Cynthia Savage, MS
As a certified health coach working within several different settings, I’m often asked, “What does health coaching in the military look like?” Simply put, it’s a partnership between a health coach and a Service Member to create specific goals to improve health and performance.
Health coaches help Service Members optimize their health and performance in many ways. Health coaches:
● Conduct motivational interviewing, a technique that helps the coach discover what the Service Member values and what influences their behaviors. By asking open-ended questions, giving reflective responses, and listening with empathy, health coaches support and empower Service Members.
● Help set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely—SMART goals—to help Service Members succeed with their rehabilitation.
● Work with Service Members to identify potential barriers they might face during their recovery. Because Service Members have busy lives with their careers, families, and obligations, health and performance resources might not always be available or line up with their schedules, which can make it hard to help Service Members achieve their goals. Health coaches use different strategies to prevent or overcome difficulties and have back-up plans to address new obstacles as they come along.
● Assess the “Importance to Change” and “Confidence to Change” of Service Members, on a scale of 1–10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. By exploring why a Service Member rates the importance of a goal—such as to reduce pain or get back to work—as a 5 rather than a 7 or 8, for example, a health coach can help a Service Member figure out why and how to make that change more important. The scales help Service Members understand what they can do to boost their motivation. These questionnaires not only serve as tools to see how far a Service Member has come, but can also be used to see how far a Service Member might continue to grow and improve.
As one of 3 health and exercise coordinators (HECs) supporting CHAMP’s Active Duty and Veterans’ Holistic Musculoskeletal Management and Enhancement or ADVet HOMME project, I coach Service Members during virtual and phone meetings to optimize their recovery after they’ve been injured, using the Rx3 program and other HPRC resources. Part of my role is to follow up with Service Members to see how they’re doing with the program, what areas they need help in, and where they are in their recovery journey. I also ask about any provider appointments, and whether their pain has gotten worse, they have trouble with activities of daily living, or they have any issues accessing the HEC or HPRC materials. Our goal is to get Service Members pain-free and back to duty as soon as possible—and to provide resources they can use throughout their careers.
Health coaching is meant to help Service Members reach their health goals within a set time frame, and to improve their health, performance, and quality of life. The ADVet HOMME health and exercise coordinators use health coaching skills to provide emotional support, increased self-awareness and accountability, and guidance on the Rx3 program. We meet with Service Members once a week, or every other week, to celebrate goals. And we help Service Members adjust fire as needed to overcome barriers to change.
The ADVet HOMME health and exercise coordinators aim to work with Service Members until a final goal is met, usually within 3–6 months. The team works to hold Service Members accountable and offer them support, so they can flourish and reach their goals faster than if they had worked alone.
