Wellness coaching: frontline worker training in mental health

Purpose - Mental health frontline workers can and do provide fundamental support in the wellness of people with serious mental illness. The City University of New York offered a non-credit Certificate in Wellness Coaching to this group. The purpose of this paper is to describe the certificate and the program outcomes. Design/methodology/approach - Primary data collected through course evaluations, reports, and observations to describe perceptions of personal and professional usefulness and applicability, as well as challenges. Findings - Participants reported using wellness concepts personally and professionally and perceived personal development in communication and leadership. Participants and faculty identified internal and external supports and barriers to transitioning into the role of wellness coach. Originality/value - The paper presents a replicable model which taught frontline workers wellness concepts that benefit themselves and consumers and helped participants identify ways to expand capacity within their mental health agencies.