Wellness Promotion Competency Model
The Wellness Promotion Competency Model outlines the knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable professionals to advance health and wellness for individuals, workplaces and communities. This ground-breaking resource aids in curriculum development, recruitment and hiring, continuing professional development, and certification in the wellness field.
The research-based* Wellness Promotion Competency Model encompasses 27 total competencies grouped into five domains. Courses, webinars, and events offered through the Wellness Alliance support competency-building in the domains of this model. The model also serves as the standard for the Certified Certified Wellness Practitioner (CWP) Practitioner (CWP) certification.
The Five Domains
- Authenticity and Self-awareness
- Whole-person and Systems Approaches
- Inclusive and Responsive Practices
- Communication and Connection
- Legal and Ethical Principles
Download the Wellness Promotion Competency Model PDF
*The Council on Wellness Certification
Excellence (CWCE) released the original Wellness Promotion Competency
Model in spring 2017. In April 2020, Butler University faculty and a
team of wellness promotion researchers conducted an additional study
clarifying and supporting the validity of the five-domain competency
model [Peterson, C., Ellery, J., Laube, T., Yuhas, B., & Hunt, S.
(2022). Validation of the wellness promotion competency model: An
exploratory factor analysis. International Journal of Community Well-being. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42413-021-00153-3]. The revised Wellness Promotion Competency Model was published in 2021.
Authenticity and Self-Awareness
- Engage in ongoing reflection to expand personal growth and professional development in multiple dimensions of wellness
- Demonstrate commitment to wellness promotion by modeling healthy lifestyle practices in multiple dimensions of wellness
- Establish authentic and autonomy-supportive relationships
- Recognize your own limitations in wellness promotion and refer individuals to other professionals when appropriate to support their wellness goals
Whole-person and Systems Approaches
- Use an ecological approach (e.g., interactions among the individual, family, organization, community, and social systems) to understand the ways dynamic systems impact an individual’s experience of wellness
- Assess individual and/or group characteristics, interests, and needs using a multi-dimensional and ecological approach
- Identify health and wellness resources and materials that allow for an individual’s self-discovery, self-knowledge, and self-direction
- Apply relevant theories and models to ex
- Adopt person-centered communication practices that consider the whole person, recognizing the influence factors such as socio-demographic variables and worldview have on the communication process
- Provide developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant evidence-based information to educate individuals and the public about wellness
- Use participatory, humanistic, and strengths-based processes to design opportunities that will lead toward achieving established objectives and outcomes
- Use appropriate techniques (e.g., strengths-based, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral) to encourage individuals to be active participants in their personal wellness journeys
Inclusive and Responsive Practices
- Practice self-awareness and self-regulation to minimize the effects of personal biases in working with diverse individuals and groups
- Practice multicultural competence, recognizing the dynamics of oppression and privilege on an individual’s lived experiences
- Demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect for diverse individuals and groups, including but not limited to diversity in sex, age, culture, race, ethnicity, disabilities, body-size, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and gender identity
- Work to uncover individuals’ strengths, concerns, and values using a person-centered approach to inquiry that includes active listening to help set appropriate wellness goals and strategies
- Assist individuals in identifying barriers or resistance to change that are interrupting their ability to integrate wellness-promoting behaviors into their lives
- Adapt wellness strategies to fit individual, geographical and cultural needs, acknowledging that there are no universally correct models or processes
Communication and Connection
- Recognize the influence of organizational development, leadership, and culture on individual wellness
- Articulate to key stakeholders the value of wellness for individuals and how it supports the organization’s or community’s mission, purpose, and strategic goals
- Establish collaborative relationships and interdisciplinary teams to promote sustainable wellness practices that meet long-term individual, organizational, and/or community goals
- Use meaningful and inclusive communication methods and technologies to support, manage, and promote wellness initiatives
- Use quantitative and qualitative feedback to continually evaluate the quality and effectiveness of initiatives
- Use quantitative and qualitative data to communicate key findings to stakeholders
Legal and Ethical Principles
- Comply with legal standards for confidentiality, compliance, and mandated reporting
- Work within your scope of practice and in accordance with your profession-specific code of conduct
- Maintain ethical relationships