CWIC Certification
CWICs deal with critical issues relating to personal finances and health coverage that can have a profound impact on a beneficiary's economic and physical well-being. In order to provide sound advice and avoid harming a beneficiary, it is absolutely essential that CWICs attain and maintain a high level of knowledge and skill and apply this knowledge and skill effectively.
All CWICs are required to complete the CWIC Initial Training program and successfully complete a series of competency based assessments to be certified to provide Work Incentives Planning and Assistance services to beneficiaries. The competency assessment and certification process are directly linked to the CWIC initial training program. CWICs receive training on each of the core competencies during the 4-day initial training program, and then participate in the assessment activities to certify their competency in each of these main competency areas immediately following the training.
The CWIC competencies are categorized into six main areas, including:
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Competency Area 1: Promoting and Supporting Employment Outcomes for SSA Beneficiaries with Disabilities
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Competency Area 2: Partnering with Community Agencies and Conducting Community Outreach
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Competency Area 3: Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits, Other Federal / State / Local Benefits, and Associated Work Incentives
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Competency Area 4: Providing Healthcare Planning and Counseling
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Competency Area 5: Conducting Quality Assurance / Continuous Quality Improvement Activities
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Competency Area 6: Providing Effective Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Services
Click on the following link for a detailed listing of the 33 CWIC Core Competencies:
Description of the CWIC Certification Process
There are two parts to the CWIC assessment and certification process:
Part One
Part One of the CWIC Certification process takes place in the 8-week period immediately following completion of the CWIC Initial Training class and involves completing a series of online competency based assessments. Successful completion of all assessments during this 8-week period results in Provisional CWIC Certification.
Provisional CWIC Certification means two important things:
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First, CWICs with provisional certification are now qualified to begin providing direct Work Incentives Planning and Assistance services to SSA beneficiaries.
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Secondly, provisional certification means that the CWIC is now eligible to begin Part Two of the assessment and certification process. Part Two of the process is the final step in achieving full CWIC certification.
Part Two
Part Two of the CWIC Certification process requires submission and successful review of three Benefits Summary & Analysis reports during the one year period following successful completion of the online competency based assessments.
For each of the Benefits Summary & Analysis reports that will be submitted over the 12-month period, participants are required to select a beneficiary whom they are serving in the performance of their WIPA duties. This means the CWIC will select three separate SSA beneficiaries and submit a Benefits Summary & Analysis report for each of them.
Full CWIC Certification will be granted to participants as soon as they have submitted and achieved a passing score on all three of the required Benefits Summary & Analysis reports.
Detailed descriptions of the CWIC Certification Process – Parts One and Two are provided in the following documents:
CWIC Certification for Community Partners
Community partners are welcome and encouraged to participate in the CWIC Initial Training sessions and CWIC Certification process.
To be eligible to participate, community partner staff must commit to full participation in all components of the CWIC Initial Training and Certification process including:
Pre-Training Orientation Conference Call the week prior to the scheduled training;
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Attendance and participation in all four days of the CWIC Initial training session. It is not an option to attend only certain days of the training session, or partial days;
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Participation in Part One of the competency-based CWIC Assessment and Certification process; and
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Participation in Part Two of the CWIC Certification process. Participants will only be granted full CWIC certification following successful completion of this case review requirement.
Please Note: The assessment activities that comprise the CWIC Certification are designed to evaluate initial proficiency in each of the main competency areas addressed in the CWIC Training Manual and taught during the initial training class. As this represents minimum level competence necessary to serve SSA beneficiaries, the Assessment and Certification process and standards will not be adjusted for community partner staff or groups.
For more detailed guidelines on community partner participation, please click on the following link to access the Community Partner Guidelines:
If you are interested in attending one of the WIPA National Training Center’s CWIC Initial Trainings, please click on the following link to view our CWIC training calendar:
If you have any questions regarding CWIC Certification, please contact Julie Schall at jaschall@vcu.edu or 804.827.0741.
Thank you for your interest in CWIC Certification!
