BUT NOT US

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www.mentalhealthministries.net
www.pathways2promise.org
www.faithnet.nami.org
www.annafoundation.org
www.ncmentalhope.org
NEXT BLOG COMING Thursday, January 24, 2008
BUT NOT US /January 21, 2008
Yesterday’s Sunday edition of The News Herald had a front page article with the title “One Solution to Fixing Mental Health May be the Faith Community”. It was written by Sharon McBrayer and was a long piece with a front page picture to draw attention to it. It started by telling the horrible struggles of one family here in western North Carolina trying to get services from our mental health system. Then it went on by quoting from a psychologist the paper said had worked in a number of states and was now working in Florida. He is quoted as saying, “I haven’t worked in a state yet that didn’t have a broken system.”
One of the things that jumps out at you is that this psychologist says, “I think the faith-based community can play an integral part” and the writer of the article goes on to say, “He (speaking of the psychologist) believes there are federal dollars to fund what he’s talking about.” Reality check here folks. Once you take federal or state dollars the strings attached soon cut off the air that gives you the ability to share your faith.
The article then goes on to describe a local counseling center started by the First Baptist Church of Morganton, NC and is now helped by other churches including First Presbyterian and First Methodist. The center also accepts insurance.
The center’s coordinator explained they “don’t have a physician so they can’t serve those with more serious issues such as bipolar or schizophrenia.”
Everybody else with mental health issues, but not us. Who is us? Those of us with a serious mental illness. Where do we go? To a clinic funded by the state and federal government or if we a lucky by private insurance until we max out the limits.
Others, but not us. How often have those of us with a serious mental illness heard that? I used as a forward to my book When Even the Devil Deserts You a piece written by my father, (educator, missionary, minister) before his death in 1989 in which he wrote, “We experienced great disappointment and frustration that our child with outstanding ability was unable to cope in work or school. It was difficult during the earlier years of his illness to differentiate between his mental illness and adolescent behavior. We felt that some of our friends and colleagues did not accept us in the usual manner because of our son’s behavior, that they considered us less respectable because of a non-conforming member of the family. The mentally ill and their families have a special need for people to befriend them, not in sympathy but in understanding and support.”
[The book can be ordered at www.projectdreamagain.com]
The point here is that faith communities do have a role to play. To reach out to us and our families not try to replace the government or private insurance. Why do I say that? The biggest reason is that the majority of us have trust issues with mental health professionals if we have been in the system very long. Do faith communities want to take on the baggage of the mental health community?
Second, the faith community has a job they know how to do. We need it just like any other person does. We don’t need special treatment. We just need not to be turned away at the door or ignored.
What I am trying to say here is don’t make special programs for us, but rather simply make us feel special by including us in your regular programs. I am thankful I now believe our Creator does!
You can reach me directly at edcooper@projectdreamagain.com