Homestead offers:
Educational Opportunities:
Homestead would love the opportunity to help churches understand the nature of mental illness, different types of mental illness, and how our churches can be part of the recovery process. To find out more about a teaching opportunity in your church, please email: info@hscc.ca or call 905-529-0454 to book a presentation or find out more about what's involved.
Some current topics:
· Understanding mental illness and communication
· A guide to the mental health system
· An introduction to recovery
· Building supportive communities of faith
Steven Rolfe
Steven Rolfe is a Registered Nurse with 17 years of experience in mental health. He looks forward to sharing some of his experiences in order to help others understand the impact of mental illness on the life of the person experiencing it, and how your community can support people in their journey of recovery. His current graduate studies in education have been invaluable and have enabled him to use dialogue and shared experiences to help teach and encourage a better understanding of mental illness.
Steven looks forward to meeting with your church or group to meet your specific educational needs as you build your capacity to help others.
Steve Rolfe, R.N., BScN, CPRP
Feedback from Education Workshops:
“Homestead Christian Care has been a tremendous partner for Hamilton churches. In my work of encouraging churches to engage important issues in our city I have seen Homestead provide training and program development for churches learning to journey with those facing the challenge of mental illness. This help and support has been invaluable.”
Dave Witt, Hamilton TrueCity Coordinator, International Teams
"Homestead has been an invaluable asset and ministry partner in helping our congregation both to understand the nature of mental illness and to respond with creative and effective ministry strategies to walk alongside those people in our community who live with a mental illness."
Tim Sheridan, Outreach Ministry and Church Plant Team Leader, First Hamilton CRC
Links to more information about Mental Health:
Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario
The Public Health Agency of Canada - A Report on Mental Illnesses in Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/miic-mmac/index.htmlThe Canadian Mental Health Association - CMHA
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - CAMH
Psycho-Social Rehabilitation Ontario
Salem Christian Mental Health Association
True City Hamilton
Video Resources:
Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness: An intimate, inside look at what it is like to live with a mental illness and how individuals and their families find their way through a tangle of medical, governmental, societal and spiritual issues. Duration: 60 minutes www.shadowvoices.com
Creating Caring Congregations: In this film, teenager Shawn, newscaster Carol and retiree Jan share their experiences of bipolar depression, clinical depression, and other anxiety issues. The final section provides for churches desiring to address mental health issues a five-step program of education, covenant, welcome, support and advocacy. Duration: 30 minutes.
Overcoming Stigma, Finding Hope:
This video helps break down several misconceptions perpetuated by media, popular
opinion, and even insurance companies who deny equal coverage for mental
disorders. Four professionals unfold their journey and recovery from major
depression and severe anxiety disorder, describing how they first resisted
treatment due to their own misunderstanding about mental illness. Duration: 21
mins
