Cultivating Connections: Train-the-Trainer Course in Creating Supportive Social Climates for Proactive Mental Health

This 2-hour continuing education course equips health and wellness coaches to deliver training on practical strategies to strengthen social climate—defined as the shared experience of connection, alignment, and outlook within a group. Social climate plays a critical role in mental well-being, behavior change, and the effectiveness of health and wellness initiatives.

Coaches teach participants how to assess and improve three core dimensions of social climate: sense of community, shared vision, and positive outlook. The course introduces evidence-informed tools, including a social climate assessment framework, and provides strategies for strengthening trust, communication, alignment, and collective motivation.

Participants also learn how to facilitate group-based reflection, strengthen supportive relationships, and create environments that reinforce sustainable behavior change. The course emphasizes practical application in the workplace, community, and group coaching settings.

The coach is empowered to provide training on recognizing when professional mental health services are needed and on encouraging appropriate referrals.

This course extends health and wellness coaching into organizational and cultural contexts, equipping coaches to support sustainable, system-level behavior change. This course extends coaching competencies to group and organizational contexts, strengthening relational skills and supporting health behavior change.

Ethics & Scope Statement 

This course does not train participants to diagnose or treat mental illness. It focuses on behavior change strategies and appropriate referral practices. Participants are trained to support others and to encourage professional care when indicated.

Part of the Proactive Mental Health Toolkit

This course stands alone and can be taken individually, in any combination, or as part of the complete five-course Proactive Mental Health Champion^SM  Certification. Course completion provides two NBHWC continuing education credits.

What's Included 

This course provides fully customizable training materials — including PowerPoint slides, detailed presenter notes, and a copy of the Cultivating Connections course textbook — so you can confidently deliver high-quality programs to your clients and organizations right away.

What You'll Be Able to Do After Training

You will be equipped to:

• Explain proactive mental health principles and distinguish them from reactive, treatment-based models
• Introduce core strategies for assessing the social climate and for strengthening the sense of community, shared vision, and positive outlook within a group or organization.
• Design and deliver group workshops and training tailored to workplace and community settings
• Operate confidently within the scope of practice, including referral strategies and ethical boundaries

Instructional Methods

The course is delivered live via Zoom and recorded for later viewing. It incorporates guided practice, scenario-based learning, case examples, reflection, and preparation for train-the-trainer facilitation.

Your Course Instructor

Judd Allen earned his Ph.D. in Community Psychology from New York University. He is the President of the Human Resources Institute, LLC, a research, publishing, and consulting firm dedicated to creating supportive cultural environments. Dr. Allen has written over 50 books, journal articles, training manuals, and software titles, including the four textbooks used in the Proactive Mental Health courses. He has served on the editorial board of the American Journal of Health Promotion, on the National Wellness Institute's Board of Directors, as a Senior Research Analyst at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and on the Vermont Governor’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports. 

Investment

The course costs $200 and includes the textbook, customizable PowerPoint slides, and trainer notes—everything you need to start delivering programs right away. Your association with NBHWC gives you more than 15% off the standard certification fee.

How to Enroll

Courses run on a rolling basis throughout the year. To learn about upcoming course dates, discuss which courses might be the best fit for your practice, or reserve your spot, contact Judd Allen, Ph.D., directly at [email protected].