Mental Illness and Faith Communities
The magnitude of mental illness in this country is staggering. According to the Surgeon General, one in every five Americans experiences a mental disorder in any given year and half of all Americans have such disorders at some time in their lives. These illnesses of the brain affect all of us, regardless of age, gender, economic status or ethnicity. Nearly every person sitting in the pews has been touched in some way by mental illness. And yet individuals and families continue to suffer in silence or stop coming to their faith community because they are not receiving the support they so desperately need. They become detached from their faith community and their spirituality, which is an important source of healing, wholeness and hope in times of personal darkness. THERE IS HOPE!
Mission of Mental Health Ministries
The mission of Mental Health Ministries is to provide educational resources to help erase the stigma
of mental illness in our faith communities and help congregations become caring congregations for persons
living with a mental illness and their families. User friendly media and print resource that
can be adapted to the unique needs of each congregation are available on the website. Mental
Health Ministries also collaborates with faith communities, advocacy groups, community organizations
and mental health professionals to lift up the importance of using a person’s faith and spirituality
as part of the overall treatment and recovery process.
NEW RESOURCE
Four Session Resource/Study Guide |
 Mental Illness and Families of Faith
(PDF,
English | PDF,
Spanish)
Mental Illness and Families of Faith: The
Challenge and the Vision, How Congregations Can Respond, is a downloadable resource/study guide for clergy and communities of faith.
This tool is designed to be used with clergy, members of congregations, family members
and anyone desiring to learn more about mental illness and how to respond with compassion
and care. It can be used as a small group study or as a resource to quickly find information
on a specific topic when the need arises. As with all Mental Health Ministries resources,
you are encouraged to adapt the material and choose what would be most helpful in your
particular setting.
This resource is divided into four sections: Section One: Understanding Mental Illness,
Section Two: The Unique Role of Faith Communities, Section Three: Creating Caring Congregations,
Section Four: Help for Faith Leaders.
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Mental Illness and Families of
Faith DVD Set |
 Mental Illness and Families of Faith: How Congregations Can Respond - DVD
Set
Mental Illness and Families of Faith: How Congregations Can Respond is
a two DVD set to help educate faith communities about various mental health issues. One
in four families sitting in our pews has a family member dealing with a mental illness.
Yet many are suffering in silence. Through education, we can erase the stigma associated
with these "no fault" illnesses
and provide congregations with examples of how they can become supportive and caring communities
for individuals and families affected by mental illness
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