IHS recently launched the National Health Coach Pilot Project, a much-anticipated effort to deliver health coach training to community and health professionals in Indian Country. The pilot project includes two cohorts of 50 participants, with the first cohort completing their six-month training from April to October 2022. Eligible participants include community and health care professionals working across tribal communities and clinical settings who provide health information and patient education to Native patients and communities. Applications for the first cohort must be submitted by March 16. Upon completion of the pilot project in 2024, the IHS will use the results and feedback from participants to assess the feasibility of establishing a health and wellness coach and behavior change approach at the clinical and community levels. The pilot project will also assist IHS in evaluating the integration of health coaching concepts into programmatic priorities, including behavioral health, mental health, substance abuse, community health, and diabetes efforts.
