Kick Off for the Mental Illness Ministry: -- Into The Light!
It was really the Official Kick-Off, but it seemed like the culmination of a period of studying, dreaming, hoping and gathering the troops. It was the first Sunday devoted to the brand new Mental Illness Ministry and, surprisingly, it was absolutely festive. The church was thronged, as it so often is on Sundays. Mindy Greiling(right) told us of her journey through the maze of a child's mental illness. Father Cassidy cheered us on our way and told his own story of his family's hidden grief and shame over a suicide. And he wondered aloud why some resources weren't dedicated to a staff person with the professional expertise to work with our parishioners in times of greatest stress.
The sun was shining brightly and the sky was so blue it almost hurt your eyes. Puffy clouds floated overhead. At the tables set outside were representatives of some of the major organizations dealing with issues of mental illness and the road to mental health. People were clustering everywhere and talking; saying, "thank you" and "I've waited so long for this" and "what can I do" and "how can I get in the loop" and "I have ten years, twenty years in the field of mental health -- how can I be a part of this? "A doctor told us his organization was involved in a study -- right now. People said, "I know how this feels -- my brother, my mother, my child ………….." As serious as the topic was, there were smiles and it felt, somehow, festive.
The answer to every question is -- "you are so welcome and come meet with us, share with us, tell us what we need to know. Your wisdom will shape the ministry and it will grow and offer solace to people in all kinds of situations."
When parishioners came together as a group in July to brainstorm, there were 20 areas of interest specified. Here are the 20 areas specified:
- Increase awareness of mental illness.
- Learn the early warning signs of mental illness.
- Learn how schools recognize the early warning signs.
- List crisis centers, immediate connections, places to call, link to first call for consumers and family members.
- List resources on St. Joan's web site.
- Financial needs - resources, eligibility
- Sponsor support groups for consumers and family members
- Sponsor education classes or workshops or series of classes about mental illness
- Sponsor or cosponsor with NAMI Family to Family 12 week classes
- Sponsor or cosponsor with NAMI 15 week consumer classes
- Learn the real process from mental illness to mental health
- Learn about advocates for the consumers, such as life coaches or job coaches.
- Learn how to become advocates
- When parents age or die, learn how to find an advocate for adult children diagnosed
with mental illness.
- Learn about the resources and networking available for adult children who are left
- Learn about special needs trust funds and Stretch IRA for living consumers upon parents' death.
- Learn the difference between advocacy vs. codependency.
- Learn about Lodge Magic, Tasks Unlimited
- Learn about Consumer Survivor Network
- Learn how to help consumers in need of medication and therapy when they refuse help.
In each recommendation was the sound of someone's anguish. The concern and fear that rests with the suggestions- "When parents age or die, learn how to find an advocate for adult children diagnosed with mental illness."
- "Learn about the resources and networking available for adult children who are left alone without family support."
- "Learn how to help consumers in need of medication and therapy when they refuse help."
- "List resources, list crisis centers."
- "Learn about special needs trust funds and Stretch IRA for living consumers upon parent’s deaths."
There's so much to do and we are starting right now to search the answers. The Mental Illness Ministry website is up and running now and one of the areas is Links. There will also be names of people to call for further discussion and referral information. We'll start a series of articles called Hear Our Voices, the stories of individuals and families who have been through the fire; stories of overcoming and becoming -- and of hope.
Maybe the real message of this ministry is that it is about sharing, and rejoicing when we come together and learn. Maybe with the learning comes a greater peace of mind. Maybe the message is that there is hope, and someone to hold your hand when the going gets tough. Maybe the greatest message from the ministry, is you never, never, ever have to suffer alone.
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| Ronnie Angelus says: "There are three things that make my life work: Talking to my daughter who
opens vistas to me and makes me laugh; being in the circle of the Divas, my
writing group, who shout "go girl" and give me standing ovations with their
smiles and tears; sitting next to Mary and Claude Paradis during Sunday Mass
at St. Joan of Arc, which is as close to pure goodness as I will know in this
lifetime." Ronnie is a co-chair of the new Mental Illness Ministry.
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We met again for an Organizational Task Force Meeting on August 25th and more is being hashed out. We're walking our talk. We'll all be working together. Y'all come to the next meeting on Thursday, September 29th in the Upper Room of the Parish Center. We all need to hear what each person has to say.
We'll celebrate again in October with a Mental Illness Awareness Sunday, October 16, 2005. We'll have a great speaker. We'll have representatives of the organizations dealing with mental health and some of the other ministries in the Twin Cities. Would it be too much to have balloons?
