Is Your Faith Community Responsive to Persons with Mental Illnesses?

 
1. Does your congregation make a deliberate attempt to welcome and integrate persons with mental illness and their families into the total life and work of the church without being obvious and setting them apart by: 

• Being accepting, friendly, understanding and genuine? 
•  Praying for those who are experiencing a mental illness the same as for other illnesses? 
•  Visiting and calling on the individual experiencing mental illness and by offering to help in little ways (remembering to follow-through with commitment)? 
•  Offering support and love to the parents or family of the individual, by inquiring about their family member's health as one would for anyone who is ill? 
•  Listening and talking with the individual experiencing mental illness? 

2. Does your congregation use every opportunity to educate themselves and others about mental illness by: 

• Encouraging clergy, lay staff and congregational members to learn about mental illness? 
•  Raising awareness of mental illness in sermons, bulletins, and newsletters? 
•  Adding books and other publications tot he congregation's library? 
•  Becoming familiar with local mental health services and support groups? 

3. Does your congregation offer its facilities and/or resources to individuals experiencing mental illness and their families by: 

• Hosting a group of people from a local residential facility? 
•  Sponsoring support groups for individuals experiencing mental illness and/or families? 
•  Offering employment opportunities? 

4. Does your congregation advocate for people experiencing mental illness? 

• Working with other churches and organizations, such as the Mental Health Association and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill? 
•  Supporting efforts to obtain appropriate housing and jobs? 
•  Not letting false, stigmatizing and discriminatory statements about mental illness go unchallenged? 
•  Supporting adequate state and local budgets for mental health services? 
•  Giving money for research into the causes and cures for mental illness? 

5. Does your congregation undertake a ministry to, ministry with, and ministry by persons experiencing mental illness and their families? Are they invited to serve as officer bearers and on committees?

(Sources: HopeAllianz Counseling and Healing Center. Adapted from criteria established by the Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network, NAMI-MN: "Information about Mental Illness and NAMI-MN for Faith Communities and Religious Leaders," 2001; FaithNet).