PRESS RELEASE: The Commission announces annual CMLearning Network series; first session to focus on the national epidemic of loneliness and isolation
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Contact: Keri Boyce
Health2 Resources
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keri@health2resources.com
The Commission announces annual CMLearning Network series; first session to focus on the national epidemic of loneliness and isolation
National thought leader Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D., presents webinar series opener
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ, Sept. 28, 2023 — Widespread yet often invisible, loneliness and isolation are markers for premature death and a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, and anxiety. The healing effects of social connection and community in the context of well-being are the centerpiece of the first webinar in this year’s Commission for Case Manager Certification® CMLearning Network webinar series, featuring Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University.
Holt-Lunstad served as the lead scientific editor of the recent U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory and framework for a national strategy on loneliness and isolation, which calls out these risk factors as a profound threat to national health and well-being. Hailed as an epidemic by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, isolation and loneliness have a ripple effect in society, affecting people and organizations with consequences such as reduced performance and productivity.
“Mental health and well-being are critical factors in whole-person care. Case managers routinely screen and assess clients for a range of risk factors—physical, emotional, social, and socio-economic—to identify risks and inform the client plan,” said Commission CEO MaryBeth Kurland, MPA, CAE, ICE-CCP. “The Surgeon General’s Advisory underscores the need for a comprehensive, whole person approach, which we’re prioritizing in our professional development series.”
The Commission will host five webinars over the next 12 months in the CMLearning Network series, which highlights case management and disability management trends and successful approaches to address today’s challenges in a professional development context. Upcoming topics to be included in this series are: ethical decision-making, end-of-life care, leave and absence management, and behavioral health. With content for both professional and board-certified case managers and disability management specialists, there is no cost to register and attend the series. Board-certified case managers and disability management specialists may register to earn continuing education credit and/or contact hours for a small fee. The Commission is also an accredited provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC) and approved provider for continuing education for New York State licensed social workers by the New York State Education Department for Social Work (NYSED).The webinars may be accessed through the CMLearning Network.
The series is an opportunity for the Commission to provide tools for case manager well-being and resilience as well. As a network organization of the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, the Commission is committed to advancing solutions to rising rates of stress and emotional exhaustion within the health care workforce.
“Professional education is an opportunity for individuals to enhance knowledge about contemporary topics—and to recharge and refresh,” Kurland said.
As an advocate for professional growth and development, the Commission is also among 500 organizations that comprise the Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition, formed to support legislation that would expand 529 savings plans to include postsecondary training and credentialing, including licenses and certification. The act provides tax-advantages for individuals—with or without a college degree—to pursue professional education for career growth.
“By opening access to 529 savings for certification and licensure, this legislation would open career pathways for millions,” Kurland said. “The Commission’s support aligns with our values to advance and advocate for consumer protection, quality case management practice, ethical standards and behavior, and scientific knowledge development and dissemination.”
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About the Commission for Case Manager Certification
The Commission for Case Manager Certification is the first and largest nationally accredited case management certification organization, credentialing more than 50,000 professional case managers and disability management specialists. The Commission is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that oversees the process of case manager certification with its CCM® and CDMS® credentials. Offering an extensive portfolio of certification and professional advancement activities, the Commission is the most active and prestigious certification organization supporting the practices of case management and disability management. For more information, visit www.ccmcertification.org and www.cdms.org, connect with the Commission on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @CCM_Cert.