By Leslie Shallcross
For Senior Voice 

Interested in health and enjoy helping others?

 

March 1, 2020



The State Diabetes Prevention and Control Program partners with Leslie Shallcross at the UAF Cooperative Extension Service to offer training for lifestyle coaches interested in delivering the evidence-based National Diabetes Prevention Program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This program is designed to help people make lifestyle changes and lose weight to ultimately reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and have a better overall quality of life.

This lifestyle coach training will be offered in Anchorage on May 1 and 2, 2020.

Here is more about opportunities for those interested in leading others to better health. Training sessions will be offered during upcoming months.

Lead a health self-management course

Get trained to lead the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and the Diabetes Self-Management Program in your community. These two programs were developed at the Stanford University Patient Education Research Center more than 30 years ago and have been shown to improve health habits, improve quality of life, decrease depression, increase physical activity and reduce health care costs.

In the four- or five-day leader course, you will be trained to lead a six-week community workshop with one other leader. Community workshops meet for two and a half hours one time per week for six weeks with groups of eight or more people, often at senior centers, medical clinics or churches. Many topics are covered including problem solving, getting better sleep, communication skills, healthy eating, controlling blood sugar, using your mind to manage symptoms, pain and fatigue management.

You do not need to be a health professional to lead these programs. Registration fees are waived for non-health professionals, retirees and community volunteers. 

Diabetes coaching in person, or by phone

Become a lifestyle coach for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program and help stop the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.  

The National Diabetes Prevention Program is a 12-month program of support for people with prediabetes. The program encourages modest weight loss (5% to 10%), increased physical activity and other lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. The program has been very successful, reducing risks of developing diabetes by 58%. It was especially successful in individuals over age 60, yielding a reduction in risk of 71%.

Coaches are being sought for a telephone-delivered version of this program and for a face-to-face group version of the program. The telephone-delivered version is an opportunity to work from home and earn between $14- to $15 per hour. The 25- to 30-hour training is completed online and by telephone. Materials and support are provided by InquisitHealth, a national provider of peer-to-peer health education.

The in-person, group Diabetes Prevention Program leader training is a two-day training and will be held in Anchorage. This training should be attended by individuals who plan to offer the year-long program through a clinic or community agency that can sponsor the program.

For more information, contact Leslie Shallcross in Fairbanks at 907-474-2426.

 
 

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