Collaborative Initiative Unveiled: Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, and Values Partnerships Join Forces with Bishop Jakes to Launch Groundbreaking Faith and Mental Health Resource
Values Partnerships is the largest Black-owned social impact agency, and as a supporting partner with the Ad Council and Huntsman Mental Health Institute, has launched a new mental health resource hub for those who lead people of faith.
On Tuesday, November 14, the launch of the resource dedicated to pastors and lay leaders, hosted by Bishop T.D. Jakes, the “Let’s Talk: Faith & Mental Health” conversation was a collaboration with the Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, and Values Partnerships. The event featured insightful conversations surrounding faith, family, and mental health via Facebook and YouTube.
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Recognizing the unique role faith leaders can play in providing mental health support, the collaborators developed the nation’s first free, interactive, mental health course— the Faith and Mental Health Hub: An Interactive Experience for Pastors & Lay Leaders. Accessible at www.FaithAndMentalHealthHub.com, the resource offers a self-paced curriculum tailored for the Black community, the Latino community, and the broader Christian faith community.
Faith leaders, clergy members, lay leaders, pastor’s spouses, and more, are on the frontlines of some of our nation’s toughest challenges. They inspire with preaching, in addition to creating community within congregations, and are critical support systems during rough times. However, when it comes to their own mental health – faith leaders and lay leaders often do not get the same support as others.
The hub’s key features explore topics like Mental Health 101, how to address and combat stigmas, strategies for self-care, how to support others in your congregation, and how to find community. The resource has personalized learning paths where users can tailor their learning journey by selecting either a community pathway or navigate through six modules with the option to adjust video speed and sizing to capture notes for each video, encouraging flexibility, inclusivity, and diversity.
Downloadable resources are also available and access to a list of assets including online interactive tools, directories, and forums. Other tools like reflection questions helps members of the faith community nurture their mental health and overall well-being. After completing courses, learners will receive a personalized certificate.
During the online launch event, mental health experts along with faith leaders discussed the importance of integrating faith and mental health for holistic well-being, and emphasized the integral role faith leaders and lay leaders play in addressing mental health in their communities. Meeting facilitator Joshua DuBois, Values Partnerships Founding Partner and CEO guided the conversation with grace and intention while creating a safe space for the participants to share their lived experiences regarding metal health.
The participants included hub content contributor and chairman Jakes, Dr. Alduan Tartt, psychologist and minister; Dr. Coralanne Griffith Hunte, human, industrial, and trauma psychologist; Dr. Regina Miranda, professor of Psychology; Tonja Myles, ordained minister and author; the Rev. Dr. Aaron Graham, founder and lead pastor of The District Church; the Rev. Dr. Dante Quick, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens; and more.
The overall purpose of the learning hub is to encourage faith communities to embrace a new way to addressing common feelings of distress that can ultimately affect their mental health, noting that our mental, spiritual, and physical wellbeing are all interconnected, and nurturing each aspect is essential to living a balanced and fulfilling life. While proactively sharing resources with congregants, faith leaders can recognize signs when someone is struggling with mental health challenges and normalize seeking assistance.
Discussing mental health from the pulpit during sermons and community gatherings can reduce the stigma around mental health and can potentially save lives. Pastors, Lay Leaders, and faith community members can learn more, register, and access the hub online at Faith & Mental Health Hub (faithandmentalhealthhub.com).
