Who We Are
The Faithbased Mental Health Initiative of Bexar County is an interfaith collaborative effort by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of San Antonio and the Bexar County Mental Health Task Force, a network initiated by NAMI San Antonio and made up of service providers, family members and people diagnosed with serious mental illness
Our Mission
Our Mission is to offer training, mentoring and other assistance so that mental health initiative takes root and offers support and advocacy throughout Greater San Antonio. These intiatives offer faith and hope in God and foster actions that strengthen the safety net of services for those diagnosed with serious mental illness and their families. This program offers clergy and laity the opportunity to empower those feeling frustrated and let down by mental health and community agencies.
The Role of the Faith Community
Faith, Hope and Love are the primary ingredients of an effective Faithbased Mental Health Ministry. We offer you and members of your congregation the opportunity to serve as an instrument of God in alleviating the emotional pain, trauma and despair that often accompany serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
You, too, will be able to say:
Have Faith: God will not let you down.
Have Hope: God is merciful. He will comfort you.
God Loves You: I am honored to serve you in His name.
For some who are ill, the safety net is a sieve. Suicide, homelessness and imprisonment are among risks. Access to appropriate treatment and holistic services improves and saves lives and strengthens families. But, accessing mental health care and supportive services eludes many who cannot function well enough to help themselves. Many who are ill have no money or insurance, or may be underinsured. Families want to help but know not where to turn. Sadly, agencies that can and should assist can fail.
Chronic mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are biologically-based brain disorders and run in families. Mental illness does not discriminate based on race, income, education, clergy or laity. A mental health emergency is like a medical emergency—immediate treatment is necessary. But many families and people who are ill don’t realize that. Delayed treatment can affect the prognosis or level of stability and wellness that could be achieved. Homelessness, suicide, entanglements with the law and broken families may be outcomes.
As God’s instrument, you can improve lives.
Why Care
Inadequate funding for services and the prevalence of mental illness make it important for faith communities to act:
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Texas is 47th among the 50 states in per capita funding for mental health. |
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Due to budget constraints in 2002, only 1 in 4 children and 1 in 3 adults considered at risk and eligible for services were served by the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.* |
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Nearly 20 percent of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder and 15 percent diagnosed with schizophrenia die by suicide.* |
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Of the suicides carried out, 90 percent are related to untreated or under-treated mental illness, with the most common factor associated with suicide being depression.* |
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Nationally, the number of incarcerated men and women with severe mental illness has increased so dramatically that prisons and jails may now be the largest mental health providers in the United States.** |
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Untreated mental health problems put young people on a trajectory toward jail rather than college. About 50 percent of youth in the Juvenile Justice System have at least one mental disorder.* |
Many of the homeless in San Antonio have a mental illness.The Good News
The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.
* Posted on Web site of Mental Health Association in Texas.
** Jamie Fellner, “A Correction Quandary: Mental Illness and Prison Rules, “ Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Revew, vol. 41, No. 2 (Summer 2006), p. 1.
What Churches Are Doing
Through established mental health initiatives, people affected by mental illness become more active in their faith communities.
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Pastors are reducing the stigma and shame associated with mental illness by arming themselves with basic knowledge and speaking from the pulpit. |
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Pastors have improved in their spiritual counsel to people affected by mental illness. |
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Laity have formed support groups for families of adults and/or children who are ill, as well as for adolescents who are ill. |
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Laity have become advocates for needed services for those who cannot manage to obtain services on their own, or for those who did not receive assistance from agencies that should have helped. |
Because of faithbased initiatives in the area, some people with chronic mental illness no longer live in the streets. Some are not as ill as they were. At least one sings in a church choir. Others attend services more often. Life is better. They’re not alone. They have hope. And they are loved.
We Can Help
To help churches and synagogues become welcoming and supportive places for people with mental illness and their families, we offer:
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Training for clergy and religious leaders designed to improve the quality of spiritual counsel to those affected by mental illness. |
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Training for clergy and religious leaders designed to help reduce stigma from the pulpit and through educational programs for congregations as a whole. |
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A non-specific faith training for ministry teams from participating congregations, including training in facilitating support groups. |
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Training in advocacy to help ensure that people are linked to services that truly assist those who are ill and their families. |
Incorporating faith into a mental health initiatives is up to each faith community. Severe mental illness is an emotionally painful and traumatic experience for the person who is ill, their family and friends. That’s why we are asking religious leaders of Bexar County to reach out and support those in their midst affected by mental illness.Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in about 6 percent or 1 in 17 who suffer from serious mental illness.*
If each congregation were a microcosm of society, that means that 1 in 17 of your church members may have a serious mental illness. Too many families give up on their loved one who is ill. They don’t understand the illness is biological--a chemical imbalance. They see such symptoms as rage, irresponsible spending, sleeping too much, inability to hold a job, poor grooming and hygiene, and suicidal tendencies as intentional misbehavior and character and personality flaws.
You can help provide the glue for families affected by mental illness. After all, the Family that Prays Together Stays Together.
* National Institute of Mental Health, nimhinfo@nih.gov, updated 12/26/06. |
