Benefits of the Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP) and Certified Return to Work Coordinator (CRTWC) Certifications

In this time of heightened professional accountability, the emphasis on individuals having qualifications relevant to their employment has never been greater.

The rapidly expanding disability management field is also experiencing this trend, as more and more progressive workplaces are recognizing the need for knowledgeable, properly trained disability management professionals who demonstrate commitment to evidence-based professional standards held by leaders in the profession.

The social and economic cost of injury, disability, and illness has had a negative impact on workers, employers, and on society. International research has proven that having a workplace based disability management program together with properly trained disability management program managers, coordinators, and specialists is the most effective way to return workers who have been injured or ill to meaningful, productive work. It reduces the human and social costs to workers and financial costs of lost productivity and insurance to employers.

To be eligible for disability management certifications, potential Certified Disability Management Professionals (CDMPs) and Certified Return to Work Coordinators (CRTWCs) must have a combination of education and documented work experience in disability management before writing the certification exam. Ongoing disability management training is part of the commitment of individuals who have achieved the internationally recognized CDMP and CRTWC designations.

Having a CDMP or CRTWC certification allows one to join the Canadian Society of Professionals in Disability Management and a growing global professional network supporting consensus-based disability management practice through evidence-based professional standards of quality, innovation, and leadership in the field.

CDMPs and CRTWCs support workplace-based disability management.

Other benefits to becoming CDMP or CRTWC certified include:

Professional recognition, increased credibility and value, and quality assurance.

• Holding these internationally recognized designations signals that you are aware of and support efforts to attain best practices in your profession, and that you take your work seriously – thus making you more credible and valuable to your organization and clients.
• Achieving the CRTWC or CDMP designation assures that you perform to a specified standard of competency and sets you apart from others working in the field.
• The standards provide quality assurance for employers and workers because they are evidence-based and endorsed by not only a broad cross-section of organizations across Canada but are also being adopted by a growing number of countries worldwide.

Improved career opportunities.

• Increasingly, employers are requiring the CRTWC or CDMP designations as a prerequisite for hiring.
• This demonstration of your dedication could provide you with increased responsibilities and advancement within your organization or beyond.

Improved salary potential.

• Other professions have found that accreditation increases one’s earnings.
• In a hiring situation, if all else is equal, certification may tip the scales in your favour because it demonstrates a high level of commitment to the profession.

Improved skills and knowledge.

• Maintaining your accreditation allows you to build on your experience and keep your skills and knowledge current in this rapidly emerging field, therefore creating better outcomes for injured and ill workers.

Membership in the Canadian Society of Professionals in Disability Management.

• Membership in CSPDM gives you exclusive access to the Members Only area of the website, eligibility to sit on Society taskforces, committees, etc., and discounts on Society-sponsored events, services and products.

Educational opportunities.

• As a member of CSPDM you will be informed about educational workshops and seminars to keep you current with what is happening in the field of disability management and receive continuing education credit (CEC) hours through training and peer-reviewed articles.

National and international networking opportunities.

• Becoming part of a national and international community of professionals allows you to meet and learn from others who share a common background.

National and international portability.

• The global certification process is overseen by the International Disability Management Standards Council (IDMSC) and the designations are currently available in Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This will be of particular importance to multi-national employers who want to ensure consistent professional standards throughout their global operations.

Legislative advocacy.

• As a member of CSDPM you will have a shared voice in addressing emerging legislative and social issues.