Kansas Area Clergy Wellness Program

The Health Risk Assessment online forms for Clergy Wellness Program participants are now available.  Please complete these online surveys via SurveyMonkey at your earliest opportunity.  Please be aware that the links are different, depending on which program class you are a member of.

For members of the 2010 class, the 1-year follow-up survey is available here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CWP_Pilot_Follow

For members of the August 2011 group, the link is:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ClergyWellness2011

Instructions for participation are presented on each survey page linked above. If you have questions about the surveys or have trouble accessing them, please contact Kurt Konda, kkonda@kumc.edu for assistance.

Attention Clergy Wellness Program 2011 Cabinet participants
You will need to complete an online health risk assessment by June 15th. This is different from the one you complete for Virgin Health Miles. Please log onto http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CabinetWellness, enter your confidential code number (will be in instruction packet) and complete the assessment before June 15, 2011.
All information is confidential and will be identified by your code number only. All forms are to be returned to KUMC for compiling and processing.
Thank you!

Update: thank you for the great response; the 2011 program is now full and registrations are now closed.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity for retreat, health, education, and wellness.  The deadline for application for the 2011 Clergy Wellness Program has been extended to June 15th, but it is limited to 24 participants. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis, so don’t delay!

The retreat this year will be at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita on August 30-31.  Participation in the program is absolutely free including room, meals, and the opportunity to meet with professional consultants to assess and create your own personal wellness plan. Consultants include: a physician, a spiritual advisor, a nutritional counselor, a fitness advisor, a financial advisor, and a Certified Wellness Coach who will help you carry out your personal wellness plan.

For more information, see the Clergy Wellness Program 2011 details and view participant testimonials from the 2010 pilot program on this website. To apply, complete the simple online application form, or download the program brochure [pdf file] which includes an application form you may print and mail in.

If you have questions, please contact Susan Harvey, Program Administrator, at 316-775-6324 or lsharvey@cox.net.

Attention Clergy Wellness Program 2010 pilot participants:

The six-month follow-up Clergy Health Risk Assessment survey is now available online.  This is a lengthy assessment that will take at least 45 minutes to complete.  We thank you in advance for your patience in completing it!

To begin the survey, you will need to have your pastor code number handy.  The code can be found on the front of the red-striped envelope you received ahead of the initial HRA.  If you no longer have your code, please contact Kurt Konda at KUMC (kkonda@kumc.edu or 316-293-2627) and he can provide it. When you’re ready to begin, click the link below to leave this site and proceed to the assessment on surveymonkey.com.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ClergyHealth

The information you provide as part of this assessment will be compiled by research personnel at KUSM-W and returned to your wellness coach. The Conference will receive only aggregate information with no personally-identifiable data.

Clergy Wellness Pilot Program Endorsed by Extended Cabinet

Building on the success of the 2010 pilot, the Kansas Area Clergy Wellness Program will be renewed and expanded for 2011.  The program, which seeks to empower Kansas United Methodist Clergy to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles, was developed by the Kansas Area Health & Wellness Committee to identify individual health needs and develop personalized plans to address those needs through sustainable changes in behavior.

Click image to view brochure

“Great opportunity to get expert advice – thank you!“

For 2011, clergy may apply for slots in the program and 24 will be selected to participate in the August 30-31, 2011 CWP Retreat from those applicants.  In addition, the Extended Cabinet will attend a separate CWP Retreat.  To learn more, please see the 2011 Clergy Wellness Program brochure, which also contains a printable application form. Ready to apply today? Use the quick online application form, available here.

In the 2010 pilot, 28 Kansas United Methodist clergy were randomly selected and invited to attend a two-day retreat designed to identify wellness areas for improvement, and practical plans for changing any areas they chose.  Each participant obtained a physical examination from his or her family physician, then during the retreat met with a consulting Physician, Nutritionist, Spiritual Counselor, Financial Advisor, Physical Therapist, and Wellness Coach to develop an individual plan for sustainable behavior changes.

“I had already made the decision to lose weight, eat right, and do some spiritual formation. However, it affirmed those choices and perhaps will help me to maintain a healthier lifestyle.“

Participating clergy completed an online Health Risk Assessment (HRA) and obtained blood work at the 2010 Annual Conference.  Results from the physical, blood work, and HRA were sent to the consulting physicians for the Retreat.

After the Retreat, clergy participated in group follow-up conference calls with a wellness coach.  The group calls have gone so well that they’ve been extended for 4 additional months.  Six months after the Retreat, participants will complete a second HRA, with a final HRA and blood work completed at the 2011 Annual Conference.  92% of the participants indicated that they would recommend the program to a colleague.

“I am very hopeful I can make lifestyle changes because of the opportunity of ongoing coaching and accountability group.“

Susan Harvey PT, Kansas Area Health & Wellness Committee Co-Chair, is the program coordinator.  The University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, is conducting a formal evaluation of the program’s effectiveness by measuring changes in participants’ lab results as well as through a comparison of Health Risk Assessments.

The roots of the Clergy Wellness Program reach back to 2005 when Kansas Area Bishop Scott Jones participated in “Life of Leaders,” a faith-centered executive health program integrating the best components of an executive physical in a framework of self-care, spiritual nourishment, and fellowship.  A central tenet of Life of Leaders is the recognition that, because they are oriented towards help and service, many values-driven leaders such as clergy neglect self-care in order to care for others.

“This was a blessing. I think this is an important program that will make a difference.“

You can view additional participant testimonials at the Clergy Wellness Program Website www.clergywellness.org.  For more information about the program, please contact Susan Harvey by email at lsharvey@cox.net or by phone at 316-775-6324.  Please see the 2011 Clergy Wellness Program brochure, which also contains the application form.

During the 2010 Clergy Wellness Program Retreat, we offered participants a chance to reflect on their experiences through the program in a video format for sharing on the program website.  Several participants, along with program administrator Susan Harvey, recorded their thoughts on the 2010 program.  Click play in the windows below to view the videos.

Rev. Gene McIntosh, Iola UMC at the 6-month follow-up:

Susan Harvey, Program Administrator:

Rev. Adam Hamilton, Church of the Resurrection UMC:

Rev. Cynthia Smart:

Rev. Kelvin Heitmann, Satanta UMC:

Rev. Mike Rose, University UMC, Salina:

Welcome to the Clergy Wellness Project support site.  We’ll keep this site up-to-date as new information becomes available.  For more information about the project, please see the “About” page.

Read a news release about the CWP on the Kansas East Conference Website

Update 2-24-10: Program Coordinator Susan Harvey reports that the pilot project is full following random clergy selection.  We’re excited by the level of interest shown; we’ve already had a number of inquiries from clergy who didn’t receive a random invitation for this pilot, wondering how they can sign up.