If you are a new Certified Case Manager, congratulations. Once you get over celebrating, it is time to think about how you will maintain your hard-earned certification!

You will need to renew your Case Manager Certification soon, and here are 10 tips to help you through your journey.

1. Read the renewal rules for your certifications. Each Body has specific rules you need to follow. Print off the renewal handbook and READ IT. 
2. Keep your email and phone number updated with the certification body as this is how they will notify you when you are due to renew. If you miss your renewal date, you can lose your certification. So, it is important to keep track of the dates as you do your professional license.
3.  Find out when your renewal date is. Usually, it is five years after the date you passed your certification. Each certification body will have its own renewal requirements. The Commission for Case Manager Certification required you to renew every 5 years. Every 5 years you need 80 contact hours with 8 of them being in ethics. CCMC gives you a portal where you can record your CEs as you get them, so, at any time during the 5 year period, you can check to see where you are. Check in annually at least, 5 years sneak up on your and you don’t want to be cut shorthanded. 
4. Ways you can gain continuing education credits by going to your professional organization’s annual conference. My case management professional organization is the Case Management Society of America. They have an annual onsite and virtual conference where you can earn up to 80 contact hours. Other professional organizations such as the American Nursing Credentialing Center, American Case Management Association, and Managed Care Nurses all have their own Annual Conference that also provides continuing education you can gain by attending. These conferences are also good for networking and learning what is happening in your area of practice. 
5. Most of the local chapters of the Case Management Society of America are offering monthly CE Meetings for their members. Check to see if you have a chapter in your area and when they hold their meetings. Ask to be put on the mailing list so you are notified of an event. 
6. There are several companies that provide on-demand continuing education credits for case managers. Athena Forum Institute and AAACEU are just two examples of organizations that provide pre-approved continuing education credits for professional case managers. 
7. Many employers offer in-house continuing education programs that are also approved for professional case managers. These can be in the form of “lunch and learns” from various providers who provide services and resources case managers need to meet the needs of their clients. Ask your contact when you order DME, Schedule diagnostic tests, or provide complex surgical procedures for your patients. Most are glad to do an onsite in-service for your organization. 
8. The various certification bodies also offer continuing education opportunities so check your specific certification body to see what is offered. 
9. As a last resort, you can always re-test! Yes, you can take the certification exam every 5 years. Some people like to do this to stay up to date on the changes taking place in the industry. 
10. The most important thing is to know your date of renewal, and the number of credits you need to renew your certification. Once you know this, you can plan how you will meet the renewal requirements for your specific case management certification. 

I hope this article gave you insights into the recertification process. If you have questions, please feel free to email me at allewellyn48@gmail.com 

Bio: Anne Llewellyn, MS, BHSA, RN, CCM, CRRN, CMGT-BC, FCM

Anne is a registered rehabilitation nurse with over forty-three years of experience in critical care, risk management, catastrophic case management, patient advocacy, and healthcare education including training and development. Anne speaks and writes frequently on topics for consumers, caregivers, and all members of the healthcare team so that together we can improve each person’s healthcare experience. Follow her on her weekly Blog, Nurses Advocate where she shares stories and events that will help people be better prepared when they enter the healthcare system. https://nursesadvocates.com