To our CCM & CDMS Community,
As we reflect on the past few months, we wanted to thank you for your ongoing support and your commitment to certification. We appreciate your feedback, candor and praise as we have navigated unchartered waters over these recent months.
Now that we are over six months into a global pandemic, we better understand the challenges during this difficult time. As professionals you deal with both the stresses of your clients’ lives, as well as those of your home lives. You need tools to get through each day, each week. You also need tools and approaches to help your clients feel optimism, even during tough times.
To address the needs of our community, the Commission has taken several steps to support our CCM & CDMS Community. In June 2020, the Board of Commissioners voted to maintain the Executive Committee for the 2020.2021 fiscal year. Considering the uncertainty related to COVID-19, the board agreed that this decision is in the best interest of the Commission to mitigate and respond to the pandemic's potential impact on the organization. By maintaining the existing Executive Committee, the Commission will continue to navigate these uncertain times without the disruption of a transition and can remain focused during the coming months.
As a result, the Commission was able to move quickly to extend the time frame to renew for both our Spring and Fall 2020 classes and has made several education courses available, at no charge, to help you Stay Certified. We also postponed the release of the new CCM Exam blueprint and extended the deadline to participate in the CDMS Role & Function Survey.
Most recently, the Commission has extended the application window for the December 2020 exam, allowing applicants to apply through Case Management week—October 19. Furthermore, the Commission worked with our test administrator—Prometric/SMT—to offer remote proctoring as an additional way to take both the CDMS and CCM exams. These are just some of the many ways that CCMC has worked to address the impact of the pandemic.
During this time, the Commission successfully tested thousands of candidates for both the CCM and CDMS exams, including those CCM candidates displaced from the cancelation of the April 2020 exam. With the quick pace of these changes, the Commission has seen many successes, but this is not to say it has been without challenges.
Just a few months ago, remote proctoring was not even an option for our two exams. Offering the exams for the first time remotely has provided many opportunities to learn and grow as this new modality evolves at an exponential pace. In addition, we have been faced with test center closures and limited seats for candidates to ensure that the appropriate safety protocols and social distancing measures are in place.
This is an experience unlike any other in our lifetimes. There is no playbook for today's events which means we are learning to pivot as new needs and opportunities arise. Out of situations like this, we learn valuable lessons, and that is how we grow. This speaks to who we are as a community and to our resilience.
Stay safe, stay well and thank you for giving us grace during these unprecedented times.
Michelle Baker
2020.2021 CCMC Chair
MaryBeth Kurland
CCMC CEO