CSSM™
IHMM’s Certified School Safety Manager™ [CSSM™] credential certifies the school safety professional who is responsible for overseeing and supporting key operational and safety functions in educational facilities. This position may provide direct supervision or advise operations and academic programs in order to provide an environment free of recognized hazards.
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…more important than we can imagine, the protection of our students in school. Whether K-12 or post secondary education there are few things in need or more worthy of protection than our students, faculty, and others who work in our educational institutions. The Certified School Safety Manager ensures that you have a certified professional in your institution whose focus is the security and safety of the institution and everyone who works and goes to school there.
Benefits of a CSSM™ Credential
Professionals can certify their careers in school safety management and the tremendous responsibilities that go with making our campuses and educational facilities safe for students, instructors, and visitors alike. Given the constant threats focused on K-12 and institutions of higher learning, having a certified school safety manager as part of the safety regime of any educational institution is more important than ever. Constantly improving skills for the CSSM is critically important, as the threats posed to our educational institutions are constantly changing, making recertification of this credential a key element to ensuring that the CSSM is the highest level school safety management professional.
Who Hires CSSMs?
Here is a small example of the institutions that hire CSSMs. You are about to embark on an amazing career advancement with the IHMM CSSM.
Eligibility Requirements
A candidate must meet all eligibility requirements before applying to take the CSSM examination. These include (1) Meet the prerequisite criteria; (2) Upload a transcript (upload a copy of your diploma) where required; (3) submit third party employment verification for relevant experience; (4) submit an application and pay the application fee, as well as meet the following requirements:
1.
Prerequisites
- Baccalaureate degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university, with a preference for disciplines in applied science or related fields: Occupational Safety & Health, Emergency Management, Industrial Hygiene. Environmental Management, Criminal Justice, Security Management, Fire Science Human Resources – AND – a minimum of three [3] years of relevant experience [See Step 3 for Relevant Experience]. – OR – Possess a Certified School Safety
Specialist certification, and an Associate degree from an accredited college or university, with a preference for disciplines in applied science or related fields: Occupational Safety & Health, Emergency Management, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Management, Criminal Justice, Security Management, Fire Science, Human Resources.
2.
College Transcript
Your official transcript or diploma must be uploaded to your application before it can be submitted. To find out whether a college in the U.S. is accredited, check with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Degrees from colleges or universities outside of the U.S. are acceptable if they are documented as equivalent to a BS/BA degree issued in the U.S. Candidates with degrees from colleges and universities outside of the U.S. must upload a copy of their statement of equivalency from a recognized evaluating agency. For a list of recognized agencies, see https://www.naces.org/members. Once there, select an entity under CURRENT MEMBERS, and then do your research on your degree.
3.
Relevant Experience
- Relevant experience includes experience within academic institutions that meets at least two (2) subject areas within the following eight (8) examples:
● Evidence of occupational
safety and health regulations
management and
implementation
● Evidence of security program
management and crime
prevention strategies
● Evidence of emergency
management and continuity of
operations principals
● Evidence of risk management
and necessary insurance
requirements
● Evidence of environmental
regulations management and
application
● Evidence of training program
management meeting
regulatory requirements and
improving professional
development
● Evidence of personnel
management and associated
business practices
● Evidence of chemical hygiene
and laboratory management
4.
Start Your Application, Pay the Application Fee
Start your application and pay the application fee. See below under Let’s Start Your Application. If you need assistance with the application contact Kaylene Cagle at [email protected] or call 928-247-6458
5.
Move on to Schedule and Take the Examination
Having submitted your application, paid your application fee, and been approved, then you move on to purchase your examination. Move down to the next section of this site for information about taking the exam. For assistance with the examination contact Kaylene Cagle at [email protected] or call 928-247-6458
Examination Preparation
Candidates need to be familiar with relevant laws and regulations, relevant scientific principles and their application, and best management practices. Many candidates attend overview courses or use self-study materials to prepare for the examination. IHMM does not require any specific type of exam preparation or training and the exams are not based on any single reference.
IHMM credentialing programs and examinations are based on an Exam Specifications “blueprint.” The blueprints govern the competency requirements for each credential and provide the outline of topics for the examinations. Examination questions are developed from the blueprints and applicants base their examination study on the blueprint.
Please see the Candidate Handbook for additional information
Accreditation
and Recognition
The CSSM credential is not yet accredited by a third party accreditation agency.
Apply or Pay a Fee
If you are a first-time user and want to make an application to take an exam, or if you are an existing certificant wanting to pay a fee, everything is done through our online Portal MYIHMM.
Existing certificants use their username/password to log in. New users can create an account and then apply. If you need assistance in any way, please contact Kortney Tunstall at [email protected], Rosie Wilson at [email protected], or Kaylene Cagle at [email protected]. One of them will be glad to help you.
When you have your user/pass and can enter MYIHMM, Click on MENU and you will see this display. Select what You want to do from the menu and proceed…
A collaborative culture is important for every business but is especially important for our hazardous materials, dangerous goods, environment, health and safety communities of practice. IHMM credentialed professionals are at the top 1% of their professions and their reach is global. We are at the forefront of environmental protection, health, and safety and this is where collaborating with the best people in their fields, always willing to help one another, lessens the stress of our jobs and where we strive as a team to make a difference of which we are proud.
Policies and
Code of Ethics
Per the guidance of our accreditation authorities and our internal leadership, IHMM has a variety of policies that bear on our impartiality, our Code of Ethics, our regard for the privacy of your information and data, nondiscrimination, and additional federal guidelines for access to our tests and facilities. Everyone needs to be familiar with these policies as every applicant will be asked to affirm having read, understood, and agrees to be bound by all of these policies in the application process.
Recertification of Your Credential
Congratulations. After hard work and dedication, you earned your professional credential. Now, every 5 years you will need to recertify your valuable credential. Over 5 years you need to earn 200 certification maintenance points or CMPs. You receive 100 CMPs for the job you perform, and then need to earn a minimum of another 100 CMPs in a variety of ways demonstrating your commitment to continuous improvement and remaining current with the demands of your profession and our communities of practice. As there is no recertification for the Student CHMM or the ASHM, this section does not apply to the Student CHMM or the ASHM credentials.
Considering everything you did to achieve certification, don’t let it go to waste by failing to recertify.
IHMM will remind you, fairly often, about your impending recertification deadline. If you follow the steps outlined below you will find this process fairly easy to accomplish. Start with the advice in Step #1!
Step 1
Be proactive and enter your CMPs as you earn them. CMPs must be claimed following the guidelines in the IHMM Recertification Handbook.
Step 2
In your MYIHMM account, start your recertification application now to track CMPs as you go.
Step 3
Keep your employment status and professional information current in your MYIHMM account. Please make sure your annual fees are also up-to-date.
Step 4
In your 5th year, make sure all information is correct, confirm your minimum of 200 CMPs, and submit application. Don’t worry, we’ll remind you along the way, too!
Step 5
Audits. Keep records of employment and CMPs requested. We may check in from time to time to assure accuracy.
Following these simple steps will make your recertification simple and easy to complete. Go to your online MYIHMM account, using your unique username and password.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected] or Jelian Labri at [email protected] and someone will assist you.
IHMM Recertification Videos
IHMM has prepared these step-by-step videos for you to watch as you prepare your recertification application. Start with Video #1 and then move on to Video #2.
Recertification Video #1 – Start Here
Recertification Video #2 – Finish Here
Reinstatement
An individual who previously held an IHMM certification that has not been decertified on ethical grounds may apply to have his or her certification reinstated if their annual fees have been expired for less than five (5) years and/or their decertified certification has been expired for less than five (5) years.
If either condition is not met, the individual must go through the full certification process to become certified again.
Reinstatement is not a reversal of decertification. All time in service is lost at the time of decertification. For more information regarding the reversal of decertification, please refer to IHMM’s Decertification Appeal Policy.
Evidence of knowing continued use of a decertified certification after having been provided notice of decertification by IHMM is a violation of your certification agreement and is unethical, and will render the individual ineligible for reinstatement.