A Path Forward: Justice-Involved Care Life Coach

Where Lived Experience Meets Professional Skill. Where Support Becomes a Pathway Forward.
Join a community of changemakers equipped to walk alongside individuals and families impacted by the justice system as they build health, stability, and purpose.
 
About the Program
The Morehouse School of Medicine Justice-Involved Life Coach Certificate is a four-month online professional certificate designed for changemakers who support people affected by the justice system — those currently or formerly incarcerated, individuals on probation or parole, people navigating diversion or pretrial programs, and the family members and children who carry the weight alongside them.
The curriculum blends coaching methodology with the practical realities these individuals face: healthcare navigation, behavioral health and substance use recovery, housing and employment barriers, family reunification, and the systems that shape each of these. Participants learn to build trust, set goals collaboratively, and connect clients to the services that sustain long-term stability.
 
Those who complete the certificate program are prepared to coach with cultural humility, work effectively across correctional, clinical, and community settings, and contribute to reducing recidivism and health disparities among justice-impacted populations.
 
Vision
To prepare a skilled, compassionate community of changemakers who help people impacted by the justice system achieve health, dignity, health equity, and self-determination.
 
Mission
The mission of the Morehouse School of Medicine Justice-Involved Life Coach Certificate is to equip changemakers with the coaching competencies, trauma-informed skills, and systems knowledge needed to support justice-impacted individuals, families, and communities and to advance health equity and health justice.
 

 

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Personal Information
 
What Makes the MSM Certificate Different
Unlike general life coaching credentials, this certificate is built specifically around justice involvement and the health-related barriers that accompany it — not only after incarceration, but at every point of contact with the system.
Participants complete an applied coaching culminating project, working through real scenarios under guided supervision rather than completing coursework alone.
The curriculum is grounded in trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and harm-reduction principles, and is aligned with International Coaching Federation (ICF) core competencies.

Participants develop competencies in:
  • Coaching methodology and collaborative goal setting
  • Trauma-informed care
  • Motivational interviewing
  • Behavioral health and substance use recovery support
  • Healthcare navigation and benefits enrollment
  • Housing, employment, and family reunification support
  • Correctional, court, and community supervision systems literacy
  • Supporting families and children of justice-involved individuals
  • Cultural humility and stigma reduction
  • Ethics, boundaries, and confidentiality
  • Crisis recognition and referral
  • Documentation and case coordination
Program at a Glance
  • Credential: Justice-Involved Life Coach Certificate
  • Format: Fully Online
  • Length: 4 Months
  • Hours: 16 instructional weeks; 120 learning hours
  • Prerequisites: High school diploma; associate degree or higher preferred
  • Tuition: $3,500 total program — Early Bird rate $2,500
  • Admissions: Two cohorts each year — Spring (January) and Fall (August)
Who Should Apply
This certificate is designed for those passionate about coaching and for changemakers already doing this work or preparing to enter it: reentry navigators and case managers, peer support specialists, community health workers, healthcare professionals, correctional, probation, and parole staff, court and diversion program personnel, behavioral health and recovery professionals, chaplains and faith-based leaders, victim services and family support workers, nonprofit and community-based organization staff, and individuals with lived experience of the justice system seeking a professional credential.
Whether your goal is to formalize skills you already practice, expand your role within an organization, or launch independent coaching work, the certificate provides a structured foundation in four months.
 
Professional Impact
What can I do with the Justice-Involved Life Coach Certificate?
Those who complete the certificate may use it to:
  • Serve as a justice-involved life coach, reentry navigator, or peer support specialist
  • Strengthen coaching skills within an existing case management or clinical role
  • Support healthcare and benefits enrollment for justice-impacted individuals and families
  • Contribute to reentry and diversion program design and coordination
  • Build independent or contract coaching work with justice-impacted clients
  • Advance toward further credentialing or graduate study in health administration or health justice policy
Certificate holders apply their training across settings including:
  • Community-Based and Nonprofit Reentry Organizations
  • Correctional and Detention Facilities
  • Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision Agencies
  • Courts and Diversion Programs
  • Behavioral Health and Substance Use Treatment Providers
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers and Community Clinics
  • Faith-Based Organizations
  • Housing and Workforce Development Programs
  • Public Health and Human Services Agencies
Workforce Outlook
The roles this certificate supports sit within one of the country's fastest-growing occupational groups. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in community and social service occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034, with approximately 313,700 openings projected each year and a median annual wage of $57,530 as of May 2024 — above the $49,500 median for all occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025a).
Within that group, community health worker roles — the category most closely aligned with coaching and navigation work — are projected to grow 11 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average, with about 7,800 openings each year and a median annual wage of $51,030 as of May 2024 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025b). Social and human service assistant positions, which typically require no more than a high school diploma to enter, are projected to grow 6 percent over the same period, with approximately 50,600 openings each year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025c).
 
Admission Requirements
Applicants should possess:
  • A high school diploma or equivalent; associate degree or higher preferred
  • Applicants who are justice-impacted must be five years post-release with demonstrated successful reintegration in the community
Applicants should submit:
  • A completed online application
  • Transcripts or proof of education
  • A $50 application fee
 

Cost

$2500.00
Payment options are available.
(Grants and loans are not available for non-degree programs.)

When

Online Course Calendar 2025 - 2026

Fall 2026 Cohort Deadlines

Interviews will take place on a rolling basis as completed applications are received and reviewed by the admissions committee. *Interviews are not guaranteed

For more information, please contact our office at msmonline@msm.edu or (404) 752-8668.

Application Requirements:

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria by the application deadline:

  1. MacBook or PC and Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel)
  2. High School diploma, Associates degree preferred.
  3. Completed application
  4. One recommendation form required - Letters of recommendation are optional.
  5. Copy of resume
  6. Completed essay (no more than 1 page) explaining why you are interested in the “A Path Foward: Justice-Involved Life Coach” and why you would benefit from this program.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Program
 
What is the Justice-Involved Life Coach Certificate?
A four-month online professional certificate preparing changemakers to coach people impacted by the justice system, with emphasis on health, recovery, and stability.
 
Who should apply?
Reentry and peer support workers, community health workers, correctional, probation, and parole staff, court and diversion personnel, behavioral health professionals, faith-based and nonprofit staff, and individuals with lived experience seeking a professional credential.
 
Is this only for people working with individuals who were incarcerated?
No. The certificate covers coaching for anyone impacted by the justice system, including people on probation or parole, individuals in diversion or pretrial programs, and the families and children of justice-involved individuals.
 
Is the program online?
Yes. The certificate is delivered fully online over four months.
 
How long does it take?
Four months — 16 instructional weeks and 120 learning hours.
 
Admissions
Do I need a college degree?
No. A high school diploma or equivalent is required; an associate degree or higher is preferred.
 
Can I apply if I have a criminal record?
Yes. Applicants who are justice-impacted must be five years post-release with demonstrated successful reintegration in the community. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
 
Credit & Credentialing
Is this a college credit program?
No. This is a non-credit online certificate aligned with professional development and continuing education.
 
Does this lead to a state or national coaching credential?
No. The program awards a Morehouse School of Medicine certificate of completion. The curriculum is aligned with International Coaching Federation core competencies but does not itself confer a state or national coaching credential.
 
Tuition & Financial Assistance
Is financial assistance available?
Institutional financial aid is not available for this certificate. We encourage participants to pursue external funding, including workforce development programs and employer- or agency-sponsored support.
 
Technology
Which learning management system is used?
The program uses Canvas as its learning management system.
 
Is This Certificate Right for Me?
The Justice-Involved Life Coach Certificate is for changemakers who believe contact with the justice system should not determine the rest of someone's life. Whether you are already doing this work and want to sharpen your skills, bringing lived experience and seeking professional standing, or entering this field for the first time, the certificate offers the tools, structure, and community to do the work well.
Grounded in health equity, health justice, and trauma-informed care, the program prepares coaches to meet people where they are and help them move forward.
 
Begin Your Journey
Change happens when someone is walking alongside. If you're ready to be that person — or to do it with more skill than you have now — we invite you to join the Morehouse School of Medicine Justice-Involved Life Coach Certificate Program.

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