CDMS - Certified Disability Management Specialist

The Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS) credential and exam governed by the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) and accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

A Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS) is a professional who has demonstrated proficiency in both disability and absence management. The CDMS focuses on workplace topics with an emphasis on managing ill and injured employees, advocating for the safe return of employees back to work, and helping an employee's earning potential and productivity to the organization.

Eligibility Requirements

Those interested in taking the CDMS certification exam must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in any field or a current Registered Nurse (RN) license

• Must be currently employed in the absence and disability management field

• An applicant must have a minimum of 2080 hours of documented relevant work experience within the last 36 months. Areas of experience must center around preventative or case management services for those with short- and long-term health issues and direct administrative practices.  

• Paid employment is the only accepted form of work experience

• Applicants are subject to an audit of education credentials, work experience, and licensure before the examination

• Self-employed candidates must submit the CDMS Self Employment Verification Form and include 3 separate buyers of their services

Exam Details

The CDMS examination is offered in March and September of each year. Candidates must submit applications 6 weeks prior to the exam. Once an application is submitted, candidates can select from over 300 testing centers in the US. The fee for testing is $420 and is required by 5pm EST on the date of the application deadline.

The exam consists of 150 questions, with 125 being scored. The exam is computer-based.

Topics covered during the examination include:

• Employee's leave & benefits

• Workplace involvement in disability prevention

• Disability and work case management

• Disability program development, evaluation, and management

Certification must be renewed every 5 years and can be completed in one of 2 ways:

• Continuing education: 80 hours of continuing education, with 4 hours including ethics studies. All hours for continuing education must be received and verified by the date of the year recertification is due.

• Re-Examination: The exam must be completed in one of the exam windows (March, September, and December). Applicants are required to renew certification on the month and year credentials expire.

Continuing education hours can be uploaded on your CDMS dashboard.

Renewal Fees

• By continuing education: $275

• By re-examination: $475

• Late fee: $175

The CCMC offers resources for certification candidates including a practice exam for a fee of $49.99 and a candidate handbook that includes a content outline.