Tanya
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Sondria, are you doing this as a part of the mental health ministry at your church or as a part of your personal ministry? It is always a great option to start within your own circle and begin to engage with individuals you already have a relationship with. As you begin to do that, you will find that they either know someone in need of resources or have a similar story to share. This is how we break the stigma surrounding mental health. Thank you for sharing and I cannot wait to hear all the wonderful stories your ministry will bear.
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Here at Gateway to Hope University we believe that every interaction with an individual is meaningful. It is so great to hear how you want your time spent with a client to be a comforting one for the individual. Sometimes walking in the door of an organization to get help is intimidating especially going through the intake process. Being able to compassionately respond and set the tone for future contact that individual will have with your organization is beneficial to one’s healing mental health journey. Thank you for your willingness to respond compassionately to those who are in mental health distress.
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Cynthia, I agree that it is important to acknowledge the validity of their feelings in a moment of crisis so that they feel welcomed to open up honestly. In my experience as a Mental Health Coach, many times individuals come in with such hurt and baggage that the individuals puts walls up to protect themselves. Sometimes, genuinely apologizing for the hurt that they experienced can calm a person down. Many times, individuals just need someone to take accountability for the hurt caused. While you did not cause the hurt, having someone truly apologize can allow the individual to process their feelings and begin the healing journey. Thank you for the work that you do in the mental health community. I look forward to reading all the wonderful success stories you will have as a Mental Health Coach.
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Julia, these are all great de-escalation techniques. As humans, we have the tendency to feed off of each other’s energy. As a Mental Health Coach, you have to set the tone for the individual and practice these techniques so that you can remain calm in these tense situations. Many of the individuals you will coach, will suffer from some form of anxiety. Check out this Coach Call on Anxiety and the prevalence of anxiety across different age groups. Gain access to practical tools to help individuals manage anxiety in real-time.
https://learn.gthu.org/courses/mental-health-coach-call-anxiety/
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Tracy, I recommend reading Dr. Matthew Stanford’s book called Madness & Grace. This book outlines how to start a mental health ministry in your faith community. Gateway to Hope University offers monthly topical Lunch & Learns or Mental Health Coach Calls that will help provide additional education support. These trainings are free and provide information that will help you assist individuals in your community. For a list of referral contacts or easy-to-use access to a wide range of educational materials on addiction and behavioral health, including videos, trainings, events, downloadable resources, and quick assessments, as well as guided assistance to locate treatment and provider options, check out our Mischer Behavioral Health Resource Center at https://gatewaytohopeuniversity.org/mischer-behavioral-health/
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Mischer Behavioral Health Resource Center: Support & Tools
Discover resources to overcome behavioral health challenges and addiction. Chat with Grace, our friendly AI assistant, for personalized support and information.
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John, I agree that education and open conversations are key to breaking stigmas and creating an environment that promotes healing and spiritual growth. There are many ways to do that but you have a great outline that will help you facilitate those conversations. In my years as a Mental Health Coach, I have found testimonials to be very impactful. Testimonials have a way of breaking down stigmas and normalizing mental health struggles within our community.
Your use of first person or “I” statements is also very important. It is easy to say “we do this” or “men are like that” but when you have the individual use an “I” statement, it requires reflection and accountability. These types of statements lead to personal growth, acceptance of additional support / referrals, and recovery.
Thank you for your work in the mental health community. I look forward to reading all of the testimonials from your work as a Mental Health Coach.
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Kent, please share your outline in the text box provided. No outline was posted. Thank you.
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Thank you for sharing Pamela. Taking the first step to become a Mental Health Coach takes courage and I applaud you for that, especially as a trauma survivor with your own mental health journey. While you may have a unique niche in connecting with individuals such as yourself, never limit yourself to coaching just one segment of the population or those in mental health distress. In my experience as a Mental Health Coach, we do not need to have the same life experiences to make an impact. We just need to have a compassionate ear to lend and a willingness to serve those in our community. Your testimony may be just the motivation an individual needs to hear to start their own mental health journey to recovery.
Reaching out to your current networks, groups, or faith communities is a great place to start building your network. Just this past weekend I was reminded of how faithful God is to put us in the right place with the right connections. A personal connection that I had was just the right referral source for a mother and her adult son. I sent one message and within minutes I was given information to share and a place for her son to get the assistance he needed. It truly is important to cultivate those connection with providers and remind them that you are there to help them as well if they should have a referral for you.
I truly look forward to hearing all of the amazing things that you are going to do as a Mental Health Coach. Thank you for bridging the gap in the mental health community. Don’t forget to join our private Facebook Mental Health Coach Network to stay in touch with our Mental Health Coaches in your area and nationwide.
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16SKt3Lzob/
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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
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Mary, that sounds like a solid plan. It is always best to start closer to home per say and build a network that way. Of course, it is best to have a conversation with those individuals / networks to see if they have the bandwidth to take on new referrals. I would also encourage you to look around the Mischer Behavioral Health Resource Center page and see what other providers and resources are available there as well.
This past May, I hosted Joy Draper on our monthly Mental Health Coach Call. Ms. Draper is the Clinical Director of the Hope and Healing Center & Institute and she oversees The Hope Line. This Coach Call provided a lot of insight in how to best use The Hope Line as a referral source and all of the referrals provided. I think this would be a great webinar for you to watch as you work to build your referral network. I look forward to hearing all of the great things you will accomplish as a Mental Health Coach.
https://learn.gthu.org/courses/mental-health-coach-call-may-coach-call/
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Mental Health Coach Call: May Coach Call - Gateway to Hope University
During this Mental Health Coach Call, we’ll host a live Q&A to walk Mental Health Coaches through the resources available to them via The Hope Line and how to leverage these tools to enhance their coaching journey. What you'll learn: … Continue reading
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Ashley, does your church currently have a Mental Health Ministry? I think leading peer support groups is a great 1st step in raising mental health awareness within your church. The Transformed workbooks provided in the Mental Health Coach training are a great resource with an easy to follow format.
If you would like additional information on support groups, check out this training on how to use the Transformed workbooks in a support group setting.
learn.gthu.org
Support Group Training - Gateway to Hope University
Introduction to Support Group Training Many people find peer support a helpful tool that can aid in their recovery. Support groups are offered as a safe space where individuals can come together to share their stories, experiences, and lives in … Continue reading
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Jennifer, sharing your story is a powerful way to break stigma but some people may be reluctant to share their story right off the bat. What methods or techniques could you use to encourage individuals to open up and share their stories?
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Norma is this so true. Our job is not to fix people or have all the answers. Our job as a Mental Health Coach is to listen with compassion, provide them with resources and tools to make the best decision for them, and to help them restore their identity in Christ and the community.
I hope that the resources provided in the MHC training allows you to better assist your clients and walk these pregnant women through life’s challenges. I look forward to hearing about all the positive impact your training as a Mental Health Coach will have on the community you serve. Thank you for taking the step to bridging the gap in the mental health community.
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Scott I agree. So often, those struggling with mental health distress are misunderstood or criticized by those closest to them. I think we as a society need to do better and learn how to properly relate to individuals struggling with mental health distress. Jesus taught us in the bible how to treat people with empathy and compassion but it is one of the hardest things to do. Over time, we get better at it but do not be discouraged if in the beginning of your Mental Health Coach journey you don’t always get it right. Take a breath, remember your training, and never be afraid to ask another Mental Health Coach for help in working with an individual that you are struggling to connect with.
I also loved how you said to pray and offer spiritual encouragement without pressuring them. This is key. Even though you may be working with a faith based organization, not every one that walks through those doors may have the same faith, level of faith, or be in a place to accept that type of support. I know that in my time as MHC, I have said, “It’s ok if you don’t want us to pray right now. I will add you to my prayers and we can discuss this at a later date when you are ready to do so.” In my experience, many individuals were accepting of the prayers just not being forced to participate in the moment.
I look forward to hearing about all the positive impact your training as a Mental Health Coach will have on the community you serve. Thank you for taking the step to bridging the gap in the mental health community.
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Good afternoon Karen. Your final project did not come through. Can you please submit your final project as a response below? Thank you.
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Thank you Barbara for the years of service you have dedicated to pregnant women and their struggles. Pregnancy is such a beautiful time in a woman’s life but you are right, it comes with a lot of emotions, pressures, and outside struggles. As a Mental Health Coach, I hope that you are better equipped to assess your one-on-one sessions and compassionately guide the conversations to a place of healing and acceptance. It is vital to understand where our knowledge ends as Mental Health Coach and when a licensed professional is best suited.
In my experience and years as a Mental Health Coach, I believe in transparency. I have told individuals, “I believe the best way that I can help you going forward is to bring in or put you in contact with this individual (referral source) who can help you with this situation going forward. We can continue to meet until you get comfortable with them or if you are comfortable with us ending our coaching here, then we can do that. Whatever works for you.” Taking this approach allows the individual to feel in control of the transition as well as supported in whatever decision they make.
I look forward to hearing about all the positive impact your training as a Mental Health Coach will have on the community you serve. Thank you for taking the step to bridging the gap in the mental health community.
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