Spotting the Signs Program
Mental-health caregiving in the Christian community
We envisage a healthy, impactful, engaged response from the body of Christ to issues facing contemporary society.
Promotion and awareness of mental health has ballooned in Australia over the last 25 years with an increasing number of awareness raising programs and mental health initiatives. While awareness has grown in the public sphere, within the church there can still be a stigma around mental health issues. Even with increased access to assessment and treatment in Australia, many people continue to hide their mental health struggles and difficulties. This could be due to the fact that often we don’t know how to respond well to people experiencing mental health difficulties, so people prefer to suffer in silence.
Another challenge for Christians can be finding care where their Christian worldview is respected. If the person seeking treatment doesn’t feel they can bring their whole self to the table, feelings of shame, humiliation, isolation and loneliness can increase.
Jesus demonstrated love, compassion and an ability to heal everyone he encountered and he publicly criticised those who were self-righteous and judgemental of others.
As we follow in His footsteps, we seek to emulate His love for those who are suffering; we seek to accept and love the sufferer without judgement.
This program has been produced by specialised mental health practitioners and is presented by Christians who have a background in theology, psychology, counselling and/or psychiatry.
In Spotting the Signs you’ll be equipped to better understand, interact and care for people suffering from emotional distress and mental illness. This course is all about helping Christian communities make a difference in the lives of people who experience mental health difficulties and their families/wider communities.
The program brings a unique and distinct Christian perspective into understanding mental health from a holistic perspective. We offer a biblically and theologically sound foundation alongside a rigorous evidence-based psychological approach.
Spotting the Signs is designed for those who may have little prior experience in professional mental health care settings, as well as mental healthcare providers who may not have had training from a theological perspective.
Program Details
Workshop One
Understanding the interactions between psychology, theology and mental health and learning practical skills to walk alongside those in emotional distress.
Workshop Two
Recognising mental health-related problems and when to refer and the distinct and unique role of the Christian church in responding to mental health-related problems.
Goals and learning outcomes
By the end of the course, each individual will be able to:
- Address the nature of the stigma still attached to mental health problems in the Christian context. This program gives you tools to counter this stigma and to create more awareness about mental health issues.
- Recognise the signs when encountering a person who may be having a mental health related difficulty.
- Respond with love and care appropriate to the person and their situation, determining whether the person has social support and whether referral for treatment would be suitable and helpful.
- Follow up, even when referral for professional treatment is made. Following up with other pastoral and social supports is vital for recovery when a person has or is experiencing mental health related difficulties.
To find out more, email ctp@mst.edu.au with the subject-line “Spotting the Signs”
