Neuropsychiatric disorders are the leading cause of disability among persons of all ages in the U.S., and common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders and ADHD have been demonstrated to significantly impact church attendance. This workshop is designed for any church, pastor, ministry leader, staff member or volunteer interested in becoming more intentional in their outreach to and inclusion of families impacted by mental illness. Participants will be taught to recognize common barriers to church participation for children and adults with common mental health conditions, introduced to a series of strategies for including persons with mental illness into the full range of ministry activities offered by the local church and provided with the resources necessary to initiate a mental health ministry planning process. This is a 3 hour workshop divided into 2 parts.

1. Mental Health Inclusion Ministry
Any Church Can Do
Stephen Grcevich, MD
President and Founder, Key Ministry
Wonderfully Made Conference
Overland Park, KS
October 25, 2019

2. Our objectives today…
• Review research demonstrating the need for an intentional
approach to mental health inclusion at church.
• Identify obstacles to church attendance/participation for children,
adults and families affected by mental illness
• Introduce a model to guide the development of a mental health
inclusion strategy
• Share examples of how churches of different sizes are doing mental
health inclusion well.

3. How having a child with a chronic health condition
impacts attendance at religious services?
Whitehead AL. J ScientificStudy Religion 2018;57(2)377-395.
• Data analyzed from three waves
of the National Survey of
Children’s Health
• Three samples (2003, 2007, 2011-
12) of approximately 100,000
families of children ages 0-17
• Examined the relationship
between specific disabilities and
families who identify as “never”
attending a religious service

4. Whitehead AL. J ScientificStudy Religion 2018;57(2)377-395.

5. Conditions NOT associated
with lower church attendance
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Tourette’s Disorder
• Epilepsy
• Hearing problems
• Vision problems
• Intellectual disability (in most recent cycle)
• Cerebral palsy
Whitehead AL. J Scientific Study Religion 2018;57(2)377-395.

6. Why is church participation so
difficult?
• Traits associated with
common mental health
conditions often clash
with “church culture” –our
expectations for how
people should act when
we come together

7. Why special needs
ministry models
don’t work with this
population
• Reluctance to self-
disclose because of
stigma, confidentiality
• Kids, teens will FLEE
activities that draw
attention to their
differences
• They want to be
included in what
everyone else is doing!

8. A population too big to ignore?
Prevalence of common mental health conditions in TEENS
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Anxiety Social Anxiety Depression ADHD PTSD
Prevalence Severe Impairment
Source: National Institute of Mental Health

9. A population too big to ignore?
Prevalence of common mental health conditions in ADULTS
0
5
10
15
20
25
Any Mental
Illness
Anxiety Social Anxiety Depression ADHD PTSD
Prevalence Severe Impairment
Source: National Institute of Mental Health

10. What’s been missing is a widely accepted
mental health inclusion strategy

11. The foundation of Key Ministry’s mental
health inclusion ministry model
• Recognize non-essential
features of ministry activities,
environments, that make
church attendance more
difficult.
• Implementation of strategies
across all areas of ministry to
welcome children, adults and
their families.

12. Mental health inclusion as the third wave
of the disability ministry movement?
Second wave: autism, special needsFirst wave: physical disabilities

13. Can someone be “disabled” at church
and function well in other life activities?

14. What are some
potential barriers to
church attendance?

15. Seven barriers to including families
impacted by mental illness at church
• Stigma
• Anxiety
• Capacity for self-control
• Sensory processing
• Social communication
• Social isolation
• Past experiences of church

16. Stigma
WHAT THEN IS WRONG WITH THE
“MENTALLY ILL?” THEIR PROBLEM
IS AUTOGENIC; IT IS WITHIN
THEMSELVES.
Jay Adams
• Mental illness defined as sin,
parenting problem
• If it’s not a disability, why
would disability ministry
serve them?
• Widespread perception
they’re not welcome at
church

17. A widespread
perception
among adults
outside of the
church that
persons with
mental
illness aren’t
welcome…

18. Anxiety
People with anxiety
overestimate threat,
risk when entering
unfamiliar situations
• Social anxiety
• Separation anxiety
• Agoraphobia
• Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder

19. What church activities are challenging
for children and teens with anxiety?
• Separating from parents at
worship
• Unfamiliar situations…
retreats/mission trips
• Self-disclosure in small
groups
• Large group social situations
• Transitions between age-
group ministries

20. Challenges at church for adults
with anxiety
• Visiting a new church for the
first time
• Fear of becoming focus of
attention
• Lack of available seating near
an exit (agoraphobia)
• Meeting new people
• Joining a small group/self-
disclosure
• Using the phone

21. Self-control
Executive functioning refers to
cognitive abilities involved with
modulating other abilities and
behaviors.
• Behavioral inhibition
• Verbal working memory
• Non-verbal working memory
• Emotional self-regulation
• Reconstitution

22. One parent’s lament…
“People in the
church believe
they can tell when
a disability ends
and bad parenting
begins.”

23. Who said
this?
“A respectful and mannerly 5-year-old unbeliever is better for the
world than a more authentic defiant, disrespectful, ill-mannered,
unbelieving bully. The family, the friendships, the church, and the
world in general will be thankful for parents that restrain the
egocentric impulses of their children and confirm in them every
impulse toward courtesy and kindness and respect.”

24. The more kids have to process, the less capacity
they have for self-control

25. Sensory Processing
NOISE, LIGHT, TOUCH, SMELLS AND TASTE
THAT OTHERS FIND ENGAGING ARE AVERSIVE
Challenges for kids:
Pick up and drop-off times
High energy worship
Vulnerability to aggressive behavior
Challenges for adults:
Greeting times (hugging, handshakes)
High-energy worship
Multiple conversations in close proximity

26. Social Communication
DIFFICULTIES AT CHURCH
FOR PERSONS WHO
STRUGGLE TO PROCESS
SOCIAL CUES
Church-specific challenges:
• Small talk
• Small groups
• Bullies
• Unfamiliar situations

27. Social Isolation
HOW DO PEOPLE FIND YOUR
CHURCH IF THEY DON’T KNOW
SOMEONE ATTENDING YOUR
CHURCH?
• Parents less likely to connect with
neighbors through children’s
activities, friendships
• Isolation as a symptom of
depression, anxiety

28. Past Experiences of Church
THE APPLE OFTEN DOESN’T
FALL FAR FROM THE TREE!
• Lack of support from church
in a time of need
• No one noticed when they
were missing
• No help offered when a child
experienced struggles
• Adults with mental health
concerns as children never
got in habit of attending

29. Welcoming
the Phillips
family
The Phillips family lives down the street from your
church. Becky (a single parent) is raising Josh (age 9)
and Jennifer (age 7). Josh was invited toVBS by a
friend from school, had a great time and wants to
come to church every Sunday. and to Awana on
Wednesday night.
Josh is on medication for ADHD and receives special
education services for dyslexia.
Jennifer has separation anxiety disorder
Becky has social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia
What might go wrong in the first month of her
trying to attend your church

30. Key considerations for an effective
mental health inclusion strategy…
• Inclusion is a mindset – not a program
• A good strategy benefits everyone and doesn’t
require anyone to self-identify
• Ministry is owned by the people and
supported by staff
• No church will be able to include everyone
with mental illness, but every church can do
more than they’re currently doing!

31. Defining the “win”
• Your ministry achieves a win when any family member
of someone with mental illness has a meaningful
encounter with your church.
• Persons with mental illness have spouses, parents,
sons, daughters, siblings who need churches too!
• Mental health ministry and foster care/adoption ministry
go hand in hand.

32. Mental health ministry is family ministry!

33. Seven strategies for promoting mental
health inclusion (TEACHER)
• Assemble your inclusion team
• Create welcoming ministry environments.
• Focus on ministry activities most essential to
spiritual growth
• Communicate effectively
• Help families with their most heartfelt needs
• Offer education and support
• Empower the people of your church to
assume responsibility for ministry

34. Who needs a
seat at the
table?
Building your
inclusion
team
• Senior leadership
• Ministry directors on church-wide
implementation team
• Ministry departments may have
their own team
• Consider gifts, talents, passions of
church members, attendees

35. What might our mental health inclusion
planning process look like?
• Leaders in each ministry area might identify potential
barriers, useful strategies within their area of
responsibility.
• An alternate approach might be to focus on a strategy
(or several strategies) and implement the strategy
across your ministry departments or environments.
• Assigning responsibility for the plan (or components of
the plan) with deadlines for implementation important.

36. Using the ministry planning tool…

37. Predominant strategy: A sensory-
friendly ministry environment
• Sound (volume, simultaneous
conversations)
• Lighting
• Flooring
• Window treatments
• Wall color
• “Fragrance-free” zones
• Seating
• Dress code

38. Elements of sensory-friendly
ministry environments
• Sound (volume, simultaneous
conversations)
• Lighting
• Flooring
• Window treatments
• Wall color
• “Fragrance-free” zones
• Seating
• Dress code

39. A process for becoming more
sensory-friendly?
• Consider starting with…
• Entrances
• Worship spaces
• Children’s/student ministry
spaces
• Vacation Bible School
• Sensory-friendly movies
• Role for Online church

40. Welcoming ministry
environments…
• Promote focus, attention
• Help attendees prioritize most
important takeaways
• Support those with difficulty
processing directions.
• Sensory stimulation engaging,
not overwhelming
• Supports kids in maintaining
self-control
• Seating in worship services,
large group events for persons
with panic disorder,
agoraphobia

41. Easy to follow
signage

42. Inclusion in
high-impact
ministry
activities
Prioritize what you MOST
want people to do to grow in
faith
• Weekend worship?
• Small groups?
• Missions/serving?
• Prayer, family devotions?

43. Develop a mental health
communication strategy
• Preach it from the pulpit!
• What NOT to say
• Use of pictures, video on
church website
• Bulletins, printed materials
• E-communication
• Social media
• Online church inclusion

45. What churches are doing to
communicate more effectively
• Praying for persons with mental
illness during worship services
• Interviewing respected
members of congregation
impacted by mental illness
during worship services!
• Saddleback’s Hope for Mental
Health Community

46. Mental Health Awareness Sunday
• Strategy for announcing mental
health inclusion strategy,
welcoming friends, neighbors
• Teaching in worship on mental
health-related topic
• Great event for small-medium
size churches
• Church “conversation” can be
very powerful!

47. Mental health awareness cards
• Crossroads Mansfield
developed mental health
education brochures for
churches
• A resource for church
members to share with
friends and neighbors
• Available through the
Church and Mental Health
blog

48. A place for “one-point” messages?

49. Helping families with
their most heartfelt
needs…
• Casseroles
• Respite care
• Current mental health
referral list
• Counseling

50. “Next Steps”
• An area to help persons with
mental health concerns enter
into the church community
• Facilitates entry into groups
• Services provided by local
counseling center in the church
• Mental health crisis response
team for attendees

51. Church
models for
increasing
counseling
availability
Fieldstone Counseling
Khesed Wellness

52. Mental
Health
Education
and Support
• Training for pastors, church staff, volunteers
• Seminaries
• Mental Health First Aid
• Trauma-informed care
• Christian-based mental health education,
support
• Fresh Hope
• Grace Alliance
• Celebrate Recovery
• My Quiet Cave
• Mental health support
• NAMI

53. Fresh Hope vs. Grace Alliance
Fresh Hope
• Long-term groups
• Based upon six tenets grounded
in Scripture
• Adults attend with their loved
ones, then go to breakout
groups
• Models for teens, prison
ministry
Grace Alliance
• Time-limited education &
support groups
• 16-week groups for adults
(separate group for loved ones)
• 10-week model for college
students
• Online training, education for
church leaders

54. Empowering your people to assume
responsibility for ministry
• Organic models of
support- “Grabbing a
mop”
• Relational respite
• Use of Stephen’s
ministers
• Mental health liaison

55. The best
strategy?
Having a trusted
friend to come
alongside new
visitors at
church

56. The Role of Mental Health Liaison
• Primary mental health contact,
advocate at church
• Meets with new visitors with mental
health needs
• Maintains current mental health
referral list
• Contact for professionals seeking
supportive churches
• Coordinates training for church, lay
leadership
• Obtains additional resources and
support from organizations like Key
Ministry

57. Other roles for the mental health
liaison
• Interfaces with Care/Prayer
team, small group leaders,
communication team
• Take care of prayer and
tangible needs first
• Makes sure people with
mental health needs are not
forgotten and are included in
the church community

58. Welcoming
Sydney

59. Five characteristics of the
“mental health literate” church
• Demonstrates an intentional
inclusion planning process
• Educates church staff,
volunteers on mental illness
• Implements a mental health
communication strategy
• Provides practical help to
individuals, families affected
• Offers mental health-specific
education/support groups

60. The first step to beginning a
mental health inclusion strategy
• Senior pastors
• Pray for discernment
• Pursue buy-in from staff, board
• Church staff, volunteers
• Approach senior leadership for
support, guidance
• Developing a personal
ministry
• Respect church leaders
• “Be the church” where you’ve
been planted

61. Taking the Next Step…Together

62. Key Ministry promotes meaningful connection
between churches and families of kids with
disabilities for the purpose of making
disciples of Jesus Christ.
Free training, consultation, support and resources
What Does Key Ministry Do?

63. Help from Key
Ministry
Training
• Conferences
• Video training
• Roundtables
Consultation to church teams
Resources
• Networking with other
ministries
• Social media, sermon
videos, research to
support your ministry
Someone to come alongside
your ministry!

64. Connect with Key Ministry
Catherine Boyle –Director of Mental Health Ministry
• www.keyministry.org
• Twitter: @KeyMinistry
• www.facebook.com/keyministry
• www.keyministry.org/contact/
• steve@keyministry.org
• catherine@keyministry.org