Health
and well-being
aren’t just programs—
they’re possibilities.
Possibilities for thriving people, aligned systems, and institutions that live their values. Whether you're a wellness professional, senior leader, educator, or changemaker, you’ve likely felt the tension between what you know is needed and the fragmented approaches most organizations offer.
That’s where this work—
and this model—comes in.
How It Works
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Learn The Model.
At its core, the Harrington Well-Being Model is a practical guide for building health-promoting organizations. It centers on the interconnection of five key elements: Purpose, People, Priorities, Pathways, and Practices.
Based on interdisciplinary theory and backed by decades of practical leadership experience, the model simplifies the complex nature of health promotion into a clear, actionable, and easy-to-understand framework for leaders at all levels.
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Make It Yours.
Use the Harrington Well-Being Model to explore the dynamic intersections ofUse the Harrington Well-Being Model to explore the dynamic intersections of purpose, people, and practice. Download the customizable interactive tool to create your own rings—adapting them with your organization’s language, priorities, and colors.
Organizations that have used the model report greater clarity, stronger collaboration, and deeper alignment across wellness, culture, and leadership development efforts. Download the “Make It Yours” Well-Being Model Builder to build your own rings—tailored with your organization’s language, priorities, and colors.
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Make It Happen.
Leverage the Harrington Well-Being Model and its accompanying tools — highlighted in Building Health-Promoting Organizations — to enhance collaboration, communication, assessment, and evaluation, transforming wellness from isolated programs into a unified, strategic movement grounded in shared language, purpose, and priorities.
The model provides a practical approach to reducing silos, aligning systems, and integrating well-being into everyday organizational practices.
Try the Harrington
Well-Being Model!
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Grab one of the rings and rotate it so the sections align at the top.
Notice how the layers connect and influence one another—each rotation reveals how purpose, people, priorities, practices, and pathways intersect to shape well-being.(To create your own version—customized and branded for your organization with your color palette and preferred ring titles—download the “Make It Yours” Well-Being Model Builder.)
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Use this scenario to practice alignment and see the model in action:
Student Mental Health Services
Align the rings around the constant “Why” bullseye:Who: Students
What: Emotional / Caring
How: Organizational — services provided by licensed clinicians
When: Care delivery at the time of need
Observe how these alignments reveal a shared purpose and coordinated focus within a specific area of the system.
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Now take it further. Rotate the rings again to explore new intersections for assessment and evaluation.
Each shift helps uncover alignment, gaps, and opportunities to strengthen integration. In this scenario, ask yourself:Are we also addressing mental health through upstream promotion and risk management?
What about environmental and policy levels (e.g., reducing stress through scheduling changes such as no Monday morning exams)?
Are we supporting individual thriving and interpersonal connection alongside organizational initiatives?
Each rotation tells a story about where your system is strong—and where it can grow.
Download the
“Make It Yours” Well-Being Model Builder
to create and save your own
Harrington Well-Being Model.
Announcing the
Launch of My Book!
Building Health-Promoting Organizations: A Practical Model for Making It Happen
by Suzy Harrington, DNP, RN, MCHES
