Tuesday, November 15, 2011

 San Francisco; November 14, 2011

In a groundbreaking initiative, California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) will provide free wellness coaching and leadership training to low-income residents of a new Mercy Housing building. One-third of the 450 residents were formerly homeless, and there are 186 children under the age of 18. The wellness coaching and leadership training is made possible by a $30,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation.

"This grant will enable interns from the Integrative Health program at CIIS to provide free integrative wellness coaching, wellness workshops, and leadership programs to low-income residents of the Mercy Housing building at Mission and 10th Streets in San Francisco," explains Professor Meg Jordan, chair of the CIIS Integrative Health program. "The goals are to reduce chronic illness and obesity, as well as to promote healthy behaviors. One of the project's great innovations will be to train key community members as wellness coaches to promote and sustain a culture of wellness among residents."

This is the first time that integrative wellness coaching will be widely used for residents in a subsidized residency. Integrative wellness coaching supports people to strive for optimal health and well-being. "At CIIS we go a step beyond customary coaching practices," Jordan says. "Integrative wellness coaching is a distinctive approach taught at CIIS. It includes attention to healthy diet, exercise, and stress management; as well as overall life vision, meaning, purpose, and social belonging." The CIIS integrative wellness coaching model has already achieved national recognition and an academic award from the National Wellness Institute.

Wellness coaching is often available for the well-to-do, but CIIS is located South of Market Street, just half a block from the new Mercy Housing facility. "About three years ago I saw a bright new building going up down the block from CIIS and the sign read Mercy Housing Development," recalls Jordan. "I knew we would be friends."

The principal investigator for the grant is Professor Yosuke Chikamoto, who will supervise the placement of CIIS graduate students as coaches, workshop leaders, and facilitators of leadership programs.

The coaching will also provide formerly homeless residents with practical skills to sustain the challenge of living in a new apartment. "Getting off the streets is one thing," says Jordan, "learning to stay off the streets is another." The wellness coaching sessions and workshops will be on topics including nutrition and healthful meal preparation, exercise and fitness, coping with stress, and pain management, as well as field trips to local farmers markets.

The mission of the Aetna Foundation is to promote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone, while supporting the communities served by the foundation. Providing primary, preventative healthcare support to the urban poor is an innovative approach to advancing the mission of the Aetna Foundation.

About CIIS

California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) is an internationally recognized leader in integral education. CIIS has an enrollment of 1,400 students pursuing degrees in seventeen academic programs in its schools of Consciousness and Transformation, Professional Psychology, and Undergraduate Studies. In addition, CIIS hosts a vibrant art exhibition program through The Arts at CIIS, as well as offering a dynamic array of events through its Public Programs & Performances division, including workshops, concerts, and conferences. The Institute provides low-cost mental health services to the San Francisco Bay Area through its six award-winning counseling centers. For more information about CIIS, visit www.ciis.edu.

# # #

Meg Jordan, PhD., RN

Global Health Media

San Rafael, CA

415-785-7987