Due to the especially difficult events in today’s world and life challenges many are facing, the Deacon’s established a Mental Health Ministry to offer tools as a guide to good mental health. The team launched the program with the roll out of the Mental Health Survey on February 15th. The survey, which ended on March 15th, received 165 responses as of the last report from Pathways to Promise. The results of the survey will be available soon.

During the interim the team is moving forward with the following programs:

Met with representatives of the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) about participation in the Lakeland/Yorktown Community Network. The Lakeland and Yorktown Student Assistance Counselors provided Mental Health Resource flyers in English and Spanish to be distributed at the March 27th food pantry.
Attended a virtual event, “Soul Shop: Ministering to Faith Communities Affected by Suicide” (sponsored by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Westchester County DCMH, Westchester County Suicide Prevention Task Force and Calvary Baptist Church).
The MH Team Co-chairs participated as panelists in the forum on March 19th entitled, “Soul Shop continuing: The intersection of Faith and Clinical Service in our Communities.”
The MH team continues to interact with the local NAMI chapter who will provide resources and information on potential grant opportunities.
May plans include participating in the May 16th worship service. The team is also in the process of drafting a Mental Health Covenant statement for the congregation to review.

~Sue Caruso, Mental Health Initiative Co-Chair