October is a time to focus on mental health awareness
BY DOROTHY PRESBERRY
Special to UMConnection
The Baltimore-Washington Conference Subcommittee on Ministry Mental Health encourages churches to observe Mental Health Awareness Week during October or May.
Resources to assist in observing this occasion can be found on the conference?s Web site, www.bwcumc.org.
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, special attention is being given this year on assisting those suffering from grief and trauma.
There are seven steps to planning a Mental Illness Awareness Week program.
? Talk to your pastor.
? Identify the group in the congregation that would most support the program with time and other resources.
? Select a focus, for instance, Alzheimer?s Disease. The selection should be done through the group that is taking the lead for the program. Be sure to include prayer as part of this process.
? Identify the audience. For instance, seniors and caregivers. What support or resources are there in the congregation?
? Determine the type of presentation. What kind of media would be most effective?
? Identify the speaker and coordinate their participation.
? Publicize the event.
When your program is over, evaluate your experience and look at your mistakes as learning experiences in your life?s journey.
Dorothy Presberry, co-chair for The Baltimore-Washington Conference Subcommittee on Ministry to Persons with Mental Illness and their Families, is a member of Ames UMC in Bel Air.
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