meet new team-based care demands and employers' need for validated skills," said Commission CEO Patrice Sminkey. "Social workers play a critical role in care coordination and care transitions across the health continuum. We hope that ready access to the knowledge tools available through the CMBOK will advance understanding of case management practice, and will encourage more social workers to join the more than 30,000 board-certified case managers."

The CMBOK is based on the Case Management Knowledge Framework, developed by the Commission to assist all partners in health care quality to identify training needs of professional case managers as they take expanded roles in new models of care. Subscribers to the CMBOK who are also board certified may obtain continuing education credit through the online tool.

Substantial changes in health care delivery, such as the patient-centered medical home and accountable care, underscore the relevance of team-based care. According to a recent Institute of Medicine report, there is an urgent need for high-functioning teams to address patient needs in a complex health care environment.[1]

Case managers are well-suited to function on teams as advocates for patients as they coordinate care. They design and monitor care-plans; improve communication; evaluate patient progress; and track outcomes.

The need for well-qualified case managers is expanding. The Commission recently announced changes to its eligibility criteria for case managers seeking board certification. The move recognizes a growing number of allied health care workers—including social workers--who can demonstrate the skills, knowledge, capability and experience to pass its rigorous CCM® exam.

The workforce demand for qualified case managers is also growing due to the influx of newly insured individuals through the Affordable Care Act, and a graying generation of Baby Boomers with chronic illness and complex care needs.

To learn more, download the Commission's issue brief, "Certainty in uncertain times:  The Commission rises to meet the challenges of (r)evolutionary change." To qualify for a one-year CMBOK subscription, social workers may apply here.

Board certification demonstrates a level of expertise in the field that is often weighed by employers as a benchmark requirement for case managers seeking leadership roles and career advancement. The Commission is currently taking applications for the upcoming certification exam; more information can be found at ccmcertification.org.

About the Commission for Case Manager Certification

The Commission for Case Manager Certification is the first and largest nationally accredited organization that certifies more than 30,000 professional case managers. The Commission is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that oversees the process of case manager certification with its CCM® credential. The Commission is positioned as the most active and prestigious certification organization supporting the practice of case management. For more information, visit www.ccmcertification.org, connect with CCMC on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @CCM_Cert.

[1] Mitchell, P.. M. Wynia, R. Golden, B. McNellis, S. Okun, C.E. Webb, V. Rohrbach, and I. Von Kohorn. 2012. Core principles & values of effective team-based health care. Discussion Paper, Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC. www.iom.edu/tbc.

SOURCE Commission for Case Manager Certification