Partners in Health & Wholeness

An initiative of the NC Council of Churches

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Introducing Healthy Aging and Mental Health Inclusion Plans

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

Rev. Jessica Stokes, PHW Associate Director, Mental Health Advocacy 

Krista Westervelt, PHW Associate Director, Healthy Aging

Partners in Health and Wholeness is excited to announce our new inclusion plans for Mental Health and Healthy Aging. We hope your faith community and health ministries find them empowering and inspiring. 

Inclusion Plan FAQs:

  • What is a PHW Inclusion Plan?

Inclusion Plans are intentional, strategic plans that support a health ministry’s outreach, programming, relationship-building, and overall impact. These plans ensure that all people are welcome and included.

  • Why are inclusion plans important?

Inclusion plans help faith communities and health ministries identify areas for growth in living into the work of creating Beloved Community.
Inclusion plans assist our faith community partners into more fully embodying the core values of PHW and our mission. 
How do inclusion plans benefit your health ministry?

Inclusion plans offer inspiration and fresh ideas for starting, expanding, and sustaining your health ministries in a more inclusive way.
Inclusion plans provide evidence-based frameworks.
Planning tools balance structure with flexibility for meeting your faith community’s needs and goals.

To learn more about the Mental Health and Healthy Aging inclusion plans and to start implementing them in your faith community visit click here.  You can also heck out our recent Sacred Conversation on these plans here.

For specific questions and support related to the Mental Health inclusion plan, contact Jessica at jessica@ncchurches.org. 

For specific questions and support related to the Healthy Aging inclusion plan, contact Krista at krista@ncchurches.org.

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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.