Contact: Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, CWP

Phone: 415 599-5523

Email:  mjordan@ciis.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 28, 2014

 National Consortium Gathering Endorses Job Task Analysis

for Health/Wellness Coaches

Victoria, MN – The Executive Board of the National Consortium for Credentialing Health and Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC) along with leaders from a variety of health care, medical, nursing and health promotion organizations, met in Minnesota last week to start the process of drafting new training and education standards for the emerging profession of health and wellness coaches. 

The development of professional standards by recognized and experienced experts, working within the field, is a milestone event, and a crucial step for the advancement and legitimization of any discipline--one that has been overdue for health and wellness coaching.

The collaborative work of the 20 individuals representing leading organizations (listed below) included the following:

 

• Unanimous endorsement of a historic document known as a Job Task Analysis (JTA), which delineates 21 tasks performed by health and wellness coaches in the practice of this emerging profession.
• Support for the ongoing Validation Survey by health/wellness coaches worldwide, with over 2,500 responding to date, affirming the importance and frequent application of the delineated tasks. (Final analysis is pending.)
• Foundation-setting for health and wellness coach prerequisites (prior education, credentials, and experience) coach training and education program elements including, coaching knowledge and skills required to perform coaching tasks, faculty credentials and experience, minimum required number of contact hours for training, education, and mentoring, and practical skills evaluation.
• Foundation setting for the accreditation of health and wellness coach training and education programs.
• Acceptance of the need for a national certification examination, hopefully available within two years, with two components: a knowledge-based written test and a practical skills exam demonstrating coaching proficiency, the latter may best be delivered by accredited programs.
• Recognition that options for "grandfathering" experienced health and wellness coaches in the first phase of launch of a national certification for health and wellness coaches should be place.

As the number of individuals describing themselves as "health or wellness coaches" expands to over 50,000, there is a pressing need for a clear and agreed-upon definition of the term health and wellness coaching, as well as a professional certification that sets a minimum standard.  

The Consortium's website (www.ncchwc.org) includes a summary of a growing body of peer-reviewed evidence that supports the legitimacy and effectiveness of health and wellness coaching within patient-centered care, corporate wellness, community programs and public health agencies.

The NCCHWC Executive Board wishes to acknowledge the support of International Coach Federation (ICF) from an early stage. CEO Magdalena Mook is a valued consultant, contributing ICF wisdom and experience based upon the arduous developmental process of credentialing and accreditation that is in place for executive and life coaches through ICF.

Background

NCCHWC started as a founding team in September 2009 and now has grown to nonprofit legal entity, led by a volunteer Board of Directors, with the support of a Council of Advisors and 75 participating stakeholders from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Israel.

The Consortium's mission is to advance the profession of health and wellness coaches by more fully integrating their expertise in mindset and behavioral change into the health care system through a whole-person orientation and an evidence-based coach approach that focuses on prevention and wellness.

For more information:  Contact Meg Jordan, mjordan@ciis.edu

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Representatives from Participating Organizations

American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation

Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Integrative Health Coaching

California Institute of Integral Studies, Integrative Wellness Coaching

Center for Spirituality and Health, Univ of Minnesota Integrative Health Coaching

Duke University Integrative Health Coaching Program

International Coaching Federation

Intrinsic Coaching

Gaffney & Livingstone Consultants in Patient Centered Care & Health Coaching

Institute of Coaching, McClean Hospital, Harvard Medical School Affiliate

International Nurse Coach Association

Mayo Clinic Wellness Coach Training

Mentor Coach ® LLC

National Wellness Institute

RealBalance® Global Wellness Services

Saybrook

Veterans Health Administration, Health Coaching program

Wellcoaches® School of Coaching

Wisdom of the Whole Coaching Academy

YMCA