Partners in Health & Wholeness

An initiative of the NC Council of Churches

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Faith and Health Summit Spotlight: Mental Health Workshops

· by Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Partners in Health and Wholeness invites you to join us in Greensboro on Friday, October 20, for our Faith and Health Summit. There will be excellent workshops on many relevant topics to encourage your church’s health initiatives.  The workshop topics include aging, chronic disease, food security, permaculture, mental health, preaching, and much more. We have something for everyone.

I want to take time to highlight our workshops on mental health:

“From Drama to Grace: A Systems Approach to Effective Communication in Congregational Health and Wellness” with the Rev. Cathy Hasty.
Participating in this workshop will offer you tools and insight on to how to better collaborate with the various people in your life. The Rev. Hasty has a multifaceted professional background in nursing, chaplaincy, educating, and therapy. The focus will be on the Drama Triangle of Victim-Persecutor-Rescuer model along with the Grace Circles model, authored by Rev. Hasty. This will help your community-work among all types of people and contexts. The goal of this workshop is to “deepen self-examination, ground pastoral identity, and enhance competence in health programming in complex congregational settings.”

“Striving for Health and Wholeness: Congregations tackle Mental Health Issues and Substance Abuse Recovery” with the Rev. Bryan Hatcher.
The Rev. Hatcher is currently the Chief Operating Officer for CareNet Counseling and has a deep background in therapy and congregational life. He will present on how to productively deal with issues of mental health and substance abuse within congregations. This conversation will abundantly help faith communities trying to destigmatize mental health and grow in its abilities to better understand and address these issues.

“Clergy Self-Care” with Dr. Guy Brewer.
Dr. Brewer brings his experience as a chaplain, pastor, and seminary professor to guide us in strategizing issues of caregiver fatigue. Dr. Brewer will offer hope, practical steps, and problem solving to help you become more resilient to burnout. This workshop will help restore spiritual vitality and emotional health.

There will be other workshops that address emotional well-being, mental illness, and the advocacy for mental health. Such as workshops on healthy aging, chronic disease, and preaching for the whole self. All of our workshops have a focus on wholeness, naturally incorporating mental health. We greatly look forward to learning and growing with you. Please join us.

You can register here: Summit Registration

About Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Jessica Stokes is the Associate Director of Partners in Health and Wholeness leading our state-wide mental health advocacy efforts. Jessica earned her Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University and BS in Clinical Psychology from Averett University. She is an ordained Baptist minister and joined the Council’s staff in 2016 after directing an interfaith non-profit in Washington State. Jessica’s background includes non-profit work, hospital chaplaincy, interfaith campus ministry, and the local church. Her convictions are rooted in experiences that range from ministry in Appalachia, as a chaplain in a psychiatric hospital, to learning about systemic issues Eastern NC while living in Greenville and Wilmington, as a PHW Regional Coordinator. She seeks authentic and earnest conversation. Jessica’s work for PHW includes a focus on mental health education and advocacy, specifically tailored for faith communities. Jessica is based in Durham with her wife, Vanessa, and two pets.