Principles For Collaboration Between Clergy and Mental Health Professionals

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Principles For Collaboration Between Clergy and
Mental Health Professionals
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The Minister/The Rabbi

• Ordained for ministry
• Theologically educated (formally/informally)
• Context local church
•  

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The Mental Health Provider

• Professionally educated
• Clinically trained
• Context
• Mental Health Clinic
• Private Practice Office
• Pastoral Counseling Center

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Mental Assessment

• Marked personality change
• Inability to cope with problems and daily
  activities
• Strange or grandiose ideas.
• Excessive anxieties.
• Prolonged depression and apathy.
• Marked changes in eating or sleeping patterns.
• Extreme highs and lows.
• Abuse of alcohol or drugs.
• Excessive anger, hostility, or violent behavior.
• Suicidal ideation/threat

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Religious stigmas on accessing mental health
resources

• The mental illness is an indictment of their
  faith.
• The mental illness is a punishment for sin or
  some wrong doing.
• The mental illness is attributed to satan or
  demon possession.
• The mental illness is a sign of being cursed by
  g
• God or not being wanted by God.

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As a result of stigmas the following may occur

• Trying to pretend nothing is wrong
• Refusing to seek treatment
• Rejection by family and friends
• Work problems or discrimination
• Difficulty finding housing
• Being subjected to physical violence or
  harassment
• Inadequate health insurance coverage of mental
  illnesses

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Racial/ethnic groups may resist help due to
failure of mental health practitioners to be

• Culturally competent
• Unaware of history of inaccurate diagnosis
• Ethnic stereotyping
• Financial inaccessible
• Insensitivity to legacies of racism

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The basic principle of collaboration
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The Clergy and the Clinician provide
complementary care, with each focusing on his/her
expertise to meet the needs of the individual.
(Milstein, 2003)
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Clinician

• The clinical assessment must include an
  assessment of the role of religion in the life of
  the client.
• Educate oneself about the clients religious
  tradition
• With the clients permission contact the clients
  clergyperson
• Be aware of your own religious history/bias/woundi
  ng

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Ministry

• Develop relationships with mental health
  providers
• Invite mental health providers to offer workshops
  to congregants around typical mental health
  issues
• Understand the privacy regulations that govern
  mental health
• Develop your capacity for pastoral diagnosis

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Critical functions of clergy and religious
congregations that support mental health
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Critical Functions

• Provide persons with the context coherence of a
  caring social community
• Provide a context of shared beliefs and values
• Provides interaction with congregants across
  their lifespan in good times and bad times
• Provide comfort, meaning, and support
• Provide a sense of belonging

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• In response to major stress the religious
  communities help individuals to prevent more
  serious dysfunction by providing

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Provisions

• Social support
• Enacting community rituals
• Reinforce religious coping beliefs
• Brief clergy counseling

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• In addition the clergy and religious community
  could note

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• Deterioration in functioning (bereavement can
  lead to major depression
• Intervene to initiate professional assessment
• Actively support clinical treatment.
• Can facilitate adherence to treatment plan that
  prevents recurrence
• Reduce the family burden
• (Adapted from Glen Milstein, 2006)