February 2020
Registration for Jan. 30 Gathering Closes at Noon on Wednesday
Learn practical ways to promote healing and build resilience in your community. 

Learn more about the healing-engaged and trauma-informed movement.

Attend dynamic workshops. Hear inspiring speakers.

All are invited to a special gathering:
 
Convening at the Intersection of Trauma, Faith and Resilience to Connect, Learn, Heal and Serve
 
Thursday, January 30, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Chicago Teacher’s Union Foundation, 1901 W. Carroll Avenue, Chicago
 
The day will provide an opportunity to connect with others, attend dynamic workshops and hear inspiring speakers, including keynote speaker, Dr. Iva Carruthers , founding trustee and General Secretary of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, an interdenominational organization within the African American faith tradition focused on social justice issues.

Available through Advocate Aurora Health
Faith and Mental Health Specialist and Liaison Services

Advocate Aurora Health is excited to introduce Amy McNicholas, LCPC, our Faith and Mental Health Program Specialist. This position was created to support the role of faith communities in fostering the mental and emotional well-being of their members and of the people in the communities they serve. Amy will be focusing in neighborhoods around Advocate sites of care in Cook County, but will also offer opportunities for consultation and training across the region.

One of Amy’s roles is to support and equip faith leaders to meet the mental health needs of their members. Her work with clergy is available at no cost and includes:

  • assisting clergy in managing mental/behavioral health issues within their communities,
  • monthly consultation/support call with clergy,
  • education and training for faith leaders and their congregations,
  • linkage and referrals, and
  • partnership and collaboration.

Amy will also provide a range of education and training programs for congregations, such as:
Mental Health First Aid Workshops

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an exciting public education program that helps people recognize and respond to individuals experiencing signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. MHFA was developed to help members of the community support an individual developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Read more.

Companionship Training Workshops

A three-hour course that provides an effective approach to the practice of mental health ministry through which any caring human being can reach out and help another who is distress.

Risking Connection in Faith Communities Workshops

A two-day workshop developed by the Sidran Institute to equip faith leaders (clergy and lay) to build trauma-responsive congregations. This is an interfaith approach that draws from multiple religious traditions. See more details .
Save the Date!
Support Team Workshop
Saturday, May 16, 2020
8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
1775 Dempster Street, Park Ridge

Support Teams are a great way to share the care for those in your congregation or community who need some extra support. Team members do what they love to do, when they can, in a coordinated way, with a built-in support system. Learn how to form and sustain teams and get connected to others who are using this model to provide care.
Community Spotlight: The Khalil Center
Muslims tend to be more reluctant in seeking mental health treatment for their psychological distress relative to other groups, research says.

Among the barriers to seeking help: concerns around religious, spiritual and cultural sensitivities.

Khalil Center addresses those barriers and is pioneering the application of traditional Islamic spiritual healing methods to modern clinical psychology.
April Bulletin Insert Focus:
Stress Awareness Month


Bulletin inserts on many other topics are available in our archive.
Upcoming Events

January 30, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
 Convening at the Intersection of Trauma, Faith and Resilience
1901 W. Carroll Ave., Chicago

February 4, 10:30 a.m. - noon
Healing Hearts Support Group. For older adults who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner over the last two years. Meets the first and third Tuesday of the month.
Goldie Bachman Luftig Building
5150 Golf Rd., Skokie

February 20, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Webinar: Adverse Childhood Experiences as a Risk Factor for Complicated Grief

February 27, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Grieving a Loss to Suicide, free monthly drop-in group for adults in the Jewish community
Goldie Bachman Luftig Building
5150 Golf Rd., Skokie

March 19, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Kinship/Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
2622 Jackson Blvd., Chicago

March 27-29
The Intersection of Spirituality and Mental Health Practice
American Islamic College, Chicago
Mental Health & Substance Abuse Resources

Mental Health Organizations
Interfaith Mental Health Coalition. A regional interfaith coalition serving the metropolitan Chicago area that is helping congregations to support their members who are dealing with mental illness and substance abuse. The coalition includes representatives from area mental health service organizations, health care providers, national faith-based mental health programs, grassroots organizations and people in mental health recovery. The IMHC meets regularly and holds events all around the region. To learn more or to join, contact Robert Skrocki, Communications Liaison, at contact@interfaithmhc.org or 630-802-0769.

The Chicagoland Trauma Informed Congregations Network, an interfaith table that brings together faith-rooted organizations and others that are interested in using our collective wisdom to respond to the call to facilitate and deepen the role of faith communities in recognizing and creating “safe and brave spaces” that support the healing of trauma experienced by individuals and communities. The Network is not a direct service provider, but a vehicle for education, skills transfer and connection of the intersection of faith, trauma and restorative justice.
Health & Wellness Resources


Learn more about the Healthy HotSpot Initiative , led by the Cook County Department of Public Health in collaboration with many partners to build healthy places in suburban Cook County.



To get daily articles on a host of health topics that come to you via email, subscribe to our  Health eNews service . 

All Advocate Aurora Hospitals offer classes on health topics. See classes or events in  Illinois and   Wisconsin .  Select a Hospital/Medical Center and click on search to see what is being offered in your area.
We hope you find this newsletter helpful as you support the mental health of your members and community.

Please contact Cindy Novak if you have news to share, topics you'd like addressed or if you have questions or concerns. Thank you!
Faith and Mental Health Quarterly provides updates on mental health resources, events and news to support the well-being of people in your congregation and community.
Faith and Health Partnerships | AdvocateAuroraHealth


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