Local PartnersThe Plymouth House of Healing is a welcoming home for residents living with mental illness. Staffed by caring volunteer companions, the House of Healing plays an important role in the Plymouth Healing Communities, organized by Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, a partner organization of the Mental Health Chaplaincy.
University Presbyterian Church is another of the Chaplaincy’s valued local partners. Among University Presbyterian’s numerous urban mission ministries is a Mental Health Ministry, offering resources and support groups for those struggling with mental illness. Ecclesial OrganizationsThe Episcopal Mental Illness Network (EMIN) offers a compassionate presence within the Episcopal Church for persons with mental illnesses and their families, a network for sharing information, and a resource for education about brain disorders and methods of including people with mental illnesses into the full life of the Church.
The Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network (PSMIN) is a ministry of the Presbyterian Health, Welfare, and Education Association. PSMIN facilitates connections among those touched by mental illness in their lives and in their families, and supports them in their care and advocacy of caring and compassionate community. The Mental Illness Network, in place since 1992, exists within the United Church of Christ to educate church members, encourage connections among a variety of faith groups, advocate for individuals afflicted with mental illness and their families, and work for social and legislative changes that will improve the lives of the many persons who suffer from brain disorders. Mental Health Ministries (MHM), based in Southern California, has a national reach in its mission of producing high-quality resources to reduce the stigma of mental illness in our faith communities. MHM Coordinator Susan Gregg-Schroeder is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church and the author of In the Shadow of God’s Wings: Grace in the Midst of Depression. |
National ParternersSince 1994, FaithNet NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) has been supporting persons afflicted with mental illness and their families in their search for wholeness. FaithNet helps to educate clergy and congregations about the nature of brain disorders, fosters an understanding of spirituality in the recovery process, and encourages faith communities to participate in care and advocacy.Pathways to Promise is an interfaith technical assistance and resource center that offers liturgical and educational materials, program models, and networking information to promote a caring ministry to people with mental illness and their families. Pathways to Promise links together more than a dozen American and Canadian faith groups and denominations to share ideas and resources for serving people with mental illnesses. Click here for links to the various networks (Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant) served by Pathways.
Craig’s book Souls in the Hands of a Tender God, written with David Paul, explores the realm of faith through the extraordinary prism of brain disorders. The stories in this book come from an unusual place: the experience of mental illness — and, in particular, mental illness on the streets. Each story becomes a parable, helping us understand what it means to be human and vulnerable: souls on a pilgrimage toward meaning and wholeness, supported by God’s healing Spirit. Professional AssociationsThe Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. (ACPE) is a multicultural, multifaith organization devoted to providing education and improving the quality of ministry and pastoral care offered by spiritual caregivers of all faiths through the clinical educational methods of Clinical Pastoral Education. The North American Association of Christians in Social Work, a national and international organization with local and regional chapters, offers programs and resources that equip its members to integrate Christian faith and professional social work practice. The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. (ACPE) is a multicultural, multifaith organization devoted to providing education and improving the quality of ministry and pastoral care offered by spiritual caregivers of all faiths through the clinical educational methods of Clinical Pastoral Education. The American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) promotes theologically informed, spiritually sensitive, ethically sound, and clinically competent counseling and consultation as an extension of the ministry of faith communities. |