Starting in 2012, select members of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee will participate in Pro-Change’s LifeStyle suite of programs. Pro-Change’s health risk intervention (HRI) and behavior change programs will be integrated into the curriculum of two of the Y’s successful offerings:
- Hope for Health, is a relationship-focused, result driven program in which a health coach works with mothers, ages 18-45, in underserved urban and rural areas of Middle Tennessee over a 12-week period. Through lifestyle and behavior education and intervention the group seeks to positively impact the health and well-being of the women and their families.
- Restore Ministries, is a Christian-based counseling program that provides hope and healing to members looking to make lasting life changes by focusing on the whole person – spirit, mind, and body. Through a combination of small group classes and individual counseling services, members receive the support and guidance they need to overcome a variety of life-controlling issues ranging from low self-esteem to co-dependency, addictions, and more.
Participants in both programs will complete Pro-Change’s online HRI to pinpoint their stage of readiness to change for various health risks and receive targeted guidance on the most important steps that can be taken to progress to the next stage of change. Participants will be encouraged to share their printed HRI report with staff leaders of those groups. YMCA Staff have completed Pro-Change’s 4-hour e-Learning training module as well as an in-person training conducted by Kerry Evers, Ph.D., Senior Vice President at Pro-Change. Through those training opportunities, staff are prepared to coach participants on selecting certain behavioral risks to work on and identifying stage-matched goals for each. Participants will have access to up to 9 behavior change programs included in the LifeStyle suite to support their behavior change needs and goals.
“Pro-Change’s LifeStyle programs will enhance our ability to walk alongside our members as they work to make lasting lifestyle changes,” says Ted Cornelius, Executive Director, Tennessee YMCA State Alliance and Pioneering Healthier Communities. Cornelius adds, “The stage-matched, individualized and evidence-based foundation of the programs matches with our Y’s aim to meet our members where they are at and offer the best support and guidance we can to help them improve their overall health and well-being. Many of our program participants come to us because they’ve reached a point in life where they need extra help, and Pro-Change’s programs will only increase the level of support we’re able to provide.”
About the YMCA of Middle TN
The YMCA of MiddleTN Worksite Wellness program is part of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, a nonprofit, worldwide charitable fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of helping people grow in spirit, mind and body. For more than 136 years, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee has been giving people of all ages the tools they need to learn, grow and thrive. With 31 centers and 328 program locations, the YMCA reaches 329,697 lives – 1 of every 6 people in the 12-county area it serves – by nuturing the potential of children and teens, improving the nation’s health and well-being and providing opportunities to serve others and support our neighbors.