RIHEL Coaching Academy
Coaching Academy
RIHEL’s Coaching Academy prepares people to effectively practice professional coaching.
In addition to developing confident and capable coaches, the Coaching Academy is a broad network of professionals committed to support others’ potential.
Next program starts January 8, 2025.
Developing Confident & Capable Coaches
RIHEL’s Coaching Academy develops confident and capable coaches who support others to maximize their personal and professional potential, and who are prepared for effective professional practice.
The RIHEL Coaching Academy is an ICF Level 1 accredited coaching education program. It provides a robust one-year (110 credit hours) coach training experience that prepares participants with the skills and practices essential to providing an effective and valuable coaching experience. The program is limited to 18 participants per class and is open to anyone who has received any training on introductory coaching skills and has experience being coached by either a peer or professional coach. Please note that graduates of any of RIHEL’s comprehensive leadership programs meet these criteria.
Deadline extended! Registration now closes in…
Attending the Coaching Academy was a game-changer in my career. What I thought was coaching before was merely scratching the surface. The Coaching Academy empowered me to master the art of the pause as a strategic thinking partner, enabling those around me to discover and find their solutions.
What truly sets this experience apart is the vibrant and supportive environment. Being surrounded by like-minded public health professionals, RIHEL faculty, and classmates, we dive into new learnings, uplift one another, and share in our collective wisdom. And, of course, it's the perfect ground for forging lifelong connections.
Coaching Academy provided a strong, kind, community learning environment with significant growth potential. This was a breath of fresh air after the years of COVID. It also highlighted strengths that I could reinforce and weak areas to work on to be a better leader, friend, and coach. I have noticed improvements in all these areas of my life since coaching academy. The material and format of Coaching Academy is excellent - lots of in-person opportunities, the pairing up to practice coaching, the hands-on guidance from the teachers and mentors, etc.
The 2025 program is scheduled to be delivered through a combination of in-person and virtual sessions. All in-person sessions will take place in the Denver Metro area. Participants must attend ALL program sessions to receive a complete program certificate.
2025 Class Schedule:
| SESSION | DATE | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Program Orientation (virtual, live) | Wednesday, January 8, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm (MT) |
| Session #1 (in-person) | Wednesday-Friday, January 29-31, 2025 | 9:00am – 5:00pm (MT) each day |
| Session #2 (virtual, live) | Wednesday, February 19, 2025 | 9:00am – 3:00pm (MT) |
| Session #3 (in-person) | Wednesday-Friday, March 12-14, 2025 | 9:00am – 5:00pm (MT) each day |
| ALTERNATE+ (virtual, live) | Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | 9:00am – 3:00pm (MT) |
Session #4 (in-person) | Wednesday-Friday, April 23-25, 2025 | 9:00am – 5:00pm (MT) each day |
| ALTERNATE+ (virtual, live) | Wednesday, May 14, 2025 | 9:00am – 3:00pm (MT) |
| Group Mentoring* #1 (virtual, live) | Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | 10:30am – 12:00pm (MT) |
| Session #5 (virtual, live) | Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm (MT) |
| Group Mentoring* #2 (virtual, live) | Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | 10:30am – 12:00pm (MT) |
| Session #6 (virtual, live) | Wednesday, July 9, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:30pm (MT) |
| Group Mentoring* #3 (virtual, live) | Wednesday, July 23, 2025 | 10:30am – 12:00pm (MT) |
| Group Mentoring* #4 (virtual, live) | Wednesday, August 20, 2025 | 10:30am – 12:00pm (MT) |
| Session #7 (in-person) AND Group Mentoring #5 (in-person) | Wednesday-Friday, September 10-12, 2025 | 9:00am – 5:00pm (MT) each day |
| One-on-One Mentoring | September 15, 2025 to January 31, 2026 | 3 hours total – dates and times to be scheduled directly between each participant and their program mentor |
+ALTERNATE = additional make-up date if a previous session shifted from in-person to virtual setting due to inclement weather.
*Group Mentoring Sessions #1-4 may be rescheduled with consensus from mentor group members.
Location: Sessions will take place via online Zoom videoconference and in person at a Denver location TBA
Hours: The virtual classroom sessions are 3.5 – 6 hours each. The in-person sessions are each three days (eight hours/day). All sessions include short breaks; sessions over four hours include a lunch break.
- Approximately 110 hours of coach-specific training
- 30 training modules
- 5 observed coaching sessions with personal feedback
- 10 hours of mentor coaching
- A small class size (max 18 participants) with individualized guidance and instruction
- Assignments between sessions including reading, online discussion, assessments, development of coaching tools, and coaching practice
- Coaching tools and resources
- An online learning management and learning community platform
- Optional Coaching Practicum: provide volunteer coaching to participants in a RIHEL comprehensive leadership training program.
The Coaching Academy is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) a Level 1 program. Participants who successfully complete the full Coaching Academy program will also have successfully completed the coaching education hours, mentor coaching hours, and the performance evaluation requirements for receiving the ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential. Learn more about ICF Credentials and requirements HERE.
The Coaching Academy is limited to 18 participants per class and is OPEN TO anyone who has received any training on introductory coaching skills and has experience being coached by either a peer or professional coach. Please note that graduates of any of the RIHEL comprehensive leadership programs listed below meet these criteria.
- Advanced Leadership Training Program (ALTP)
- Advanced Physicians Leadership Program (APLP)
- Leadership for Healthy Community Design (LHCD)
- Primary Care Movers and Changers (PCMAC) program
The intent of the above requirement is to ensure that this is not a participant’s first exposure to coaching. It is important that all participants come into the Coaching Academy with at least some introductory familiarity with coaching. If you have any questions about these requirements or feel that your situation is a special exception, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page to reach out to the Coaching Academy Director.
TIME COMMITMENT. Participants must commit the time required to complete assignments and participate in all of the training sessions. Assignments between sessions include readings, self-assessments, on-line discussions, coaching practice, brief reports, and reviewing recorded coaching sessions.
TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES. Participants must have access to the hardware and software to participate in distance learning. The program cannot assume any costs for the computer and communication systems used by participants.
COVID VACCINATION. For the health and safety of all involved in the Coaching Academy when we meet in person, RIHEL requires that each participant, faculty and staff has received all COVID-19 vaccine doses in the primary series and is up to date with their available boosters as recommended and described here, by the CDC.
CONSENT TO PROGRAM POLICIES AND AGREEMENTS. All participants must consent and commit to the RIHEL Coaching Academy Policies and Agreements.
The program is delivered through a combination of in-person and video-conference sessions. All program sessions are presented in English.
The Coaching Academy curriculum develops the coach in the following areas:
- Setting the foundation for the coach (roles, ethics, and competencies)
- Knowing yourself, working with others, and being your best self as coach
- Core coaching skills and competencies
- The framework of a coaching conversation
- Setting the foundation with the client
- Essential practices for effectively managing coaching
- Introducing others to coaching
- Bringing closure to a coaching relationship
Learn more about the specific curriculum modules here (PDF).
NOTE: Deadline extended! Registration now closes January 17, 2025.
Tuition for the 2025 Coaching Academy is $7,250*. Tuition includes:
- all program instruction
- 10 hours of mentor coaching
- performance evaluation of one coaching session recording
- snacks and lunch at all in-person sessions
- student notebook
- additional program materials**
- online learning management and learning community platform
- access to Zoom video conferencing
*Tuition is subject to change for future programs.
**Program materials for virtual sessions will be provided electronically by RIHEL. Participants are responsible for printing those session materials as needed. Other program materials include two books, which participants are responsible for acquiring themselves:
- The Extraordinary Coach: How the Best Leaders Help Others Grow by John H. Zenger and Kathleen Stinnett. Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (2010).
- Coaching Questions: A Coach’s Guide to Powerful Asking Skills by Tony Stoltzfus. Publisher: Coach22 Bookstore LLC (2008).
Transportation expenses to and from the in-person sessions are the responsibility of the participant.
Payment
The tuition must be paid in advance of the program start date. Arrangements can be made for an individual payment schedule upon request. Please use the contact form at the bottom of this page to inquire about an individual payment schedule. RIHEL accepts payment by check, ACH, or credit card. All payments will be in U.S. dollars.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Coaching Academy 2025 registration cancellations must be made by December 9, 2024 (a minimum of 15 business days prior to the first date of the program – Note: the RIHEL office is closed December 25, 2024 – January 1, 2025) to be eligible for a full refund. Cancellations made less than 15 business days before the course are not eligible for a refund. Written notice of cancellation shall be effective on the date the withdrawal is received by RIHEL. Refunds will be made within 45 days following receipt of cancellation or withdrawal requests.
Modifications to registration, including substitutions of participants or transfer of course dates, must be completed at least 10 business days before the first date of the program (Note: given the winter holidays, requests for modifications must be received by December 16, 2024). Program changes will be allowed as long as there are spots available.
Please use the contact form at the bottom of this page to request a refund, cancellation, or modifications to your registration.
At the Regional Institute for Health & Environmental Leadership (RIHEL), we believe that Coaching is the art of being a strategic thinking partner. It is both a communication skill and a development tool for oneself or others.
One of the basic philosophical underpinnings of coaching is that individuals are creative, resourceful and whole. They don’t need fixing. In fact, more often than not, they have the answers to the challenges they face within them. A good coach can help individuals evoke those answers and become aware of possibilities, working alongside them to set goals and craft action plans. Coaching is a collaborative effort that expands a person’s capacity to take effective action.
The context for coaching is a dialogue. It is an ongoing partnership or a sustained alliance between a coach and a person being coached to enhance learning, growth and effectiveness. It is a one-to-one relationship in which the focus is on developing the individual, challenging and supporting that person to become more effective, and to reach their own highest levels of competence and ability. Coaching is about unlocking a person’s potential in order to reach new levels of performance. It’s about helping people learn, rather than teaching them.
It is important to note that coaches don’t develop people per se; rather, they guide individuals to develop themselves. Coaches serve as a catalyst for development. A coach is a respectful yet truthful listener, and an unbiased accountability partner. A major role for a coach is to ask good questions that elicit new awareness, knowledge, wisdom or strategy from the person being coached.
Prepare to register! Download the Registration Form Guidance before clicking the registration button below.
Deadline extended! Registration now closes January 17, 2025.
Other questions?
Our Program Director, Leanne Jeffers, would be more than happy to meet with you to talk things over. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to send your questions and/or request time to meet.
Coaching Academy Faculty & Staff
Leanne Jeffers, MPH, PCC
Program Director, Core Faculty, Mentor Coach
Regional Institute for Health and Environmental Leadership
Janna West Kowalski, MS, ACC
Jordan White, PCC
Core Faculty
Self-Leadership Coach, Jordan White Coaching
Sarah Roberts, MHA, PCC
Mentor Coach
CEO, Clarity Matters Consulting LLC
Beth Roome, MA, ACC
Guest Faculty
Founder, Switchback Institute and Executive Director of the Switchback Foundation
Franco Marini, MA, CNL
Guest Faculty
President, The NeuroTransology Institute
Curt Drennen, PsyD
Guest Faculty
Disaster Behavioral Health and Community Recovery Branch Chief, CDPHE Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Deb Kleinman, MPH, ACC
Guest Coaching Observer
Director, Collaboration Program in Natural Resources at University of Wyoming, Owner Lupine Collaborative
Connie Sorell
Staff
Program Manager, Regional Institute for Health and Environmental Leadership
Questions Regarding the Coaching Academy or registration process?
Please contact Leanne Jeffers, Program Director,
through the form below, or call her at 303-871-3550.
