Chris and Carol Green Earn Board-Certified Mental Health Coaching Credentials

Chris and Carol Green (BCMHC)

Today, Chris and Carol Green officially became Board-Certified Mental Health Coaches (BCMHC) upon completion of the 'Dare 2 Care' Mental Health Coach - First Responder Training program administered by the American Association of Christian Counselors through Light University. 

“We've seen a lot of indifferent, cold and callous responses from many Christian leaders and their congregations regarding the mental health crisis in our country,” stated the Greens. “Many of them have been misinformed and still approach this issue from ignorance, stigma, fear, and very bad theology. Many still believe that all people need to do is just quote a scripture, say a prayer, and God will take care of the mental health issue by injecting peace into their minds. But God says through Biblical text, that His people perish because of the lack of knowledge. In this aspect of our human experience, we suffer from debilitating ignorance.

In response to this niaive mindset and theology, we just wanted to get educated, trained and empowered to address this crisis by learning from other, more knowledgeable and experienced Christian organizations and institutions who bring a balanced and holistic approach to helping individuals and families who are struggling with mental health challenges. We wanted to immerse ourselves in proper education, so that we could better understand the mental health crisis in our own families and communities."

 This rigorous training program included:

 1.) First, the completion of a 14-hour course called Foundations of Mental Health Coaching - This introductory course was designed to provide students with an orientation to the field of mental health coaching. Topics covered included the role and scope of mental health coaching within the local church, ethical guidelines and professional standards in coaching, crisis intervention techniques, and the integration of faith and biblical wisdom in coaching.

 2.) Next, the completion of a 14-hour course called Mental Health Coaching Skills -The purpose of this course was to provide students with the fundamental theories and skills of Christ-centered mental health coaching. Key elements of the coaching process, included methods of change, listening, effective communication, giving hope, operating small groups, and counseling theory.

 3.) And finally, the completion of a 14-hour course called Mental and Behavioral Health Disorders - This course introduced students to the fundamentals of mental and behavioral health disorders. Particular emphasis was placed on factors that cause mental disorders, as well as conventional treatments. Conditions discussed included addiction, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

As Board Certified Mental Health Coaches, backed by the International Board of Christian Care (IBCC), the Greens have earned a voluntary global credential that trains and charges its recipients to maintain the highest clinical, ethical and biblical standards of practice.

“We are very pleased to have earned this credential," concluded the Greens. “Now we are better prepared to assist people through our coaching business and ministry. We're also able to become a more successful connection and liaison between those who need help, and very capable mental health professionals. We are part of an army of mental health coaches that are being trained and deployed across the United States. It's a new day for those who have been suffering in silence in our families, neighborhoods, church pews, classrooms and office cubicles."

Chris and Carol Green are the creators of the CARE-Ready Life Coaching® model of inspiration, education and certification, and the founders of the STEP Forward Life Institute™, an online community service preparatory platform. Through their business and school, they empower people to become the change they want to see, and to become the kind and caring light this world so desperately needs.

Chris and Carol Green meet with Dauphin County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children

Pennsylvania - Chris and Carol Green were the guest speakers for the Dauphin County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) monthly volunteer online meeting, at the request of its Executive Director, Will Foster.

The mission of CASA is to recruit, train, educate, and supervise dedicated volunteers to become agents of change for every abused and neglected child from Dauphin County. Through investigating, listening, and involvement in the courtroom as well as the child’s community, a Court Appointed Special Advocates will assist children to achieve their full potential.

“We understood that the CASA initiative is still relatively new,” The Greens explained. “By that we mean, its existence is dwarfed by the massive scope and infrastructure of the foster care system. We told the volunteers that like us in our early years in this community, their presence in various meetings, sessions and encounters may be seen as the new kid on the block. And even though they have an extremely important role to play, and even though they can add value to the system, the challenge is that they may experience awkward moments with social workers, case managers, parents, court officials and many others.”

The Greens offered tips and tools to help the Advocates break barriers in the human service community, based upon the training they provide in something called CARE-Readiness. Then they spoke to the online group from the topic:

Three Ways You Can Start Making a Difference that Last

1. Remember the Strength Within You

2. Be True to You

3. Listen More Than You Speak    

They concluded the session with a Q & A/ Conversation about Pioneering, Persevering and Staying Motivated as Advocates for Children.

“I felt that our volunteers needed some encouragement and inspiration because they have a very difficult and often thankless task,” Will Foster expressed. “It was great to have speakers who understood what it takes to be effective in the field of human service. I’m very grateful for the way the Greens connected with our volunteers. Our people were fully engaged and came away from the session uplifted and motivated.”