The Certified Work Capacity Evaluator/Certified Functional Capacity Evaluator

The Certified Work Capacity Evaluator (CWCE)/Certified Functional Capacity Evaluator (CFCE) designation is the single most important indication that an individual has achieved, and maintains, the highest level of functional work evaluation expertise. Open to allied health professionals who possess appropriate academic preparation, the CWCE/CFCE designation indicates a level of training and demonstrated ability in functional work evaluation as evidenced by completion of the five-day Functional Capacity Evaluation Certification Program and subsequent fieldwork.

History has shown that providing valid functional capacity evaluation services cannot be done by technician-level staff or by high-tech equipment. To be a successful work evaluator, one must be willing to continuously update oneself on the current, best practice research, ask probing questions before conducting an evaluation and use critical thinking skills when documenting the findings of an evaluation. A qualified Certified Work Capacity Evaluator has this ability.

The requirements of the certification process reflect the investment the applicant makes in becoming and maintaining an excellent evaluator.

History of the CWCE/CFCE

As the field of Work Capacity Evaluation developed in the early 1980's, the need for professional certification became apparent. To meet this need, the Employment Rehabilitation Institute of California (E.R.I.C.) developed a professional certification program. As the leading firm in Work Capacity Evaluation education at the time, E.R.I.C. intended the professional certification program to function as one means of maintaining high standards of service delivery. Roy Matheson and Associates, Inc. (RMA) assumed responsibility for the certification program in 1990.

During the late 1990's a protracted and heated debate arose among practitioners, employers, government agencies, and fee payers as to the core skills a CWCE-applicant should possess. In an effort to address the concerns raised in this debate, the policies and procedures were revised in February 1999. With two exceptions, the revised policies and procedures were accepted without further debate.

The focus of the exceptions taken to the February 1999 policies was reliance on an applicant's membership in a professional discipline, (i.e. OT, PT, DC, MD), as an indicator of preparation to perform work capacity evaluation. This updated policy changes the basis of certification. The new basis for certification removes the reliance on discipline membership and replaces it with a reliance on academic preparation as evidenced by completion of 4 post-secondary curricula.

Additionally this amended policy establishes the requirement that should local authority (state or province) require clinical supervision of the applicant's work evaluation activities by another clinician, such supervising clinician be a CWCE, CWCE-candidate, medical doctor, or chiropractor.

As with the previous policy, a basic requirement for certification remains demonstrated competency as evidenced by critique of work capacity evaluations performed by the applicant.

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