Local & Faith Community Resources
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4471980/
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Understanding that you, as a church leader, are often called upon, to “help people” in various states of stress and dis-ease, the following Resource Lists have been prepared, as part of the Comfort My People grant, to give you up-to-date information about a range of resources and services that hopefully will be user-friendly and helpful. As with all resources they vary widely and change often. Thus, please be sure to check websites and contact information BEFORE use.
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Learn more about the mental health system in this letter from Susan Lee, LCSW, our former Comfort My People Coach.
Faith Community Resources
Take Time to Talk – (PDF Download) Research has found that remarkable things can happen if parents and caregivers spent at least 15 minutes of undivided time a day listening and talking with their children. The basis of this activity is to get to know more about your family, friends, and caregivers by honestly answering the questions and carefully listening to the replies. There are no rules. Everyone is a winner if we begin to talk and listen to one another, but you can’t be a winner if you don’t answer the questions honestly.
General Mental Health Internet Resources
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Child Development (includes sections of children’s mental health, developmental screening, positive parenting, and more)
Letter from Susan Lee, LCSW – Understanding the Mental Health System
This letter offers guidance to church leaders on understanding and navigating the mental health system to support individuals and families in need. It outlines the structure of the formal mental health care system—where individuals are referred to medical professionals—and highlights the equally important semi-formal and informal support systems, such as community-based organizations, volunteer groups, and support networks like NAMI. Emphasizing the vital role church leaders play as spiritual and community anchors, the letter encourages collaboration with both professional services and grassroots resources, particularly support groups, which are often the most accessible and effective means of ongoing care.
