Encouraging
words |
|
"
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)
|
|
Contact Me
|
|
|
|
Shauna Summers
Coordinator of Pastoral Care and Counseling
|
|
Quick Links
|
|
PCC is very interested in your experiences, concerns, and feedback. Listening to clergy and families will enable PCC to better serve and address your needs.
|
|
Join Our List
 |
|
|
 |
Have you ever wondered what an Employee Assistance Program is? Or what our Clergy Assistance Program is? An Employee Assistance Program and a Clergy Assistance Program are essentially two names for the same product: a mental health and counseling resource designed for short term, immediate use.
Sometimes there are perceived and actual boundaries to mental health treatment however. IGRC wants to reduce both types of boundaries to treatment as best we can. This is why we offer the Clergy Assistance Program (CAP). IGRC has contracted with Chestnut Health Systems and to offer the CAP to all active, retired, full-time, part-time, ordained, and licensed pastors as well as spouses and dependent children up to age 26 (supply pastors are not included).
There has been a small change in the terms of our C.A.P. contract with Chestnut Health Systems. The CAP offers six free sessions per person, per therapeutic issue (ie: depression, marriage counseling, death in the family are three therapeutic issues).
The difference between our previous CAP contract and our current CAP contract is that as of July 13, 2017 (see Facebook post about contract update), there is now a maximum of 12 visits per year, per person, regardless of the number of therapeutic issues per year. This restriction of 12 visits per year is appropriate because Assistance Programs (including IGRC's CAP) are not designed to be the long-term solution. They are designed to be the stop-gap measure to overcome boundaries to initial, short-term mental health treatment.
Not every therapeutic issue needs the same response (tomorrow versus a few weeks) or number of counseling sessions. Sometimes you need to talk to someone in the next few days other times having an appointment within the next 2-3 weeks is sufficient, even preferable. In terms of number of sessions, sometimes you just need to touch base once or twice, sometimes the issues are more complex and need five or six visits.
When you call IGRC's Clergy Assistance Program at 1-800-433-7916 (available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year) you can expect that the call will be answered by a clinician and they will ask you some questions if you have not called before. This is important so they can add you to their system and determine how to meet your needs (ie: give you names of local counselors, community resources, etc.). This personal information is never shared with me (PCC Coordinator) or IGRC. From here they may give you resources or connect you with a counselor (or give you names to contact, especially if after business hours). You should be offered an appointment with a counselor within 3 days. This appointment may not match your schedule, but it should be available for you to choose.
If you have any questions please call me, your Coordinator of Pastoral Care & Counseling for IGRC, Shauna Summers at 309.642.0262 or email me at
[email protected]. You can also call IGRC's Clergy Assistance Program anytime at 1-800-433-7916.
|
|
From Shauna
|
|
What to expect from our CAP
Assistance Programs are not designed to be the long-term solution, but, neither is counseling: They are both designed to help move you toward your next step.
Next step: What does that mean?
|
Pastoral Care and Counseling blog
|
|
What to expect in counseling
PCC Board member Curt Keller writes, "Today models (of counseling) are used that start with the real work in the first session with an expectation that positive change in the lives can begin quickly. It is no longer assumed that it took years to get to where we are and it can take years to change. We may have had a life time to get to where we are, but we do not need another lifetime to change."
Read more...
|
|
From Chestnut Global Partners
|
|
Why treat obesity as a disease
In the United States, it has been estimated that almost 35 percent of all adults and 17 percent of children ages 2-19 years have obesity. As such, it can be considered one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.
Obesity is a condition that has often been stigmatized because of the perception that it is caused mostly by the modifiable behavioral factors of diet and physical inactivity. Nevertheless, a rich body of literature demonstrates that obesity is a complex disease condition mediated through the interplay of multiple genetic, biologic, metabolic, behavioral, social, economic and cultural determinants.
Read more...
|
|
Blessings,
Shauna Summers
Pastoral Care and Counseling Coordinator
|
|
|
