South Kingstown, RI – September 28, 2012 – Since 2010, members of the Kent County YMCA in Warwick, Rhode Island have been offered access to Pro-Change’s LifeStyle Management suite of programs. Given the enthusiasm for the pilot program, referred to as MyHealth at the Y, the YMCA of Greater Providence Association has decided to offer the programs to all 7 of its full-service branches in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
This fall over thirty Welcome Center Directors and Member Navigators are participating in Pro-Change’s e-Learning Basic Transtheoretical Model course as well as in-person trainings conducted by Dr. Leanne Mauriello, Vice President of Research and Product Development at Pro-Change. Through these trainings, Y staff will learn the fundamentals of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change and how to apply the model to assist members in setting wellness goals based on their readiness to make a behavior change.
As part of MyHealth at the Y, members will be invited to take Pro-Change’s online Health Risk Intervention (HRI) either at computer kiosks located at the YMCA branches or at any Internet-enabled computer. The HRI will start the change process by pinpointing the member’s stage of readiness to change for various health risks and by offering targeted guidance on the most important steps that can be taken to progress to the next stage of change. Y members then will be invited to meet with Member Navigators–staff trained to discuss the HRI feedback and to assist in setting wellness goals based on readiness to change. Members will also have access to the award winning 7 behavior change programs and their corresponding Participant Activity Centers.
Patricia Driscoll, a Member Navigator from the Kent County YMCA speaks highly of the offering: “We love using MyHealth. It is a wonderful tool for staff and our members. The trainings by Pro-Change have allowed us to become comfortable and skilled in addressing and suggesting wellness and behavior change with Y members.”
Pro-Change also has worked in various capacities with YMCAs in Maryland and Tennessee. The hope is that the model of MyHealth at the Ys in Rhode Island will be duplicated by other YMCAs throughout the country. “We appreciate the innovative mindset and vision of the administrators and staff at the RI YMCAs. They are paving the way on how YMCAs nationally can approach and assist with wellness and well-being in a greater magnitude. We are thrilled to assist with their endeavor and to offer our science and evidence-based programs and trainings,” stated Dr. Leanne Mauriello.