Faith Leaders and Faith Communities

An Action Plan Specific to Your Faith
Community and Faith Leader Needs
To make a difference in people’s lives, we must invest in and equip faith leaders on the front lines. Effective suicide prevention and mental health care must be comprehensive and requires a combination of effective interventions. Thus, we take a “bundled” approach, offering multiple interventions as needed to equip faith leaders to address the challenges inherent in addressing the complex nature of suicide. The Way Consulting Int’l. provides details of ‘what, when and how-to’ steps to create and strengthen existing faith community efforts or implement new protocols in order to create a culture that works to prevent suicide.

Our highly qualified professional staff develop data-driven programs that incorporate faith and healing messages, compassion, knowledge, and techniques to equip faith leaders to identify, understand, and respond effectively to the mental health needs of their community. Our programs can focus on a specific faith community or a geographic region to enhance their mental health ministry and suicide prevention efforts.  It is critical as well to offer a life-span approach as the suicide risks for youth and young adults may be quite different from those of middle-age and older adults.

The Way Consulting Int’l. offers an assessment to determine the need and current resources; engages in interviews with faith community leaders to develop an Action Plan specific to meeting the faith community’s needs; provides details of ‘what, when and how-to’ steps to create and strengthen existing faith community assets in order to create a culture that works to prevent suicide.  We give wings to the Action Plan through engaging and equipping pastoral leaders with suicide prevention competencies, in prevention, intervention, postvention, communication, leadership, support, and mentorship coupled with the attitudes, approaches, and skills for supporting life before, during, and after a suicidal crisis. 

Why should our faith communities care about mental health?
  • Because 1 in 4 people in your congregation is affected by mental illness. Mental illnesses touches people from all races, creeds, income level and social classes. Fear of stigma often keeps people from sharing their experiences with others, so they miss receiving the same support that people with other illnesses are offered. Mental illness has often been called the “no casserole” disease. How often do we take a meal or send a card to a member with a mental health issue, as we do with another illnesses?
  • Because more than half of people who seek outside help when they are in crisis turn first to their clergy/faith leaders, even before they seek help from physicians, or psychologists. If you are a faith leader, do you feel prepared to help persons with mental health challenges? If you are a member of a faith community, do you feel confident that your leaders have the education and training they need to help you and your family deal with the mental health issues you face?
  • Because many people who are living with mental health challenges are looking for a faith community that offers an inclusive welcome and provides spiritual support.
  • Do you want to learn more about how to become more inclusive and welcoming to persons with mental health challenges them and how to offer spiritual support?

Our Other Services

Evidence-Informed Programs to Prevent Suicide
A Comprehensive Whole-School Approach