Training Module on the Right to Mental Health for Faith-Based Organizations How Faith-Based Groups Can Promote Mental Health and Well-Being in Their Congregation • Promoting awareness • Faith communities can provide relevant and factual information and may even wish to provide educational materials on mental health and wellbeing, as well as materials on mental health conditions— breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and creating a climate within the congregation that is open and accepting. • Included in promoting awareness within the congregation are events that champion awareness, such as World Mental Health Day, World Mental Health Awareness Week, and Suicide Prevention Day. • Promote a culture of positive mental health • Individuals with mental health problems are often stigmatized by the community, which provides the organization with an opportunity where people with experience can openly socialize in recreational activities and lessen the feeling of isolation. • Fostering a culture of inclusivity and openness, accepting one’s similarities and differences, and being sensitive lets members to be more expressive with their inner thoughts and feelings. • This also includes networking with support groups, mental health advocacy groups, and professional organizations that promote awareness, decrease the stigma, and strengthen the sense of community within the congregation. • Providing protection • It is important to create a safe space within the congregation where individuals feel safe to open up and discuss their problems with individual members or the group. • Offering to listen and provide moral support to an individual who experience mental health problems without the fear of judgment gives an opportunity for them to be more transparent about their thoughts and feelings. • Offering prayers in the religious service provides an opportunity to show a sense of community within the congregation. • Visiting the person in the hospital or at home to check on how they are doing promotes a sense of community and provides a secure base for a person experiencing mental health problems. • Making a phone call or messaging through mail or different social media platforms are forms of check-ins they can do. 13