Thank you all for making the first Statewide Summit on
Spirituality and Mental Health a success!
Over 100 people representing mental health service
providers, consumers, clergy, and other community stakeholders attended the
summit which was held at Wichita State University’s Marcus Welcome Center on
April 24th. We engaged in a fascinating and productive dialog facilitated by
WSU’s Center for Community Support and Research.
The discussions revealed the following major areas participants
would like to explore going forward:
·
Self-awareness:
finding ways to become more in tune with the spiritual needs of ourselves and
others
·
Practice:
incorporating spirituality into providing mental health services and
incorporating mental wellness into spiritual guidance and faith-based programs
·
Education
and training: staying informed on evidence-based and emerging/promising
practices in the field of spirituality and mental health
·
Community
building: coming together around these issues to create partnerships to
better serve people in need
·
Funding/institutional
backing: finding avenues for creating and sustaining programs that meet the
spiritual and mental health needs of those we serve
The hard work of the summit participants is already bearing
fruit, as we at CCSR had a chance to use some of what was discussed at the
summit to enhance an advanced training for Certified Peer Specialists at
Osawatomie State Hospital on May 4th.
This is only a beginning. We are working on a full report,
scheduled for mid-June, that will provide a detailed look at the summit and
suggest ways forward.
In the meantime, be on the lookout for more information on
spirituality and mental health in Kansas, news, and events, through this and
other venues.
Thanks again from all at CCSR
Here's an article on the summit from WSU's student paper, the Sunflower:
