Join a mission-driven team bringing practical, evidence-based support to combat veterans.
Project New Day offers training and credentialing for individuals who wish to become either a Combat Veteran Master Coach or a Community Group Facilitator.
Our training introduces participants to the Project New Day Program, a research-informed model that was studied in 2024 and 2025 and produced strong outcomes for combat veteran participants. We invite you to review our Outcomes and Testimonials page to learn more.
Whether you are seeking a deeper understanding of how to help individuals who have experienced significant adversity, or you would like to become part of our growing community of leaders, this training will provide you with practical tools and a proven framework to help veterans and others build healthier, more meaningful lives.
More than 50 coaches, many with strong personal or professional connections to the military community, participated in our inaugural training cohort. Their thoughtful feedback has helped us further strengthen and refine the training experience for future participants. We invite you to review their candid comments below.
The Combat Veteran Master Coach certification program is offered for $1,500, and the Community Group Facilitator certification program is offered for $1,000. Both certifications require approximately 25 hours of your time.
All training proceeds directly support future Project New Day cohorts for combat veterans and their spouses.
The Project New Day Program is always provided at no cost to participating veterans and spouses. In addition, partial scholarships are available for veterans who wish to complete the Project New Day training and certification program.
If you are passionate about helping combat veterans build healthier, more meaningful lives, we would love to hear from you.
Whether you are an experienced coach, a veteran leader, or someone looking to make a lasting difference, Project New Day may have a place for you.
Contact us today to learn about upcoming training cohorts and scholarship opportunities.
Project New Day’s Combat Veteran Master Coaches provide trauma-informed, knowledge-based coaching to program participants.
All Master Coaches must be International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified (or have equivalent experience) and complete Project New Day certifications in:
The Project New Day Coaching Philosophy
Knowledge-Based Coaching
Addiction and Trauma Fundamentals
Group Facilitation Skills
Master Coaches lead veterans through our structured healing and growth curriculum with professionalism, clarity, and compassion.
Project New Day Community Group Facilitators lead weekly or biweekly Zoom-based veteran community sessions.
Facilitators are graduates of the Project New Day program who complete certifications in:
The Project New Day Healing Philosophy
Coaching Fundamentals
Addiction and Trauma Fundamentals
Group Facilitation Skills
Facilitators help maintain a supportive peer environment where veterans build connection, accountability, and shared growth.
Combat Veteran Master Coaches must have:
Community Group Facilitators must have:
| Master Coach | Group Facilitator | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | The Project New Day Program Coaching Philosophy (here) 1 hour of content* |
| Yes | Yes | Rutgers University – Addiction and Recovery Topics (here) 2.5 hours of content* |
| Yes | Yes | Rutgers University – Group Facilitation Skills (here) 2.5 hours of content* |
| Yes | International Coaching Federation certification or equivalent experience* | |
| Yes | Knowledge-Based Life Coaching Using the Project New Day Program Model (here) 3 hours of content* | |
| Yes | Project New Day Coaching Basics (here) 6 hours of content* |
* Allow an additional 30 minutes per course for quiz questions
Interested applicants may request training with Project New Day.
Accepted applicants complete the required coursework* and become:
Project New Day Certified Combat Veteran Master Coaches
or
Project New Day Community Group Facilitators
* Coursework consists of the online training outlined above and participation in five weekly Zoom sessions, each lasting two hours.
Meaningful Mission and Purpose
The most common theme was a strong connection to the mission of serving combat veterans and their families. Coaches consistently described the work as important, needed, timely, and an opportunity to give back to those who have sacrificed in service to others.
Practical Life Tools and Hope-Oriented Support
Respondents frequently praised the program’s focus on practical tools, education, self-awareness, accountability, and actionable skills that veterans can apply immediately in everyday life.
Strong Conceptual Foundation
Many coaches highlighted the integration of Internal Family Systems, meaning and purpose work, nervous system education, trauma-informed concepts, neuroscience, and evidence-informed approaches.
Community and Cohort-Based Support
The peer-support model was repeatedly identified as one of the program’s greatest strengths. Coaches emphasized the importance of veterans learning alongside others with shared experiences.
Filling a Critical Gap in Services
Respondents noted that Project New Day addresses a significant gap between traditional mental health services and the ongoing need for community, education, support, and growth-oriented coaching.
Ethical Use of Coaching with Trauma-Impacted Populations
Some coaches entered training uncertain about whether coaching was appropriate for veterans dealing with trauma and PTSD. They reported that the Project New Day model demonstrated how coaching can remain ethical while still being highly effective.
Additional Operational Clarity
Several respondents requested more information regarding cohort structure, facilitation processes, timelines, coach expectations, and participant flow.
Expanded Spouse and Family Content
A number of coaches expressed interest in seeing further development of materials specifically addressing spouses and family systems.
Consideration of Specialized Cohorts
Suggestions included exploring cohorts organized around shared experiences such as female veterans, combat veterans, Special Operations veterans, or other affinity groups.
We appreciate this feedback and expect to provide greater operational clarity as the program continues to expand.
Overall Impression
Feedback regarding the training remained overwhelmingly positive. Coaches consistently described the training as thoughtful, comprehensive, engaging, well-organized, and professionally delivered.
Quality and Depth of Content
The strongest training theme was appreciation for the breadth and depth of the curriculum, particularly the integration of coaching principles, trauma-informed concepts, Internal Family Systems, neuroscience, addiction education, meaning and purpose, and group facilitation.
Personal and Professional Growth
Coaches reported that the training was personally meaningful as well as professionally valuable, helping them better understand themselves, their clients, and the veteran experience.
Rutgers University Content
The Rutgers addiction and group facilitation modules were frequently identified as especially informative and valuable.
Cohort Discussions and Shared Learning
Respondents appreciated the opportunity to learn from one another and valued the collective wisdom and experience present within the coaching community.
Structured Framework and Coaching Model
Many coaches appreciated receiving a clear framework, established curriculum, and evidence-informed approach for facilitating veteran cohorts.
More Interactivity, Practice and Facilitation Experience
The most common recommendations were for a longer training time, breakout rooms, role-play, facilitation practice, demonstrations, structured discussions, peer coaching exercises, and reflective homework assignments.
We listened and have expanded the Zoom portion of the program from four 1.5-hour sessions to five 2.0-hour Zoom sessions to allow for the above-mentioned activities.
More Operational and Logistical Information
Respondents requested additional clarity regarding timelines, technology platforms, cohort assignments, website listings, mentor support, and ongoing expectations.
We appreciate this feedback and expect to provide greater operational clarity as the program continues to expand.
Stronger Alignment Between Thinkific and Live Sessions
A few coaches suggested structuring live sessions to correspond more directly with the specific Thinkific modules being completed each week.
The Thinkific modules are arranged in the order of the PND program itself, which presents two topics per weekly session. The training focuses on one concept at a time. Because the training is presented in fewer than half the weeks as the program we are choosing not to present four topics per training session, and instead focus on related concepts each week.
More Comprehensive Overview of Our Theory
One coach suggested we provide a more comprehensive outline of our theory and methodologies in the introductory session.
This is a good idea and we will do it from now on.
Ongoing Coach Community and Support
Suggestions from a few coaches included coach networking opportunities, online discussion groups, Slack channels, peer support systems, and methods for continuing collaboration after training concludes.
We are preparing for regular Community of Practice groups for the coaches to address these supportive opportunities.
The encouraging news is that the feedback continues to strongly validate the underlying Project New Day mission, philosophy, and coaching model.
The most common recommendations are not about changing the content itself. Rather, they focus on increasing opportunities for practice, interaction, facilitation experience, operational clarity, and ongoing coach connection.
Those are exactly the types of improvements we hoped this inaugural coach cohort would help us identify.
Thank you for helping us build something that has the potential to make a meaningful difference in the lives of combat veterans and their families.