• Faith communities can serve as a gateway for their members with relevant and factual information about mental health. • Due to their proximity with the population, faith-based organizations are in a good position to open the dialogue about mental health and wellbeing and encourage openness within their respective congregations. • The strong ties people have with their faith communities could be of help in providing emotional support, a strong support system that people can lean on while providing a safe space for their distressed members experiencing mental health problems. • Faith communities are in a good position to extend support to the families of their distressed members by providing assistance and giving relevant information on how to properly engage individuals with mental health problems. • Lastly, faith communities are in a good position to be part of the referral system as an important gateway to professional behavioral treatment. Role of Faith Leaders in Helping Members with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses Training Module on the Right to Mental Health for Faith-Based Organizations approach allows them to be in direct contact with the population, especially those who belong to the marginalized sectors and minority groups whose access to mental health services is limited. Faith leaders can be of great help in their respective communities by being champions of mental health within the congregation, promoting mental health awareness, and reducing the stigma on mental health. • Faith leaders are in a unique position to influence their congregation to adopt a more inclusive and accepting stance on issues regarding mental health and to promote open-mindedness amongst its congregation. • Faith leaders have long been sought by their individual members over their emotional problems. It is estimated that 25% of people seeking help initially sought counsel and guidance from their faith leaders. This creates a unique opportunity for leaders to make time for emotional “check-ins” by providing their distressed members the opportunity to talk about their thoughts and feelings. • Lastly, faith leaders prove to be crucial in the referral system by providing relevant information, linking their distressed members to mental health professionals, and linking them to both government and non-government organizations that can provide financial assistance to sustain the treatment. 12