Church Liaison

Description

We know that a quarter of all people who struggle with mental illness and seek out treatment go to a pastor to get help. (NIH, 2022) Our experience that this is where breakdowns tend to happen.

From the pastor’s viewpoint:

• Do you refer someone to a counseling agency?
• If so, what relationships do you have in the community?
• Are you and your volunteers trained in appropriate and effective techniques to manage or identify symptoms?
• What other resources are available for the physiological and safety needs that need to be managed first?

From the counseling agency:

• Do you have someone that can dedicate full time to network, consult, and refer people from the churches in the area?
• Do you have someone to offer specialized trainings for religious individuals that can improve working relationships with church?

This guide is for you, whether you are coming from the church or the counseling agency. We encourage you to check it out to see if your community could benefit from this.