In mid-January, the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) will enhance its member benefits and add value to the case/care management industry by introducing its new online Educational Resource Library to be located on the organization's website, www.cmsa.org.

Just as CMSA members focus on the individual needs of their patients, CMSA is making a focused effort to target programs that will make a real difference to case managers.  Therefore, CMSA has customized every program in the new Library for three professional levels:  Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. 

• Level I - assumes the participant has little or no prior knowledge of the areas covered.  The focus of the activity is to increase the core knowledge of the participant.
• Level II - assumes the participant has general knowledge of the literature and professional practice within the areas covered.  The focus of the activity is to enhance knowledge and application of the participant.
• Level III - assumes the participant has thorough knowledge of the literature and professional practice within the areas covered.  The focus of the activity is synthesis of recent advances and future directions.

The motivation for this addition to CMSA's offerings stems from the CMSA Board of Directors' collective observation that the care management industry is continuing along a path of rapid transformation.  In observing these changes, the Board concluded that case management has matured to a place where a one-level approach to education is no longer practical.  In order to help meet the resulting industry needs, the Board approved the creation of the Library, which is expected to become the one-stop-shop for case management education, resources, tools, and skills development.

Completely web-based to facilitate "anytime, anywhere" access to learning content, the Library will initially offer 90 courses in several media formats.  Courses include Putting Evidence into Practice:  Proving that Case Management Works and Getting Others to Listen, Strategies in the Management of CHF to Reduce Hospitalization, and Assessing Case Management Competency - How Do the Courts Determine. Over the next 12 to 18 months, CMSA plans to offer 150 to 200 modules.

The easy-to-use research system will allow for learner self-service, facilitating self-enrollment and access to courses.  In addition, the Library will feature:

• A patient educational library
• A professional education library consisting of clinical and business course work
• A CCM resource list of reading and study materials
• A Masters level educational link to universities
• A tracking and monitoring section for completed course work
• The ability to print CE certificates
• A tutorial on the CMSA website and a session on navigating and using the Educational Resource Library at the Annual Conference
• A comprehensive consumer resource section

Also important for employers, however, is the ability to choose the level of coursework and to allow movement between the various levels depending on educational needs and requirements.  Moving to a skills-based education module, such as the Resource Library will allow employers to more accurately track CM employee advancement along the development continuum.  The program is also designed to encourage employers to develop employee educational support programs and to create funds to support CM professional development with online tracking.  These abilities will help employers to maximize their professional development investments and to enjoy trackable, measurable ROI.  Later phases of the Library will enhance the core of CMSA's education initiative, and as these phases develop, CMSA plans to provide online skills assessment tools and standardize roles and competencies throughout the industry to facilitate moving from an advanced practice to a profession.

Watch for more information on CMSA's Educational Resource Library in January on www.cmsa.org.