The
Harrington Well-Being Model

At its core, the Harrington Well-Being Model is a practical blueprint for developing health-promoting organizations. Built on real-world leadership experience and grounded in interdisciplinary theory, it goes beyond superficial wellness programming to address the underlying systems, strategies, and structures that shape organizational culture.

The model is built on the interrelation of five foundational elements:

• Purpose (Why) – Aligning well-being with your institution’s core mission and values
• People (Who) – Identifying and fostering cross-functional collaboration
• Priorities (What) – Defining and organizing your dimensions of well-being
• Practices (How) – Embedding well-being into operations, leadership, and policies, in addition to self-care
• Pathways (When) – Addressing the full continuum of care, from upstream to downstream

These elements are designed to be visual, memorable, and adaptable. Whether you’re at a large research university, a regional health system, or a nonprofit agency, the Harrington Model offers a way to align efforts, reduce silos, and embed well-being into how your organization works—day in and day out.

The magic happens at the intersection of the rings. Institutions that have adapted this model have reported improved clarity, increased collaboration, and stronger integration of wellness into strategic priorities, diversity and inclusion efforts, and leadership development.

You’re welcome to share and reproduce it within your organization with attribution to:
Suzy Harrington, DNP, RN, MCHES – Building Health-Promoting Organizations: A Practical Model for Making It Happen.

For broader use or adaptations, please request permission.

Try the Harrington
Well-Being Model

  • 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.)

  • 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.

  • 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.

COMING December 4th!

The
Base Model

Customized
Harrington Well-Being Models

Front Side: Model with rings.

Four colorful circular diagrams representing different frameworks. The first diagram showcases layers related to personal, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental aspects, surrounding a center labeled "Live." The second diagram has segments related to professional, social, personal, and organizational themes, with a central message of "Smart & Happy." The third diagram highlights promotion and upstream activities, focusing on learning, engagement, and results. The fourth diagram emphasizes upstream promotion and self-care with layers concerning being well, culture, leadership, and environment, all centered around students.

Back Side: Examples of descriptors.

Upload Your
Harrington Well-Being Models

Proud of your model? Tell me about it. While I’m currently showcasing my co-created work, I welcome reader submissions for future updates
(posted with your permission and attribution)