CLMA Certification for Case Management

TURNING CASE MANAGEMENT

INTO LIFE MANAGEMENT

Welcome to the Certified Life Management Advisor

Case Management Track Every day, case managers can change lives. Not simply by connecting families to services, but by helping them discover hope, build confidence, make better decisions, and create brighter futures.

That's the vision behind the Certified Life Management Advisor (CLMA) program.

The CLMA was originally created after years of working with individuals and families seeking financial advice. Time after time, it became clear that the biggest obstacles to financial success weren't always financial. They were often rooted in relationships, health, communication, education, housing, employment, trauma, and life decisions.

People weren't just looking for investment advice.

They were looking for someone who could help them manage life. That realization gave birth to the Certified Life Management Advisor program and its guiding philosophy: Life is more than a portfolio.

Today, that same philosophy is transforming the field of case management.

The 12–week or 12-month CLMA Case Management Track recognizes what many professionals already know: successful case management is about more than completing assessments, coordinating services, and documenting case notes. It is about building relationships, earning trust, strengthening families, and helping people develop the skills and confidence to achieve lasting independence.

The most effective case managers don't simply manage cases. They help people manage life.

That's why the CLMA is setting a new standard for case management certification. One that combines communication, coaching, leadership, education, advocacy, and practical life management into a comprehensive professional framework, turning Case Management Into Life Management.

Come take the journey.

Carnell Moore, CLMA Founder

PROGRAM

TOPICS Building Trust Before Building Plans . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Understanding The Whole Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Effective Communication During Crisis . . . . . . . . . .9 Helping Families Set Life Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Financial Stability & Community Resources . . . . . 13 Health, Wellness, & Self-Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Parenting Through Coaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Youth Success Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Collaboration & Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Ethical Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Leadership & Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Becoming A CLMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Building Trust Before Building Plans Week 1 / Month 1 Curriculum Objective: Teach workers how to build relationships that reduce resistance.

Topics: • First impressions • Trauma-informed communication • Active listening • Asking better questions • Motivational interviewing • Building credibility Practice: • Conducting an intake interview • Difficult first meetings • Home visits Outcome: Families feel understood instead of judged.

Understanding

the

Whole Family Week 2 / Month 2 Objective: Teach workers to see the complete picture.

Topics: • Family systems • Strength-based assessments • Cultural humility • Community influences • Protective factors • Risk factors Activities: Family mapping Genograms Eco-maps Outcome Workers identify strengths before problems.

Effective

Communication During Crisis

Week 3 / Month 3 Objective: Teach the communication and deescalation skills needed to confidently navigate crisis situations.

Topics: • De-escalation • Conflict resolution • Emotional regulation • Communicating with angry parents • Working with teenagers • Responding without defensiveness

Exercises: - Role-playing - Real-world scenarios

Helping Families Set LIFE Goals Week 4 / Month 4 Objective: Teach case managers to partner with families to set meaningful, family-driven goals.

Instead of saying: "We need you to complete this service."

Teach workers to ask: "What does success look like for your family?"

Topics: • SMART goals • Family-driven planning • Accountability • Celebrating progress

Financial Stability & Community Resources Week 5 / Month 5 Objective: Teach case managers the knowledge needed to connect families with financial and community resources that promote stability and long-term success.

Many child welfare cases involve financial stress. Workers should understand: • Budget basics • Housing resources • Credit • Employment resources • Public benefits • Transportation • Childcare resources Not to become financial advisors, but to know where to guide families.

Health, Wellness

& Self-Care

Week 6 / Month 6 Objective: Equip case managers to promote healthy lifestyles, support emotional well-being, and encourage positive change with empathy and professionalism, without judgment.

Topics: • Physical health • Mental health • Nutrition • Substance abuse awareness • Burnout prevention • Compassion fatigue Also teach workers how to encourage healthy habits without sounding judgmental.

Parenting Through Coaching Week 7 / Month 7

Objective: Equip case managers to coach and empower parents with practical strategies that strengthen parenting skills, improve family communication, and support healthy child development.

Topics: • Positive parenting • Child development • Ages and stages • Behavior management • Building routines • Family communication Practice Teaching - not lecturing.

Youth Success Planning Week 8 / Month 8 Objective: Equip case managers to prepare youth for successful independent living by developing the knowledge, life skills, and confidence needed to thrive in adulthood.

Topics: - Education - Employment - Housing - Transportation - Relationships - Budgeting - Career planning & more

Collaboration & Advocacy

Week 9 / Month 9 Objective: Teach workers how to communicate effectively with: - Schools - Courts - Attorneys - Medical providers - Therapists - Foster parents - Guardians ad Litem - Community organizations Outcome: Become better coordinators instead of simply referral managers.

Ethical Decision Making Week 10 / Month 10 Objective: Equip case managers to make ethical, unbiased, and professional decisions while maintaining integrity, confidentiality, and accountability in every interaction.

Topics: - Professional boundaries - Documentation - Confidentiality - Bias awareness - Professional judgment - Ethics - Decision frameworks

Leadership & Influence Week 11 / Month 11 Objective: Equip case managers to lead with confidence by strengthening their communication, influence, advocacy, and collaboration skills to create positive outcomes for children and families.

Not everyone supervises, but everyone leads.

Topics: - Professional communication - Public speaking - Meeting facilitation - Conflict management - Mentoring - Community engagement - Advocacy

Certified Life Management Becoming A

Advisor Week 12 / Month 12 Objective: Demonstrate the ability to integrate communication, coaching, collaboration, and life management principles to help families move from crisis to longterm stability.

Participants would complete: • A comprehensive family case study.

• A life management plan covering education, health, relationships, finances, housing, employment, and community supports.

• A recorded motivational interview.

• A presentation explaining how they would help the family move from crisis to long-term stability.

The final assessment would measure both knowledge and applied communication skills.

The CLMA Case Management Track produces professionals who are outstanding

communicators,

skilled

coaches,

knowledgeable

resource navigators, and trusted partners for children and families.

We consider it the standard for professional development programs

because it focuses not only on compliance and case documentation, but also on the interpersonal skills that often determine whether families engage with services and achieve lasting change.