Scope of Practice Overview

Case management is a professional, collaborative and inter-disciplinary practice. Board certification indicates that the professional case manager possesses the education, skills, moral character, and experience required to render appropriate services based on sound principles of practice.

Board-Certified Case Managers (CCMs) will practice only within the boundaries of their role or competence, based on their education, skills, and appropriate professional experience. They will not misrepresent their role or competence to clients. They will not represent the possession of the CCM credential to imply a depth of knowledge, skills, and professional capabilities greater than those demonstrated by achievement of certification.

I. UNDERLYING VALUES

  • Board-Certified Case Managers (CCMs) believe that case management is a means for improving client health, wellness and autonomy through advocacy, communication, education, identification of service resources, and service facilitation.
  • Board-Certified Case Managers (CCMs) recognize the dignity, worth and rights of all people.
  • Board-Certified Case Managers (CCMs) understand and commit to quality outcomes for clients, appropriate use of resources, and the empowerment of clients in a manner that is supportive and objective. » Board-Certified Case Managers (CCMs) embrace the underlying premise that when the individual(s) reaches the optimum level of wellness and functional capability, everyone benefits: the individual(s) served, their support systems, the health care delivery systems and the various reimbursement systems.
  • Board-Certified Case Managers (CCMs) understand that case management is guided by the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity.

II. DEFINITION OF CASE MANAGEMENT

Case Management is a dynamic process that assesses, plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates to improve outcomes, experiences, and value.

The practice of case management is professional and collaborative, occurring in a variety of settings where medical care, mental health care, and social supports are delivered. Services are facilitated by diverse disciplines in conjunction with the care recipient and their support system.

In pursuit of health equity, priorities include identifying needs, ensuring appropriate access to resources/services, addressing social determinants of health and facilitating safe care transitions. Professional case managers help navigate complex systems to achieve mutual goals, advocate for those they serve, and recognize personal dignity, autonomy, and the right to self-determination.

(ACMA/CCMC September 2022)

III. ETHICAL ISSUES

Because case management exists in an environment that may look to it to solve or resolve various problems in the health care delivery and payor systems, case managers may often confront ethical dilemmas. Case managers must abide by the Code as well as by the professional code of ethics for their specific professional discipline for guidance and support in the resolution of these conflicts.

Review the CCMC Code of Professional Conduct for Case Managers