Wellness Classes At No Cost To You

It can be tough to overcome the obstacles put before you when you have a chronic disease. That’s why The Wellness Coalition is helping residents in the River Region learn to manage their chronic diseases to live a healthier life. We can help you in your efforts to get healthy and stay well.

We offer one-on-one sessions to help you establish and achieve wellness goals, as well as group classes to help you learn to manage your chronic diseases. You can join one of the classes below, or host a class for a group at your church, civic organization, or business.  

Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP)

In this class or private counseling, you can learn effective tools to manage and prevent chronic health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis. You’ll also learn about healthy eating, safe physical activities for your fitness level, proper medication usage, communicating effectively with your healthcare providers, decision making, how to evaluate new treatments, and how to deal with difficult emotions.

Participants in this course will also be asked to make weekly action plans, share experiences, and help each other solve problems they may encounter.

Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMSP)

Similar to CDSMP, here you will learn techniques to deal with the symptoms of diabetes including fatigue, pain, high and low blood glucose, stress, and emotional problems such as depression, anger, fear, and frustration. Other topics covered in the program will help participants learn how to plan a healthy meal, appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength and endurance, and how to work effectively with health care providers.

Participants in this course are also encouraged to make a weekly action plan, share their experiences, and help others solve problems they may encounter in creating and carrying out their own self-management plans.

The American Diabetes Association identifies this program as meeting the Diabetes Support Initiative criteria for support programming.

Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)

Don’t let diabetes become your destiny. We offer a free diabetes prevention program that help you lose 5 to 7 percent of your body weight — that’s only 10 to 14 pounds for a person weighing 200 pounds — by eating healthier and being more physically active. This will improve your health and cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

DPP is a program designed for individuals who are at risk of developing diabetes and can help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes by teaching healthy lifestyle skills. You’ll get your very own coach to teach you how to eat healthy foods and increase your physical activity. And when you’re having a rough day and feel like slipping back into your old habits, your classmates will be there to keep you on track.

The best way to see if you qualify for DPP is to take a short diabetes risk test and submit your contact info. If you scored 5 or more points, our diabetes prevention coordinator will contact with information about a class near you.

HeartLink

In this free wellness program, you can learn how to manage and prevent chronic health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and more! You’ll also get:

  • Help setting and achieving wellness goals
  • Access to wellness resources
  • Free enrollment in lifestyle change and/or chronic disease self-management classes
  • A free blood pressure cuff when you complete the program

The HeartLink program is available to adult residents of Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon, and Montgomery counties. Call (334) 293-6502 to learn more.

Mental Health First Aid

With Mental Health First Aid, you will learn how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in your community. Please call (334) 293-6502 to request this service.