The CBHCM exam is a critical step for Florida case managers, testing competencies across eight performance domains including engagement, assessment, and service planning.

• Topics: Monitoring progress, plan revision, service coordination.
• Questions: ~15% of exam

How to Become a CBHCM

The path to becoming a Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager involves meeting specific education and training benchmarks required by the Florida Certification Board.

1. Education Requirement - Obtain a bachelor's degree in a behavioral health-related field (psychology, social work, etc.).
2. Complete CBHCM Training - Fulfill the CBHCM FCB 50 hours training requirement through approved providers.
3. Gain Experience - Document required work hours in case management under supervision.
4. Submit Application - Apply for CBHCM certification through the Florida Certification Board online portal.
5. Schedule Exam - Once approved, register for the CBHCM exam at a testing center.
6. Pass the Exam - Achieve a passing score to earn your provisional or full certification.
7. Maintain Certification - Complete annual continuing education units (CEUs) to renew your credential.

Many behavioral health agencies will cover the CBHCM certification cost and training fees for their employees. Check with your employer about reimbursement options.

Ready to Pass Your CBHCM Exam?

Join thousands of case managers who have successfully earned their CBHCM certification. Start practicing today with our free exam questions.

Don't let your CBHCM certification lapse! Ensure you complete your 20 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) each year before your expiration date to avoid late fees or reinstatement requirements.

Pros and Cons at a Glance

Sample Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager Practice Questions

Try these questions from our free Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.

1. During a monthly review, a case manager notes that a client with major depressive disorder has not attended therapy sessions for three weeks and reports feeling 'stuck'. This is a deviation from the service plan. This discovery is a direct result of which case management function?

   • A. Assessment
   • B. Advocacy
   • C. Monitoring
   • D. Linkage

   Answer: C. Monitoring

   Monitoring involves the regular review and tracking of a client's progress to ensure the service plan is being followed and remains effective. By observing the lack of attendance and the client's reported feelings, the case manager is actively monitoring the plan's implementation and identifying a barrier that needs to be addressed.

2. During a session, a client tells their behavioral health case manager that they have a specific plan to seriously harm a former coworker and have access to a weapon. The case manager's ethical and legal 'duty to warn' or 'duty to protect' obligations, stemming from the Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California case, require them to:

   • A. Immediately hospitalize the client involuntarily to prevent harm.
   • B. Maintain strict client confidentiality above all else.
   • C. Break confidentiality and take reasonable steps to protect the potential victim.
   • D. Only document the threat in the client's record and increase session frequency.

   Answer: C. Break confidentiality and take reasonable steps to protect the potential victim.

   The 'duty to warn' or 'duty to protect' principle, established by the Tarasoff case, creates an exception to client confidentiality. When a client communicates a serious threat of physical violence against an identifiable victim, and has the apparent intent and ability to carry out the threat, the professional has a legal and ethical obligation to take reasonable steps to protect the potential victim. This may include warning the intended victim and notifying law enforcement.

3. Cultural competence in behavioral health case management requires the case manager to:

   • A. Treat all clients identically regardless of background
   • B. Impose the dominant culture's values when they conflict with a client's cultural beliefs
   • C. Recognize and respect cultural differences when developing individualized care plans
   • D. Refer all clients from minority cultures to culturally-matched providers only

   Answer: C. Recognize and respect cultural differences when developing individualized care plans

   Cultural competence means acknowledging and integrating clients' cultural backgrounds into individualized, respectful care planning.

4. A behavioral health case manager is working with a client from a collectivist culture who is reluctant to discuss personal issues without their family present. The case manager's agency has a strict policy emphasizing individual client confidentiality. What is the MOST culturally competent initial action for the case manager to take?

   • A. A. Inform the client that agency policy requires all sessions to be individual to protect their confidentiality.
   • B. B. Immediately refer the client to a case manager who shares the same cultural background.
   • C. C. Document the client's reluctance as resistance to treatment in the progress notes.
   • D. D. Explore with the client the cultural significance of family involvement in their care to find a collaborative path forward.

   Answer: D. D. Explore with the client the cultural significance of family involvement in their care to find a collaborative path forward.

   Cultural competence requires adapting practices to meet the client's needs. Exploring the client's cultural framework is the first step to finding a solution that respects both their values and ethical guidelines. This approach prioritizes understanding before acting. Insisting on a rigid policy is culturally insensitive, referral may not be necessary or possible, and labeling the client as resistant is a biased interpretation.

Take the full Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager practice test