In this keynote presentation from the Mental Health Ministry in the Local Church conference, Dr. Grcevich discusses the need for intentional outreach to families impacted by mental illness, and introduces seven barriers to church attendance for children and adults with common mental health conditions and their families.

1. Mental Health
Inclusion Ministry
The Mission Field Just Outside Your Door
Stephen Grcevich, MD
President and Founder, Key Ministry
Presented at Ironbridge Baptist Church
Chester, Virginia
November 19, 2016

2. Building a bridge between
two worlds…

3. The mission field just outside
your door
Among U.S. children and teens…
• 22% identified with at least one mental disorder
• 11% have been prescribed ADHD medication
• 8-12% of teens experience anxiety disorders
• 13% identified with developmental disorders
• One in 68 are diagnosed with autism – the majority
of average/superior intelligence!

4. The mission field just outside
your door
Among U.S. adults in 2014
• 43.6 million experienced mental illness
• 6.6% experienced depression (8.2% of women)
• 18.1% experienced at least one anxiety disorder
• 4.1% had ADHD (1.7% are considered severe)
• 9.5% had a mood disorder
• 9.1% had a personality disorder
Source: National Institute of Mental Health

5. A different way of thinking
about mental health ministry…
How do we connect churches and families
impacted by mental illness for the purpose of
making disciples of Jesus Christ?
• Why mental illness is different from other
disabilities
• Why church participation is difficult
• What would a model for mental health inclusion
ministry look like?

6. How we understand
disability in the church
Disability Ministry Special Needs Ministry

7. Is a disability a disability if someone is
disabled some of the time?

8. How might church culture and the
environments in which we “do ministry”
cause disability?
“It is our culture that disables.”
“When one is disabled, the problem is not
really that they have impairments and social
skill deficits. The issue at stake is that they
live in an ‘ableist’ culture that rarely affords
them the space or opportunity to make their
unique contribution to society and does not
lift up the value of choosing them as
friends.”
Ben Conner - Amplifying Our Witness (2012)

9. Seven Barriers to Church Participation for
Children and Adults with Mental Illness and
Their Families
 Social isolation
 Anxiety
 Social communication
 Capacity for self-
control
 Sensory processing
 Stigma/reluctance to
self-identify
 Family history of
mental illness

10. Social isolation
as a barrier…
HOW DO FAMILIES FIND
YOUR CHURCH IF THEY
DON’T CONNECT WITH
FAMILIES ATTENDING
YOUR CHURCH?
• Kids may be less
desirable as friends
• Less involvement in
extracurricular activities
• Financial burdens from
lost productivity,
treatment costs
• Parents struggle to find
child care
• The experience of
mental illness is often
socially isolating

11. Anxiety as a
barrier…
CORE DIFFERENCE:
PEOPLE WITH
ANXIETY OFTEN
MISPERCEIVE RISK IN
UNFAMILIAR
SITUATIONS
• Social anxiety
• Separation anxiety
• Agoraphobia
Fears specific to church:
• Fear of scrutiny
• Performance worries
• Anxiety results from
lack of faith

12. Social
communication as
a barrier…
WHAT CHALLENGES
MIGHT SOMEONE
ENCOUNTER AT CHURCH
IF THEY STRUGGLE TO
PICK UP ON SOCIAL
CUES?
• Body language
• Tone, inflection of voice
• Facial expressions
Church-specific
challenges:
• Small groups
• Small talk
• Bullies
• Unfamiliar situations

13. Self-control as
a barrier…
EXECUTIVE
FUNCTIONING
WEAKNESS IS A
COMMON FEATURE OF
MENTAL ILLNESS
• Impulse control
• Problem-solving
• Emotional self-
regulation
• Following directions
• Difficulty delaying
gratification
We often refer to the
resulting behavior
patterns as “sin.”

14. Sensory
processing as a
barrier…
KIDS AND ADULTS WITH
SENSORY PROCESSING
DIFFERENCES MAY
EXPERIENCE AS AVERSIVE
NOISE, LIGHT, TOUCH AND
SMELLS THAT OTHERS
FIND ENGAGING
Challenges for kids:
Pick up and drop-off times
High energy worship
Challenges for adults:
Greeting times (hugging,
handshakes)
High-energy worship
Multiple conversations in
close proximity

15. Stigma as a
barrier…
WHAT THEN IS WRONG
WITH THE “MENTALLY
ILL?” THEIR PROBLEM IS
AUTOGENIC; IT IS WITHIN
THEMSELVES.
Jay Adams
• Mental illness defined as
sin, or a parenting
problem
• Widespread perception
they’re not welcome at
church
• If it’s not a disability, why
would disability ministry
serve them?
• Kids and adults DON’T
want to be treated
differently

16. Parents with
mental illness as a
barrier…
THE APPLE OFTEN
DOESN’T FALL FAR
FROM THE TREE!
• Multigenerational issue
• Parent who couldn’t go
to church have kids with
no experience of church
• Kids depend on parents
for transportation
• Parents struggle with
executive functioning
too!
• Inconsistent attenders?

17. What might an effective
ministry strategy look like?
• A mindset, not a program
• Applicable to churches of all
sizes, denominations
• Designed to minimize the need
for persons served to self-identify
• Resources devoted to inclusion
in ministries, activities most
critical to spiritual growth
• No church can serve every
person affected by mental
illness, but every church can
serve more children and adults
with mental illness!

18. Taking the
next step…
Explore seven
strategies for promoting
mental health inclusion.
Join an ongoing group
of colleagues seeking to
promote mental health
outreach and inclusion.
Connect with OutsideIn
Ministries and Key
Ministry