Caring for Mind

June is National PTSD Awareness Month

About half of all U.S. adults will experience at least one traumatic event in their lives. It is common for people think, act, and feel differently than usual after experiencing trauma. But if their reactions don’t improve after a few weeks or months, they may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

PTSD can happen to anyone at any age. This includes war veterans, children, and anyone else who has experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.

How can my congregation or community organization support those living with PTSD?

• Participate in the STEP UP for PTSD Awareness virtual walk,
• Share the SAMHSA treatment locator, PTSD Awareness Month Calendar, print materials, videos, and other PTSD resources in your newsletter, bulletin, or social media sites,
• Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments of PTSD,
• Invite mental health experts to speak with your congregation,
• Offer your organization’s meeting spaces for community gatherings and support groups,
• Host a community conversation about mental health,
• Remind those living with PTSD that people can and do recover and that help is available and effective.

Download flyer to share.

Caring relationships make a difference. 

Studies show that caring relationships make a positive impact on those living with PTSD—they recover faster when they have love and support from friends and/or family. In addition, connectedness and support, like that found in faith communities, can play an important role in the long-term recovery of those living with PTSD.

Sources:

National Institute on Mental Health

How Common is PTSD in Adults? - PTSD: National Center for PTSD (va.gov)

For Community and Faith Leaders | MentalHealth.gov

Caring for Body

June is National Safety Month

During National Safety Month, the National Safety Council highlights several ways to prevent injury. Among them: reducing slips, trips, and falls, which are among the leading causes of injury and death among U.S. adults aged 65, according to the CDC.

How can my congregation or community organization promote fall prevention?

• Make your building safe by repairing sidewalks and parking lots, inspecting handrails and steps, using rugs with non-skid backings, and creating a snow-removal plan.
• Start a fall-prevention program, such as Stepping on, which teaches participants how to build and maintain their physical strength and balance.
• Include tips on how you can fall-proof your home, in bulletins, newsletters, and on social media sites.
• Share the National Council on Aging’s Falls Free Checkup, a list of 12 questions to check your risk for falling.
• Help members create a falls-prevention team: individuals who can help spot and address fall risks. The team can include family members, primary care physicians, therapists, and members of your faith community.

Download flyer to share.

Faith communities play an important role in fall prevention, according to the National Council on Aging: “Faith leaders are trusted sources of important information and can connect you to community resources to address your needs, especially when it comes to your health. You can also count on your faith community for social support, whether it is joining you in a new activity, preparing for a medical visit, or going along with you to a falls screening or other falls prevention event.”

Sources:

Falls Prevention Is a Team Effort (ncoa.org)

Preventing Falls: How to Develop Community-based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults (cdc.gov)

Falls Prevention Awareness Week Promotion Toolkit (ncoa.org)

Caring for Spirit

Summer: a great time to try a new spiritual practice

Summertime provides an opportunity for us to slow down and enjoy nature, outdoor activities, and warmer, longer days. The new season also can inspire us to focus on our health—to set new exercise goals, and eat more nutritiously. 

This summer, consider caring for your spiritual health, as well, by trying a new spiritual practice. The Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, offers these ideas:

Meditation can calm you, clear your head, and improve concentration and attention. Meditation also can reduce sensitivity to pain, enhance your immune system, help you regulate difficult emotions, and relieve stress.

Prayer may elicit the relaxation response, along with feelings of hope, gratitude, and compassion—all of which have a positive effect on overall wellbeing.

Yoga can reduce inflammation and stress, decrease depression and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and increase feelings of wellbeing.

Journaling can help you become more aware of your inner life and feel more connected to your experience and the world around you.

Download flyer to share.

A spiritual community can improve your life, according to the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. “…Spiritual fellowship, such as attending church or a meditation group, can be sources of social support which may provide a sense of belonging, security, and community.  Strong relationships have been proven to increase wellbeing and bolster life expectancy, which is perhaps why one study found a strong association between church attendance and improved health, mood, and wellbeing.”

Sources:

Why Is Spirituality Important? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing (umn.edu)

Related Reading:

• Thinking about prayer? A chaplain offers some guidance
• What happens when you meditate every day?
• Keep gratitude going after Thanksgiving day
• Interfaith Reflections for June

Beginning on July 16, anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can call, text or chat 988 to receive support.

The Advocate Aurora Local Services Guide allows you to find free and low-cost options for food, safe housing, child care, transportation and more.

The Children’s Health Resource Centers at Advocate Children’s Hospital offer easy access to 800+ ebooks and thousands of health articles for parents, teens and children.

Job Posting: Half-time Faith and Mental Health Specialist

Are you interested in creating supportive environments for people living with a mental illness? Advocate Aurora Faith and Health Partnerships has an exciting job opportunity available for you!

We are looking for a half-time Faith and Mental Health Specialist to do training, education, capacity building, and consultation with faith leaders and congregations in Illinois and Wisconsin. The position requires an active clinical license (LCSW, LCPC, etc.) and the candidate must be comfortable in working across diverse religious traditions. Candidates of color are highly desirable for this role.

Join our team to help increase awareness and understanding of mental illness and promote mental well-being so people can live well.

Advocate Aurora Health

Faith and Health Partnerships

We work side-by-side with faith communities to promote health equity by mobilizing the transforming power of social connectedness and spiritual wisdom.

Our core belief: Drawing on the wisdom of our religious traditions and the best social and public health science, we believe that positive, mutual relationships and the intentional practice of faith are at the heart of what creates equitable health and well-being for individuals, congregations and communities.

Learn more about our work in English and Spanish.

We blend the strengths of Advocate Aurora Health with the strengths of your congregation to improve the health of those in your community.