Clergy Reflections on Mental Health

Prison: The Wrong Treatment Plan for Mental Health –Dewey Williams A person that is diagnosed with a mental health condition will be given a treatment plan so that their care will be tailored to fit their specific diagnosis  This plan will have goals that establish and measure their progress toward addressing their specific needs.  Just like in other medical arenas the treatment plan is essential to moving the client toward a stabilized condition where they can function in their environment and participate in their communities.  A mental health treatment plan cannot be a ‘cookie-cutter’, one size fits all plan that is used from person to person regardless of their presenting struggles. Persons struggling with mental health will have trouble fitting into the ebb and flow of life that most people seem to find easy to adjust to.  It is these difficulties that partly define their mental health dilemma.  For those with a mental health diagnosis, moving in patter...

  Faith, Compassion, and Healing: A Faith Leader's Reflection on Mental Health                                                                    -- Bishop Ronald Godbee, The River Church   Dear Readers, I come to you today not just as a faith leader but as a fellow traveler on the journey of life, navigating the often-uncharted waters of mental health. In our African American communities, where faith is not just a belief system but a cornerstone of identity, it is imperative that we engage in open conversations about mental health to dispel stigma and offer hope. Understanding Mental Health Across Faith Groups: Our various faith commun...

  When Love is Not Enough…And When It is                                                                                         –The Rev. J. Clarkson At some point during the pandemic, when there were still limits on how many people could attend worship in person but after our staff was able to work in the office again, Charlie started to visit us. At first, he would come into the building, find a secluded room, and sit in the air conditioning on a hot day. Once I realized he was here, I invited him to sit in our library. While I hoped this would feel more we...

  The Beauty in Safe Spaces for our Youth -        Karen L Miller I grew up in the 80’s and, like many Gen X’ers, there were things you just did not discuss. Honestly, they were so seldom talked about that I did not even have names for them. My father had an anxiety attack when I was young that he mistook for a heart attack. That ended up being used against him as a joke by others, as if a panic attack made him weak because it wasn’t a real heart attack. My sister had a similar situation happen as well, but it was “just a panic attack” and never treated as a medical issue. I found out, as an adult, that my best friend growing up was gay. Duh. It all made sense in retrospect, but I don’t think I even knew what gay really was back then. We just never talked about these things. Did I just say “back then?” I did, because my childhood is now antiquated. Hard to admit, but I am glad it is. I often hear people of my generation (& older) wax po...

  The Dignity of Every Human Being  -The Reverend Elizabeth Marie Melchionna That spring morning brought cold and damp to Denver. Grey skies and low clouds gave the thirty-four degrees rainy morning a rather grim feel. Inside the walls of the cathedral spaces, folks were bustling from a morning service after being dismissed - making their way to formation, parents were dropping off children for church school, and choristers were preparing to rehearse for the 11am service. Looking down the long aisle of the nave, I noticed a man making his way to a pew, a long shoelace trailing behind his shoe, damp, frayed. And from his lips came the sharp, tangy smell of smoke as he puffed and exhaled on his cigarette. I went to the man to welcome him, and also to invite him to finish his cigarette outdoors, which he did. And we began to talk. As our conversation continued and the cigarette was finished, I invited him to sit inside. Parishioners joined us, with one serving him a cup of coffee...