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Mental
Health
Matters
Alameda
County,
CA
Rev.
Barbara
Meyers,
a
community
minister
at
Mission
Peak
Unitarian
Universalist
Congregation in
Fremont,
California,
has
produced
a
monthly
public
access
television
show, "Mental
Health
Matters
-
Alameda
County," a
program
that
will
explore
mental
health
issues. (click
here
to
read
more)
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Forum
for
a
Better
Understanding
Fresno,
CA
Fresno
is
a
mostly
farming
community
in
the
central
valley
of
California
with
an
alarming
rate
of
suicide.
The
NAMI
president
organized
a
conference
to
educate
about
mental
illness
when
she
experienced
no
support
in
her
synagogue
for
her
adult
son
with
schizophrenia.
She
invited
faith
leaders
AND
persons
from
the
County
of
Fresno
to
begin
a
dialogue... (click
here
to
read
more)
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Caring for People with Brain Disorders
Joann Davis
Joann Davis is the director of Ministry with Persons with disAbilities for the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan. While her office provides services to people with all manner of disAbilities, ministry to people with brain disorders drew her attention for this article. (click here to read more)
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Art and Healing
Rosemary C. Lawyer
I no longer want to hide from this blanket of darkness called depression. I want to feel good again. I want to be able to touch it, see it and share it. Art has given me that ray of light that I was looking for. So many people suffer as I do and their creativity helps them to heal and feel whole again. (click here to read more)
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Welcome Door Foundation - Outreach to Homeless Persons
San Diego, CA
Pacific Beach United Methodist Church remembers that when Jesus' disciples came to him and said, "Dismiss the crowds, they¹ll be getting hungry," Jesus said, "They don¹t need to go away, YOU give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:13-21) (click here to read more)
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Gift Baskets
Denise Fletcher
Denise Fletcher has a degree in Recreational Therapy from Minnesota State University wrote me about an idea to develop a "Comfort Kit Basket." Faith communities can put together baskets that could be given to persons with a mental illness such as people in clubhouses, drop-in centers, group homes, psychiatric hospitals, shelters. Different faith traditions can decide what to include in these "Comfort Kit Baskets". Some suggestions are a small pocket Bible and/or a book of Psalms. The free downloadable brochure on "Scriptures for Comfort" could be included. It is available on this website in the Other Resources section. (click here to read more)
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Pet Therapy
Mississauga and the province of Ontario, Canada
I have had bipolar depression since 1993. I love animals and decided to keep birds. I bought 18 budgies, commonly known as parakeets. They got me up in the morning as I had to feed them. Budgies are very social creatures. It was great to see their antics and I certainly had lots of feathered friends "to talk to"! My doctor said that it was the greatest therapy and would do me a lot of good. He was right. (click here to read more)
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Galilee Advocates
Virginia Beach, VA
During the 1980s,there was a Religious Outreach Network that met at the NAMI National Convention each year. There was much enthusiasm and encouragement for members to return to their localities and reach out to faith communities. . . to promote education about serious mental illnesses and to increase understanding and support for people with mental illness and their families. (click here to read more)
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NAMI Developing Ministries San Antonio, TX
The Faithbased Mental Health Ministry Initiative of Bexar County/San Antonio, Texas, developed a one-day training with an eye toward strengthening the safety net for people with mental illness and their families. (click here to read more)
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