NAMI and Communities of Faith Links
 

Talk at Cary church on February 17 "How to Love People with Mental Health Problems and Support their Families"

NAMI FaithNet - posted 1-11-07

Mental Health Ministries e-Spotlight January, 2007 

I.                   Ministry, Mental Illness, and Communities of Faith  Religious communities are in a unique position to combat stigma and provide a message of acceptance and hope.

This is a wonderful article.  A list of outreach ideas for your community of faith and a list or resources are also listed.

II.                FaithNet-NAMI

            This site is a reflection of a closer partnership between the FaithNet grassroots network and the NAMI National organization. Many resources are listed on this site.

FaithNet NAMI is a network composed of members and friends of NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill).   It was established for the purposes of (1) facilitating the development within the Faith Community of a non-threatening, supportive environment for those with serious mental illness and their families, (2) pointing out the value of one’s spirituality in the recovery process from mental illness and the need for spiritual strength for those who are caretakers, (3) educating clergy and congregations concerning the biologic basis and characteristics of mental illness, and (4) encouraging advocacy of the Faith Community to bring about hope and help for all who are affected by mental illness.

  III.   NAMI-AZ

az.nami.org/,

The state organization is actively involving a "faith community" strategy

for their Walk effort.  Contact Adrienne Pagel, a1pagel@hotmail.com, for

details on how they are  working together. The state site lists the

following brochure, “When Mental Illness Strikes In A Family of Faith”,

in their online list of available brochures.

 IV.  NAMI  Illinois

           They call for Faith Communities to focus on

           1. Compassion - Reach out to those in crisis and are hurting

           2.  Presence - Journey with those in crisis

           3. Information - Help congregations be aware of stigma and needs of families and individuals

            4. Justice - Work for systemic change to improve the lives of persons with major mental illnesses and their families

For more information on how faith communities can be involved in ministries of compassion, presence, information and justice contact NAMI Illinois for brochures, speakers and/or workshop information.

V.         NAMI-IN

Mental Health Ministry Resources:
FaithCEP (Faith Communities Education Project) of NAMI Indianapolis (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) in cooperation with The Indianapolis Center for Congregations and the Alban Institute

This site provides a list of over 60 books, videos, and curricula --
For Faith Communities (congregations and clergy)
For Pastoral Caregivers
For the General Public

It also provides a list of and links to many mental health/illness-related organizations,
including denominational and inter-faith links. 

VI.  NAMI: Kentucky Faith Initiative  (site is under construction)

VII.  NAMI-Memphis

They have a recourse page for "Faith Communities".

VIII.  Faith Ways NAMI-MN    

IX.     NAMI-NE

Linda Jensen of NE has been involved with a broad faith community in addressing community service needs.  She can be reached at ljensen@unmc.edu
 

X.      NAMI-UT

They are involved significantly with the LDS community. 
           Sherri Wittwer , the state ED, leads this effort. 
                             education@namiut.org

  Denominational Faith Communities

I.     United Methodist Church Mental Illness Network

This mental health resources page of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society describes their legislative advocacy, the work of the UM Mental Illness Network, and information and links to their "Caring Community Program" and "Awareness" resources. 

II.   Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church

Their Committee on Persons with Disabilities has a Subcommittee on Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and their Families.

• Mental Illness: Resources

• Mental Illness: What You Can Do

• Mental Illness: Advocacy 

• Prayers

• Teens learn about mental illness at ROCK 2005
   

III.   California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church

UM Mental Illness Network member Susan Gregg-Schroeder (sgschroed@cox.net) has  created an ecumenical organization called Mental Health Ministries

Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder was given the 2003 Clergy Person of the Year Award by NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). She wrote In The Shadow of God’s Wing: Grace in the Midst of Depression and a group study guide. Her article, “The Face of Depression.” was published in The Circuit Rider. It is available on her web page www.MentalHealthMinistries.net

   IV.  Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church

They maintain a page of mental illness resources including the UMC resolution on Caring communities.  Their mental illness work comes under their Church and Society work team.  cswt.ppjr.org/

 V.    North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

           Their Conference Committee on Disability Concerns is actively

           seeking to equip churches and clergy for ministry to and with the

           mentally ill and their families.  They maintain a Mental Health site.

VI.   Northwest Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

They have a Mental Health Task Force, which has further described characteristics of Caring Communities.

VII.     Holston Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

They now have two printable brochures one on Caring Congregations and another on Resources  for Caring Congregations.  That website address is through the Outreach and Advocacy. Coming soon will be another printable brochure "Guidelines for Clergy working with Persons with a Mental Illness and their Families" Committee at holstonconference.com/oa/

VIII.     Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

Practical  advice and referral resources.    

Stephen Ministry Responds to Serious Mental Illness. by Rev. Dr. Mark J. Hill, Trinity Lutheran Church, Utica

IX.  The Episcopal Mental Illness Network

It now has its own website and is mentioned in an article by the Anglican Church of  Canada entitled, Welcoming special needs people to church

X.       Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network.

            Network Chair Christopher L. Smith, M. Div. also serves as Consultant in mental health with the Office of Health Ministries (UDSA) of the Presbyterian Church (USA). "Through these roles and his work as a pastoral counselor in a community mental health center in northeastern Indiana, Christopher has worked with a number of congregations as well as individuals who have felt disconnected from their church. Christopher has bipolar disorder and has had a diversity of experiences related to this in the church. In 1999 Presbyterians passed a comprehensive resolution entitled Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (Including Serious Mental Illnesses) and Disability Prevention.

XI.        United Church of Christ.

The Mental Illness Network within the UCC offers resources for understanding and support of people who are mentally ill. "The Mental Illness Network began in 1992  with a grant from the American Missionary Association of the Board of Homeland Ministries (AMA/BHM), United Church of Christ, as a response to the need for families and others to communicate among themselves about their experiences as families, and in congregations. We are, therefore, a network and not a committee.  Site contains pages for reading and resources . A resolution before the General

Convention addresses several key mental illness issues, "Calling the People of God to Justice for Persons with Serious Mental Illnesses (Brain Disorder)" is available for download with all the other "Resolutions of the 1999 General Synod in a .pdf file.

XII.       Anabaptist Disabilities Network

XIII.      MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

(Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) resources for mental health on Web Page:

XIV.    CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL

www.mhsource.com/hy/journal.html

XV.    NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC CHAPLAINS 

Interdenominational and Interfaith Communities.

I.       Pathways to Promise: Ministry and Mental Illness.

An interfaith non-profit organization that assists the faith community in responding to people who have a mental illness and their families. Sixteen faith groups and three mental health organizations constitute the organizational membership of P2P. Pathways to Promise offers liturgical and educational materials to promote a caring ministry with people with mental illness and their families

II.      Virginia Interfaith Committee on Mental Illness Ministries (VICOMIM)

(Click on Ministries.) Starting as the Mental Illness Committee of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, this Committee now has participation from a broad range of faith communities.

III.     Mental Health Ministries

Mental Health Ministries is an ecumenical, interfaith outreach through the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder is the coordinator of Mental Health Ministries.  The mission is to educate faith leaders and lay persons for the purpose of decreasing the stigma associated with mental illnesses in our faith communities. Mental Health Ministries has created 10 high quality videos with discussion guides on a variety of mental health issues.  Two of them, “Creating Caring Congregations” and “Mental Illness and Families of Faith” where awarded a Telly Award for excellence.Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder was given the 2003 Clergy Person of the Year Award by NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). She shares her personal journey with depression in her book, In The Shadow of God's Wings :Grace in the Midst of Depression and an accompanying, Group Study Guide available from The Upper Room at 1-800-972-0433. She has several articles on her website including “The Face of Depression” published in The Circuit Rider.  The website is http://www.mentalhealthministries.net/ and Susan can be reached at sgschroed@cox.net.

IV.       Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities (CCPD)
 

V.        Health Ministries Association, Inc.
            
VI.      Organization for Attempters and Survivors of Suicide in Interfaith Services  (OASSIS)

VII.        www.seracomm.com/

This video resource company makes its mission clear: "The creative use of media for the development of faith." In addition to A Place To Come Back To and Nobody Knows, other mental health-related videos are offered. 

VIII.  B.A.C.H. Development:

A Healthy Church in Action offering radical hospitality to the mentally illl and their families. 

What individual members can do to advocate within their own faith based communities.        Updated  1/02/06

1.                  Church Based Advocacy  In 2002, a mental health consumer’s husband becomes an advocate in his church after graduating from a Family-to-Family Course. 

2.                  A Resolution on the Church's ministry to the mentally ill and their families.  

3.                  Mental Illness Awareness Resolution 

4.                  Resolution for a Conference Coordinator of Mental Health Ministries 

5.                  Motion for A Task Force on Churches and Mental Health. 

6.         American Baptist Resolution On Mental Illness

Sermons and Articles

1. Supporting Individuals and Families Through the Faith Community    Presentation. by Rev. Dr. John Crowe  

2. Ministry with a mental health consumer and family.

3. The Church’s Ministry to Families of the Mentally Ill . 

4. Sermon “The Overlooked and the Forgotten”  In The Message Bible, Matthew 25:40 & 45 Peterson paraphrases “the least of these—the “overlooked and ignored” Who are the overlooked of our day? Who are the ignored of our day? The mentally ill and their families.

5. Sermon "Prayer and Tragedy" 
6. Sermon “Waiting on the Lord”
7. Luther and Depression  This article is about someone who has been there, done that, and has the t-shirt. The Protestant Reformation Leader and writer of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”, Martin Luther felt free to share his own struggles with mental illness, i.e. depression.  Research of Luther's sermons, teaching material
   for young pastors display a very compassionate person of pastoral care with insightful and detailed observations, and a proclamation of real grace for real life.  Both his compassion for Christians with mental illnesses and his keen observation of them were way ahead of his time.
8. Wesley and Depression     This article is about a person whom the denominational family tree of Methodists and holiness churches view as the herald of sanctification--holiness of heart and life. For century after century the idea prevailed among Christians that filthiness was akin to holiness. This only helped the spread of diseases like the "Black Plague."  On one occasion Mr. Wesley said "Cleanliness is next to godliness."  His concern for personal hygiene rose out of his understanding of sanctification, his view of pastoral care, and his concern for people's mental and physical health.  Wesley was as concerned for the health of people’s bodies and minds as he was for their souls. He read medicine with the same avidity he showed for theology. He also found health education lacking and supplied it. Early in his ministry Wesley established a visitation programme for the sick and dispensed medicine to the poor in London and Bristol. Also, he advocated for better health care.
9. John Wesley and Psychology    As a significant figure in Christian history, John Wesley has import for modern Christian psychology in at least four ways: (1) his contention that the findings of science could be used by Christians for the glory of God and the alleviation of human suffering; (2) his personal example of how difficult it is to put faith into practice in daily living; (3) his teachings about the grace of God and the possibility of Christian perfection; and (4) his concern for social justice and the welfare of the poor. This essay discusses these issues and demonstrates how a study of Wesley can influence modern Christian psychology
10. “The Face of Depression”by Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder
     
11. A collaboration for clergy health and wellness  The physical and mental health of Clergy in North America has reached a crisis point. 
     
12. Southern Baptist address depression in the Clergy

"Wounded Heroes " Clergy suffer from depression more than twice as much as the general population

13. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Clergy Health.
14. “DEAR CHURCH! WE QUIT! Marriage and Ministry Depression”
               by Dr. Paddy Ducklow 

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