The next ‘Faith in Mental Health’ forum is scheduled for Monday, April 20 at 6 p.m. to share information with individuals and church representatives interested in learning more about available mental health resources in Vance and Granville counties.
The session is free to attend and will take place in the cafeteria on the campus of the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford, said Frank Sossamon, pastor at Hermon Community Church. The theme for this program is substance misuse and addiction. A barbecue dinner will be provided as well, Sossamon said.
The Faith in Mental Health program is a pilot project that Sossamon hopes will eventually go statewide that will operate under the umbrella of public health departments.
“The numbers continue to grow with every event we have,” Sossamon said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.
So far, more than 40 churches across the two-county area are actively involved in the initiative, which has three different levels of participation, depending on church interest.
Getting appropriate information into the hands of church congregations is helpful for a variety of reasons. An orientation session provides participants with information about resources in the area that can be shared with church members.
“We want you to be able to help your congregation,” he said. Participating in the Faith in Mental Health project is one way for congregations to be informed about what resources are available, where they’re located and how to access them.
The second level of commitment comes when a congregation chooses a mental health topic to highlight and discuss each month.
“Just being able to talk about it is healing for people in the church that are struggling with those things,” Sossamon said. Individuals realize that there is someone to talk to – the pastor or someone else in the congregation. “That in itself, is liberating. That in itself is healing and encouraging. And it’s healthy for the church as well,” he added.
The forums are also a way for people from different congregations to connect and form networks. He said he’s heard positive feedback from participants of earlier sessions about having the information they needed to share with others about particular services they were searching for.
The Faith in Mental Health initiative is for churches of all sizes, Sossamon said. So whether it’s a 1,000 member congregation or a congregation of 10, there’s a place for you.
The upcoming forum will include area providers who will speak about substance misuse and addiction, as well as representatives from different programs available to provide help, from support groups to residential facilities.
The Masonic Home for Children in Oxford is located at 600 College St.
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