They frequently discuss common health behaviors such as smoking cessation, physical exercise, stress reduction, and healthy food choices.
[4][9] Participants receive six hours of instruction spread over up to three weeks, followed by an 8-week WHAM-focused support group as they work toward, achieve, and maintain whole health goals.
[1] The WHAM model is based on a pilot program led by Larry Fricks when in 2013 Georgia received federal approval to bill Medicaid for peer support specialists to provide health coaching.,[6] as well as the earlier the chronic disease self-management Health and Recovery Peer (HARP) Program.
[4] These skills target the following health factors: Peer specialists are trained to help clients: A recent study explored the longitudinal effectiveness of the Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) program, specifically targeting adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and co-occurring general medical conditions.
[15] Participants in the WHAM program demonstrated significantly improved ability and confidence in managing their health care responsibilities.
WHAM participants were more likely to secure paid employment during the study period compared to the control group, indicating a potential link between the program’s interventions and broader life opportunities.