Engage, Learn,

& Network

Leadership Forum

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

10:30-11:30 a.m. (CT)

Blessed Youth

Our Children, Teens, and the Mental Health Crisis

Join Rev. Dr. Sarah Griffith Lund for conversation about the mental health crisis facing our children and teens and her new book, Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness with Children and Teens. Through storytelling, this webinar will highlight the unique mental health challenges facing youth and the opportunities faith communities have to provide lifesaving support to youth and families. 

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

National Child Abuse Prevention Month Resources

National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports help protect children and produce thriving families.

Advocate for Children

by Becoming a CASA or GAL Volunteer

Court-appointed special advocate (CASA) and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers (what they’re called varies by location) make a life-changing difference for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

Navigating Ramadan with Mental Illness

“Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and a month in which Muslims fast from dawn till dusk. For many Muslims, it is one of the most wonderful times of the year. It’s a chance to self-reflect, grow spiritually through good deeds and spend time with loved ones and the wider community. For those of us struggling with our mental health however, Ramadan can be a different story.”

Protective Factors in Muslim Women’s Mental Health

in the San Francisco Bay Area

Little is known about how religion and spirituality operate as protective factors for Muslim women’s mental health. In this study, 20 Muslim women, including community members and mental health clinicians, participated in focus groups and individual interviews, respectively, to explore how religion and spirituality improve Muslim women’s social support, self-esteem, and emotional well-being in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The SERVE Project

The SERVE Project Seeks to Support, Encourage, Respect, Value, and Empower women and girls.

The SERVE Blog:

Gender, Mental Health, and Religion/Spirituality

“When it comes to mental health, research indicates that more women seek out services than men. Why? That’s an important question.”

MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health: Reproductive Psychiatry Resource & Information Center

The Center for Women’s Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital has a variety of resources, specialties, and mental health programs, and “provides state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment of challenges associated with female reproductive function” including Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, and Fertility and Mental Health.

Books That Help Children with Their Emotions

By providing children with books that discuss a range of emotions they might be feeling, you can encourage children to speak with their parents or carers about their faith and emotions, and help them to find peace during these difficult times.

Studies Have Shown That Spirituality & Religion

Helps Children’s Mental Health

Whether you are a Christian, Hindu, or someone who just believes in their Higher Self, this faith can help children find peace within.

Click photo for video introduction

Free Online Summit on Parenting Teens

in Uncertain Times

• 60% increase in the rate of suicide among 10- to 24-year-olds from 2007 to 2018
• Over 36.7% have feelings of persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness 
• 1 in 5 experience a mental health condition in a given year
• 1 in 5 have seriously contemplated suicide
• 3 out of 4 feel the future is frightening

Spirituality and Trauma:

Professionals Working Together

Research suggests that for many trauma survivors, spirituality may be a resource that can be associated with resilience and recovery. However, for some, the circumstances of the trauma may lead to the questioning of important and previously sustaining beliefs. This can lead to spiritual struggle or even loss of faith. It is important for helping professionals to be comfortable asking about how spirituality has been affected by trauma, and to what role spirituality is playing within the recovery process following trauma.

ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Asian American mental health stigma:

Why does it exist?

Mental health stigmas exist worldwide and can impact anyone of any race or ethnicity, creating barriers to access available mental health treatment. According to Mental Health America (MHA), Asian Americans are the least likely racial group in the United States to seek mental health services. This article discusses Asian American mental health statistics, common stigmas and why they occur, cultural influencing factors that impact different groups of people, how to combat stigmas, and how to seek help.

Addressing The Mental Health Needs Of The AAPI Community

For too many Americans, and for those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the past year has presented serious challenges: a global pandemic that caused suffering at home and abroad, political and social unrest, and economic struggles…For many in the Asian American community—and among communities of color—the hostility is not necessarily something new but rather reflective of underlying issues that the pandemic has exacerbated. 

Click the image to access resources

The Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC) is an organization that seeks to encourage, equip, and empower Asian American Christians and friends of our community to follow Christ holistically. We are committed to amplifying the voices, issues, and histories of Asian Americans in the church and society at large. While the Asian American community is extremely diverse and we cannot speak for every individual and perspective, we aim to spotlight and celebrate the Asian American Christian community as inclusively as possible. 

Community and Faith Leaders Create

Community Connections for Mental Health

Faith and community leaders are often the first point of contact when individuals and families face mental health problems or traumatic events. In fact, in times of crisis, many will turn to trusted leaders in their communities before they turn to mental health professionals. When leaders know how to respond, they become significant assets to the overall health system.

Actually, "They" Is a Beautiful Pronoun for God

Since the Bible is a tool of God’s self-revelation, it’s important to consider all the ways that God is described in scripture and avoid focusing solely on the masculine pronouns ascribed to God. We must acknowledge that part of the reason the biblical text often describes God in masculine terms is because it was written in a hyper-patriarchal context where men were the most literate, powerful, and privileged population. Given both masculine and feminine descriptions of God in scripture, what pronouns are appropriate for us to ascribe to God? God is neither a man nor a woman, and yet God has both masculine and feminine characteristics. We need more expansive language to describe the truth and beauty of God.

Art and Mental Health

Rest for Resistance is an online creative community and publication that strives to uplift marginalized communities, those who rarely get access to adequate health care or social support. This includes Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Pacific Islander, Asian, Middle Eastern, and multiracial persons; LGBTQIA+ individuals; and other stigmatized groups such as sex workers, immigrants, persons with physical and/or mental disabilities, and those living at the intersections of all of the above.

Read the poem, "The Ascending Circle: A Two-Spirit Poem," that corresponds to the artwork above by clicking on the button below.