Mental Health and Taboo topics in OUR community

[darling1]

our doors are open to EVERYONE. in my new member class, the majority of the members said that they attend my church for at least a year or more prior to joining. they were involved in ministries and other activities. what i notice is the norm for the celebrate recovery program is that everyone gets a listing of other CR programs in the area. so, on days that you need additional support or if your church isnt having CR that night, you have other options. from my best guess, half of the people who attend CR at my church are not members.

we have also rented out an apartment in one of the complexes across the street from us and that is where we have our clothes closet.

personally, most health ministries dont do enough. they usually do the little seminar here or there or are run byt some older members who can only do so much. maybe an occassional fundraising activity or do some sort of awareness campaign.

i agree with you, the bottom line is that more needs to be done especially for those who are lacking in affordable care and access to resources.

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

I don't mind the Health Ministries, because everyone should have access to qualified accurate healthcare. My problem is the churches in my area are not reaching out to those who need it the most because the people are deemed "undesirable"--i.e. homeless, drug abusers, sexual (whatevers), etc. Now, while some folks need prayer, they also need quality healthcare both physical and mental. But since both take time to heal and only Jesus Christ is known to heal in miracles, the poor people just cannot rationalize the time time it takes... If anything, we in the healing business should understand "time", but patient is a different matter...

How does your church deal with it? Do you all have revolving doors? Just asking?

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by darling1

personally, most health ministries dont do enough. they usually do the little seminar here or there or are run byt some older members who can only do so much. maybe an occassional fundraising activity or do some sort of awareness campaign.

i agree with you, the bottom line is that more needs to be done especially for those who are lacking in affordable care and access to resources.

Well, with what I have observed in my last 3 years of running a Health Forum is that folks do not talk to each other. They fail to communicate. I think it has something to do with "Health Literacy". The physician or healthcare provider spouts off what the problem could be, the patient thinks they understand, but they do not, and is sent home, and the problem gets worse... One my sorors that has type 2 on insulin is dealing with that... The issue is lack of aggressiveness when the patient complains... You don't want to be surpass the patient's rights, nor do you want to do expensive tests that wind up as nothing, at the same time, you don't want to see gross pathological lesions because that means it is almost too late to treat...

Many patients get ER treatment for medical treatment, they are not seeing their primary care providers on a consistent basis.

The same is true with mental health care. Through ALL my experience, I cannot WAIT till I feel like "jumping of a bridge" to think now I need help... When the first inkling of "losing my mind" occurs or when the "bad tapes" play in my head, I am making phone calls... Even if it is a false feeling--I would rather see someone, professional, than to have it get to that point on the I-5 freeway... Because, by that time, the police are involved and they stick into psych ward for a 24-48 hour eval, with people that actually DO bash their bloodied heads against the wall...

So, I think from what I've read, were churches can really be involved is to lay the groundwork for Spiritual renewal, buttressing up that foundation, with the groups and the trained professionals--i.e. ministers have to have some level of mental health care training for their divinity degrees--I think it is like 400 hours...