Why Church Mental Health Outreach Matters
Churches are often the first point of contact when a family member has an acute mental health need. Individuals and families are more likely to connect with their church in a mental health crisis than they are with a licensed psychiatrist or medical doctor. Nearly one-quarter of those seeking help from clergy have the most seriously impairing mental disorders. The majority are seen exclusively by clergy and not by a physician or mental health professionals.1
The ability to assist individuals and families in accessing services from appropriate professionals and facilities is an essential component of the church’s response to people in need of mental health care and support. Key to a church’s capacity for connecting congregants with the help they need are the relationships staff members have with mental health professionals and facilities in the communities where the majority of their attendees live. A personal phone call from a pastor or ministry leader to a mental health clinician can be indispensable in bypassing the waiting lists typical of many mental health practices. Leaders serving in children’s or student ministry should be purposeful in reaching out to mental health professionals who specialize in the treatment of youth since one in five children of school age has an identified mental health condition.2 The American Association of Christian Counselors maintains a searchable database of counselors and clinics.3 Medical and mental health professionals who attend the church can offer referrals based on the experiences of their patients or clients.
Five Characteristics of Effective Church Mental Health Ministries
Five characteristics of churches prepared to do mental health ministry well have been identified.4 They include:
• Evidence of a church-wide mental health inclusion and support planning process.
• Ongoing initiatives to train staff and educate the congregation on mental health-related topics and concerns.
• Development of a mental health communication strategy.
• Provision of practical and tangible help to affected individuals and families with heartfelt needs.
• Mental health support groups.
Implementing a Mental Health Inclusion Plan in Churches
Implementing a Church wide Mental Health Outreach and Inclusion Strategy
The single most important component of any plan to provide mental health support is the unequivocal support of senior leadership—in most instances, the support of the senior pastor. A reality of church life is that most congregations have far more ministry opportunities to respond to than their staffing, volunteer support, and budget can support. Initiatives that matter to the senior pastor are the ones that receive the necessary resources to succeed.
In a large church with multiple pastors and numerous ministry departments, a representative of every area of ministry should be involved in the planning process. In smaller churches where staff and volunteers may be responsible for multiple functions, strategizing mental health support is likely a function of the core team. As the research on church attendance in families of children with mental illness demonstrates, mental health ministry is family ministry, and each ministry department within the church may have a role in providing support.
The planning process for mental health support is an ideal opportunity for engaging individuals to contribute unique gifts, talents, contacts, knowledge, or experience to the team. Mental health professionals, support staff from mental health agencies, social workers, and spiritually mature members of your congregation bring valuable perspectives to the process.
How to Train Church Leaders for Mental Health Support
Staff who serve as the initial point of contact for individuals seeking support from the church—pastors, ministry leaders, receptionists, secretaries, and others responsible for monitoring communication systems and social media—will need training on procedures for responding to mental health crises or emergencies, including when to call 911 (the local emergency services line) or 988 (the Mental Health Crisis Hotline) and whom to notify within the church.
Church leaders responsible for resource allocation (board members, pastors, ministry leaders) will benefit from training on the mental health support needs of members, attendees, ministry staff, and communities targeted for outreach. Among the most popular trainings is Mental Health First Aid.5 This training comprises eight hours of hands-on activities and practice, address topics such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions, and include information on local mental health resources and support groups. In addition to the adult course, a youth course is also available for adults serving the needs of 12–18-year-olds. Another frequently sought training topic by church staff is trauma-informed care,6 since adverse childhood experiences and developmental trauma are contributing factors to mental illness in children and adults.
Congregational education and awareness represent a key component of any mental health support initiative.
Churches are often the first point of contact for members and attendees with mental health concerns. Pastors, staff, and any volunteers serving in positions where they are the first person to speak with someone reaching out to the church requires training on appropriate responses to mental health emergencies and crises. The presence of mental illness in an individual or family member significantly impacts the likelihood they will ever set foot in a church and the frequency of their attendance if they are connected to a church. Recognition of the challenges persons with mental health struggles face in attending worship services and maintaining their involvement at church, combined with the implementation of a mental health inclusion and support plan, prepare congregations to respond more effectively to all in need of care within the church community.
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1 Philip S. Wang, Patricia A. Berglund, and Ronald C. Kessler, “Patterns and Correlates of Contacting
Clergy for Mental Disorders in the United States,” Health Services Research 38, no. 2 (April
2003): 647‑73, https://doi.org/10.1111/1475‑6773.00138.
2 Kathleen Ries Merikangas et al., “Lifetime Prevalence of Mental Disorders in U.S. Adolescents:
Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication—Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A),” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 49, no. 10 (October 2010): 980‑89, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017.
3 See https://connect.aacc.net/?search_type=distance.
4 Stephen Grcevich, “5 Marks of a Mental Health-Informed Church,” The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, May 22, 2019, https://erlc.com
/resource-library/articles/5-marks-of-a-mental-health-informed-church/.
5 Jennifer Costello, Krystal Hays, and Ana M. Gamez, “Using Mental Health First Aid to Promote Mental Health in Churches,” Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health 23, no. 4 (October 2021): 1‑12, https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2020.1771234.
6 Robert G. Crosby et al., “Trauma-Informed Children’s Ministry: A Qualitative Descriptive Study,” Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma 14 (January 2021): 493‑505, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653‑020‑00334-w.
Adapted from Ministering to Families in Crisis ed. Jennifer S. Ripley, James N. Sells, and Diane J. Chandler. ©2024 ed. Jennifer S. Ripley, James N. Sells, and Diane J. Chandler. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press. www.ivpress.com.
