|
Mental Health Friendly Church
What makes a church a good one to go to if you are struggling with your mental health? Is it the fact they have a Counsellor on staff or have an annual Awareness Day? Or is it that they are aware enough to care, small enough to notice and moving slow enough to care.
| Do you go to a Mental Health Friendly Church? Why not add it to our Directory? |
|
A Safe Place
On 8th May 2010, Rob Waller and Marion Carson met with about 50 people at ICC in Glasgow for a day to explore this topic further. Download audio and slides from the day below.
Introduction - Audio
Seminar - Audio - Slides - Comments
The CLOTS guide - Audio [comedy... don't take too seriously!] - Cartoon
Summary and Conclusion - Audio
The Criteria
You will have worked out by now [if you have listened to the audio files above] that coming up with easy criteria for a Mental Health Friendly Church is not easy. See this article for more background. We have been working with colleagues from Through the Roof, and they think the best way forward is for us to allow churches to SELF-Identify - that is, to put themselves forward as having agreed to a statement.
This has risks [unfriendly churches may think they are friendly], but at least we have a situation where the church leadership are saying 'this is something we want to take seriously. Below this article is a statement that covers all types of mental health problems and disabilities as there are many similarities across this field. Also, the people at Through the Roof found that having simple things for physical disability such as a wheelchair ramp or hearing-aid loop were not always the most important things. It is the culture in the church that counts.
How to take this further
Contribute to the story by adding your comments to those of others. We will read all the comments made on that page and make changes to what we are doing. See also this article by Kate Middleton. We have also made available this article for you to use in your church magazines.
DRAFT STATEMENT: What do you think of this statement? What would you change / add / remove? Please see the comments people have made so far, both at the Safe Place event mentioned above and also on line.
Churches are friendly to issues of health and disability as measured by the extent to which:
- People with difficulties feel they ‘belong’ whether or not they are able to take part in or attend meetings (although it is of course a good sign if they do feel able to attend and be part of meetings)
- A contact/team is available to consult with who ‘champion’ issues around disability and health and are able to signpost local services
- Information is available in alternative formats appropriate for different needs [e.g. large print, audio, electronic]
- Physical adjustments are willingly made to help those with different needs and the style of individual services is relatively predictable
- Church activities welcome, accept and are positive environments that are flexible to people’s needs
- People give their time sacrificially to listen and respond to pastoral issues, ideally described by a Pastoral Care Policy/Strategy
- The culture/ethos of the church is one of an on-going journey of valuing all, addressing their needs and enabling them to use their gifts and contribute
|
Mind and Soul Team, 10/05/2010 |
|
| Magazine Article for MHFC | | We have made this free magazine article available on the subject of what makes a Mental Health Friendly Church. Please use it in your local church magazine or newspaper.
More ...
| | Rob Waller |
|
| | |
|
| |
| | | |