Creating Caring Congregations is an ecumenical resource to educate clergy and lay persons for the purpose of decreasing the stigma associated with mental illnesses in our faith communities.  The sharing of personal stories and experiences provides a way to give voice to those who have suffered in silence and allows churches to begin the process of reaching out and providing compassionate care to those affected by mental illness and their families.

The four segments include:

Shawn's Story tells of an adolescent's experience with bipolar depression, addiction and suicidal ideations.

Carol's Story is about the most common illness of the brain, clinical depression, with accompanying anxiety issues.

Jan's Story highlights how the normal life changes associated with the aging process can lead to depression in older adults.

How Congregations Can Respond, provides a five-step program of education, covenant, welcome support and advocacy, to help churches begin to address mental health issues in the local church.

30 minutes.  Discussion Guide included.  Closed Captioned. Available on DVD and VHS. 

Creating Caring Congregations, is a project of Mental Health Ministries (link to http://www.mentalhealthministries.net/resources.html) an ecumenical program through the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.