The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Washtenaw County (NAMI WC) has organized a virtual summit for members of the clergy to learn about mental health resources for faith communities. The Prayer and Care summit will be held on October 27th from 12:30 to 4:30 pm through Zoom.
Darlene Wetzel, Community Programs Coordinator for NAMI WC, has reached out to 123 faith communities in Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, and Whitmore Lake inviting them to join the event.
The event organizing committee includes Pastor Harrison of Living Water Church in Whitmore Lake, Pastor Powell of Grace Fellowship Church in Ypsilanti, and Pastor Kenneth Walls III of Dunamis Institutional Church of God in Christ in Ypsilanti.
“A big part of our focus on the clergy is the data around religious organizations being the initial place that people first seek mental health support,” says Marian Alfonso, a project manager at NAMI WC. “One report found that a quarter of those who ever sought treatment for mental health disorders did so from a clergy member.”
During the summit, members of the clergy will learn:
signs and behaviors that suggest a need for assessment by a mental health professional,
local providers of mental health assessments and services,
where to turn for help for someone experiencing a mental health crisis, and
how to recognize caregiver burnout and strategies for avoiding it.
The summit and NAMI WC’s outreach and engagement activities in Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, and Whitmore Lake are made possible with funding from Washtenaw County’s Public Safety and Mental Health Preservation Millage.