Mental Health Ministry

The MENTAL HEALTH MINISTRY focuses on ways to erase stigma in our faith community and the larger community, and to become more welcoming to people with mental illness and their families. If you would like to help us move toward becoming a more WISE (welcoming, inclusive, supportive, and engaged) faith community, please join us.  Click HERE to visit our webpage. 

Contact:
Marianne Mitchell, Ed.D., mmitchell956@gmail.com

Mission Statement:
To further the well-being and support of the those with mental illness, their families and/or caregivers in three ways:

1. Education: Educate the people of this faith community about mental illness utilizing information from National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Pathways to Promise, Faith Connections on Mental Illness (FCMI) and other resources.


2. Support: Help those experiencing mental illness expand their support system or network by being able to be open with more people about their illness. Build a support network for caregivers of those experiencing mental illness.


3. Developing Talents: Help those experiencing mental illness to identify their talents and facilitate and/or overcome obstacles to help them to develop their gifts in positive ways and become more active in the faith community.

Ministry Description:
This ministry aims to affirm the dignity of those parishioners, family members and friends who struggle with mental illness or addiction. We seek to end the stigma associated with these illnesses and to allow those who suffer with them to feel the warmth and love of our inclusive faith community.

We also seek to make it easier for our parishioners and their loved ones to seek treatment and support. We recognize that stigma creates a barrier to obtaining care.

We will host presentations on various mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and Mental Health First Aid workshops. We will also provide information on various issues and resources in bulletin articles.

Additional Information:
The clergy and pastoral staff of St. Thomas More are here to support individuals and their loved ones who suffer from mental illness and addiction. In addition to spiritual counsel and prayer from the church, we encourage individuals to seek assistance from mental health professionals (such as therapists, social workers, psychologists, and/or psychiatrists.) Prayerful accompaniment from the church community complements medical treatment. Medicine and therapy can be important avenues for God’s grace and healing.

Time Commitment for Volunteers:
The committee meets about once a month for about an hour, according to the schedules of the members.