Authors
Megan E Voss, Cherie O'Neill, Cynthia Austin, Mary Jo Kreitzer
Published in
American journal of lifestyle medicine. Pages 15598276261464952. Jun 30, 2026. Epub Jun 30, 2026.
Abstract
Purpose: This paper presents evidence-informed guidelines for National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWCs) to recognize mental health symptoms, initiate referrals, and manage safety considerations. Coaches are essential members of healthcare teams that help to improve patient outcomes and trust in healthcare providers. Currently, NBC-HWCs lack standardized referral standards, creating practice variation and vulnerabilities for coaches, clients, and primary care providers. Setting: NBC-HWCs practicing across healthcare systems, private practice, and community settings, with particular relevance for interprofessional teams in primary care and lifestyle medicine practices. Intervention: Guidelines include (1) mental health screening and referral processes, (2) referral language, and (3) crisis safety procedures, grounded in evidence, ethical codes, and scope-of-practice standards. Outcomes: Clear guidelines equip health coaches to make timely, effective referrals to licensed mental health providers, empowering interprofessional collaboration with confidence. Anticipated outcomes include improved client safety and wellbeing, stronger coach-client trust, and reduced risk of coaches practicing beyond their scope. Lessons Learned: These guidelines may support coaches in acting confidently as lifestyle medicine team members. Symptom recognition, paired with appropriate referral, normalizes mental health care within whole-person wellbeing. Establishing referral networks and understanding legal responsibilities are critical for safe practice.
PMID:
42389712
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Jul 2026.
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