Gloria de Cristo, Yuma, AZ, receives $10,000 grant from the ELCA Division of Disability Ministries
Did you know that Yuma County has over 212,000 residents?
Did you know that Yuma County has only ONE psychiatrist who has SIX times the recommended number of cases?
Did you know that the Yuma Regional Medical Center had 17,318 patients with a mental health related diagnosis in 2018?
Did you know that people with mental health issues often receive treatment ONLY when they commit a felony level offense?
Did you know that Yuma County Mental Health Court defendants are primarily diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder?
Did you know the top four barriers to receiving mental health care are: *funding, *lack of providers and capacity, *navigating the health care system, and *education for patients and the general public?
Did you know that the Center for Disease Control reports that 1 in 5 people suffer from some form of mental illness in any year?
Do you know that there is still a stigma in our society around the issues of mental illness?
The biggest question of all:
Do you believe that God wants us to minister to the needs of all people who suffer?
Gloria de Cristo Lutheran Church, Yuma, AZ, now has a Mental Health Ministry Team that has received a $10,000 grant from the ELCA Division of Disability Ministries.
Gloria de Cristo Lutheran Church is creating a new Mental Health Ministry to foster greater awareness and understanding within our congregation, and to facilitate our work in reaching out to those with mental illnesses and their families. We are to empower our members to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with compassionate, supportive companionship to all, building a circle of care with individuals who are facing emotional and mental health challenges.
This initiative will reach far beyond Gloria de Cristo into other congregations, service organizations, and groups in the area, to greatly strengthen the circle of care for those facing mental illnesses and their families.
How will we do that?
People from the congregation and community will be trained in Mental Health First Aid. In this day long course, you will learn the risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. (Two people will attend the MHFA Train the Trainer course, for future workshops in Yuma)
People from the congregation and community will also be trained in the Companionship Movement. In this 3 hour course of training in the Companionship Movement and consultation on how to form a Companionship Care Team as an “essential mental health ministry.” (Two people will attend the Companionship Train the Trainer course, for future workshops in Yuma)
Some of our 18+ commissioned Stephen Ministers will also take part in this outreach ministry.