You’ve decided to change lives by becoming a diabetes prevention lifestyle coach, but now you are left with questions like: How can I reach more people, and how do I know I’m teaching the right thing?
You can use a few tactics to learn more about pursuing a coaching career, like joining a coaching community-based diabetes prevention program and participating in online courses surrounding diabetes prevention. However, without a complete understanding of the national diabetes prevention program, you will miss out on crucial information that could help your participants excel in their diabetes prevention.
That’s why we highly recommend becoming DPP-certified as you embark on your lifestyle coaching journey.
Choosing to undergo DPP training is not only beneficial for you (and required for you to become a CDC-approved lifestyle coach), but it also gives your participants the ability to excel in their diabetes prevention through a CDC-approved curriculum. Ultimately, participating in National DPP training will give you the tools you need to be the most effective lifestyle coach possible.
So, how can you get involved in a National DPP training program? We’re glad you asked.
In this article, we’ll cover the importance of receiving your National DPP training, how to find a training program, and what your DPP training will look like.
What Is the National DPP?
Before we dive right into why becoming a DPP-certified lifestyle coach is the right choice for the future of your coaching career, let’s take a second to explain the DPP itself.
For starters, the National DPP is a branch of the CDC focused on slowing the spread of Type 2 diabetes, but it’s also more than that. The NDPP is a partnership between public services and private organizations that works together to educate people who are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes on how to improve their lives dramatically.
The collaborative nature of this partnership helps the National DPP narrow in on the best practices and helps the organization stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving face of diabetes research.
Additionally, the National DPP makes it possible to ensure that participants will receive the same high-quality instruction regardless of where they’re located in the country. For instance, if you’re coaching a group in Mississippi and receive a new participant from out of state, your new cohort member will already know about the program because they will have already worked with the same curriculum.
On top of making sure the standards are at the highest level and that every participant is on the same page, the National DPP also approves all DPP training courses. As a result, you can be sure you’re teaching your cohort the best methods to prevent Type 2 diabetes when participating in National DPP training.
Now that we’ve hit the high notes of the National DPP and how it works to empower lifestyle coaches, let’s get into the why behind receiving your national certification.
Why Is National DPP Certification Important?
The first, and probably the most critical, reason you should pursue national certification if you’re looking to start coaching is that you need to be certified to instruct people in the diabetes prevention program.
To be officially recognized as a DPP lifestyle coach, potential coaches must complete a minimum of 12 hours, or two days, of training. During those training sessions, you will learn more about the National DPP, the best ways to implement the curriculum, and how to lay a foundation for you to build your coaching strategy.
And with the proper groundwork, you can construct a successful coaching career that changes lives for the better.
In addition to learning the best practices for becoming a DPP-certified coach, you also gain resources to help you build your coaching practice effectively. During your training sessions, you will receive the tools you need to change lives through the DPP curriculum.
This curriculum will guide you throughout the coaching process and provide you with essential information for effectively coaching your cohort. The science-backed course material will empower you to implement strategies that better the lives of your participants.
How Do You Find DPP Training Courses?
The first step in beginning your DPP training journey is to locate a CDC-approved training program.
There are a few different ways you can find the right training solution for you, including:
- In-person training at a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) training entity
- A private organization with a national network
- A CDC-recognized virtual organization
- A master trainer who completed a CDC MOU-holding Master Training program
Each training method comes with its own pros and cons, and you need to consider your learning style to determine which path is right for you.
For example, online training may be the best way to go if you're a self-motivated auditory or visual learner. Online sessions also allow you to attend in the privacy of your own home and still receive the highest level of training possible. However, in-person training is probably your best option if you're a more hands-on learner.
In addition to being virtual vs. in-person, considering the training cohort size may also be a beneficial way to choose your training method. If you’re looking for a more personalized experience, selecting sessions with a master trainer could be more beneficial than selecting an online class.
The key to choosing the proper training method for your DPP certification really depends on one thing — you.
You know your learning preferences and how you retain information better than anyone else, so you should choose a training style that works best for you. Even if it costs a bit more, or you need to travel a bit to attend the classes, you should choose training sessions that cater to your learning style over convenience.
When Can You Start Coaching After Receiving Your Certification?
Here’s some good news. Once you’ve completed your training and received your National DPP certification, you are ready to start coaching!
The CDC recommends that you begin coaching as soon as possible after you’ve completed your training. Holding classes immediately after your training helps you put the things you’ve learned from your training sessions into practice while they’re still fresh in your mind and helps you continue to grow through practical experience.
And the good news doesn’t end there. You don’t need to go it alone as you step out on your coaching journey. We highly recommend getting plugged into a CDC-approved coaching organization in your area.
If you’re looking for a great network of past and present coaches that want you to succeed, the Realizing DPP community is here to provide you with all of the support you need to be the most successful coach you can be.
When you surround yourself with a positive community, you set yourself up for success. A group of fellow coaches will help you locate the best coaching opportunities, hold you accountable to do your best as a coach, and be there to answer questions that you may not find from a quick online search.
Your Training Shouldn’t End With Your National DPP Certification
Once you’ve completed your National DPP training and started coaching your very own diabetes prevention cohort, your diabetes prevention learning experiences are only just beginning.
Continuing your DPP education keeps you enthusiastic about helping change lives through diabetes prevention, keeps you informed on the newest ways to prevent Type 2 diabetes, and ensures that you stay on top of your coaching techniques. According to the CDC, you should participate in at least two hours of continuing education courses a year to stay in the loop with the National DPP.
In many cases, your local DPP organizations provide the tools you need to access courses and help with your continuing education. Additionally, these continuing education courses can cover everything from refresher courses on program delivery to data submission tips that help you deliver participant data properly.
In addition to participating in continuing education classes through your local DPP organization and serving your participants as a lifestyle coach, you may find that you want to advance in your coaching career. That’s where the master trainer program comes into play.
If you want to go beyond coaching and become a master trainer who leads DPP certification courses and supports fellow coaches, a master trainer program may be the right option for you. The Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center at Emory University offers one of the nation’s premier master trainer programs and has trained over 180 trainers nationwide.
Realizing DPP Has the Resources You Need
Becoming a nationally certified DPP lifestyle coach is an exciting step in your coaching journey! Your certification unlocks the door to changing people’s lives through diabetes prevention, provides a flexible employment option for yourself, and positions you to advance through continued education and master trainer options.
If you’re curious about learning more about becoming a DPP-certified coach or you’re a certified coach in Mississippi who’s looking for more support, the Realizing DPP Community has your back.
Our lifestyle coach community of current and past coaches dedicates itself to building each other up and supporting each other so everyone can excel with their participants. We offer exclusive access to lifestyle coaching questions you can’t find on Google, opportunities for you to grow as a coach, and the tools you need to earn more money in coaching.
Join our network of lifestyle coaches today!
