Suicide Prevention Class - Coming January 22!

 

Ok, pretty corny picture, but I can't emphasize enough that learning to help someone who is suicidal is a skill set!  If you can learn CPR, you can learn how to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone to appropriate help.

This free 2 hour class is provided by Polk County Family and Community Outreach staff, Abby Warren.  She taught it at MCC several years ago, and I still get feedback from attendees that they have felt equipped to help a loved one or friend!

This Class is open to the community.  Next month I will post a link to register.  For more information, email hmh@mymcc.cc.

Popular posts from this blog

Upcoming! Special activities for Children & Adults with Strong Emotions and Challenging Behaviors

Image
Safe and Sound and FOCUS Programs Path of Life counseling is proud to be able to offer two home/office based programs.  We are planning to start a new group of interested families in September.  These programs last from 1 week to 60 weeks.  They can easily be integrated into a homeschool program or an evening ritual for the working adult.  The FOCUS Program includes physical activity using multi-modal input to help children/special needs adults learn better regulation and social behaviors.   One program is the Safe and Sound Protocol, designed by Stephen Porges.  It  works on the vagus nerve to move a person out of anxiety and depression and into the social engagement system.  It can take as little as 5 hours for some adults.  Children may need more time in the program, and may need to use all 3 portions of the SSP program.  The SSP is especially helpful for highly dysregulated nervous systems and adults or children who have experie...
Read more

About our mental health resource blog & our ministry

Image
Why a ministry?  Everyone experiences mental health challenges, and needs mental health skills & support!   As a person who has had life-long practice at coping with depression, anxiety, & trauma, I'm here to tell you there's hope!   As a Christian, I'm here to tell you that faith & science are a great team! As a retired mental health social worker,  I'm intimate with the resource problems in our communities.  (I'm trying not to rant, so I'll just say it's frustrating & heartbreaking.) It's important to note that our mental health ministry at Monmouth Christian started with a $79 "Hope for Mental Health" kit from Saddle Back Church, one pastor, and one volunteer.   Our main goals were to normalize the conversation, and have resource information available.  We instituted a yearly Mental Health Sunday insuring that the conversation has become part of our rhythm.  Donations have helped provide materials, & recently, tech tr...
Read more

Is it OK for Christians to Take Psychiatric Medications?

Image
  Bottom line, yes!  After thoughtful, prayerful consideration and research. I still talk with people saying they've been told they just need to pray harder!  That idea is theologically bankrupt and just plain cruel, and it tells me that stigma is still alive and well. That said, I think medication is overused in our culture because we want a quick fix, and counseling and lifestyle changes are a long term proposition.  Research shows that counseling and medication together are your best bet for recovery, as there are often unresolved issues, lack of support, and lack of education.  (Unfortunately, counseling is often not available, but that's another conversation.) I confess, I find it hugely frustrating that modern psychiatry is mostly behind the times.  Psychiatrists are the only medical specialty that rarely look at the organ they treat!  There are now ways to figure out what's actually happening to your brain and to develop individualized treatment...
Read more