Access to Mental Health Project

A report by the Project Manager of JAMI - The Jewish Association for Mental Illness, describing the development of a Jewish-specific forum and website bringing together London’s mental health service providers, with useful lessons for culturally-sensitive mental health services.

BRACE - Funding research into Alzheimers

Established in 1987, BRACE is a registered charity dedicated to supporting dementia research. BRACE has raised more than £13 million in funding for Alzheimer’s research, and is the catalyst for generating a greater understanding of the disease through the advancement of research.

Beyond Resilience from Mastery to Mystery

People are actively engaged in a life-search for meaning and this search can lead them to take a spiritual perspective of themselves and the world in which they live. Some find this a spiritual journey-a journey towards an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the deepest values and meanings by which people live-through art, music or religion. The ultimate purpose of our spiritual journey is to be an enabling meaning to be found and given for self and others. In Tibetan Buddhism,the ultimate intention and purpose of our personal and spiritual journey is to be of service and benefit to all beings and to bring all beings to 'enlightenment'. Enlightenment is the ultimate step on our journey, whereby we go beyond our everyday consciousness to serve a 'greater whole', where we are in touch with our ultimate, true nature- the essence of our being. We can think of this journey to enlightenment as a journey both for personal mastery and beyond it.

British Association for the Study of Spirituality

Centre for Mental Health

The Centre for Mental Health (previously the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health) has a range of publications and advice, including the two research reports from East London:

• Keeping the Faith: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/keeping_faith.pdf

• Forward in Faith:  http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/scmh_forward_in_faith.pdf

Chaplaincy

UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy

Christian Healing

Christian healing UK is “an affiliation of Christian healing organisations and healing advisors across the UK. Their vision is to provide a forum for the leaders of Christian healing organisations to come together in mutual respect and understanding to further this ministry throughout our land; to become a national voice speaking out on matters concerning Christian healing; to reflect the biblical principle that when we work together as a body we are more effective than individual members; to establish a programme of regional meetings to act as a source of encouragement and support to all those involved in the healing ministry, regardless of whether or not they are in leadership.”

Acorn Christian Healing

Acorn Christian Healing Foundation “helps churches to bring healing and wholeness to people and communities.  Acorn provides people, regardless of their circumstances, background or life choices, with the opportunity to experience the "shalom" that is at the heart of the Christian message” through listening, quiet days, prayer for healing and training.

Being Alongside

Breathing Space

Article in Community Care on spirituality and mental health author Peter Gilbert.

British Association of Christians in Psychology

The British Association of Christians in Psychology is “for Christian professional and student psychologists in academic and applied settings and aims to support and encourage Christian psychologists; to support Christian churches (and allied organisations) in the UK by the provision of psychological knowledge and expertise in the service of their ministry; to promote empirical and theoretical research on the interface between psychology and religion; to encourage each other to share our faith; to establish and maintain relationships with similar organisations in the UK and other countries.

Chaplaincy

The College of Healthcare Chaplains CHCC –Mental health resource group

Chaplaincy as/and public theology

This paper explores the need for a renewed and creative engagement with theology on the part of chaplains so that it articulates and assists in chaplains’ public work in (mostly secular) institutions.  Acknowledging the current performed public theology of chaplains and the dearth of formal theological activity, possible inhibitors to engaging with theology are then discussed.  Images and metaphors of theology are advanced with a view to showing the pluriformity of this activity.  It is then suggested that chaplains could adopt more creative and imaginative approaches to the theological tradition that might enable prophetic and apologetic roles within organisations, to the benefit of those organisations and chaplaincy itself.

Church of England

[a] Promoting mental health: A resource for spiritual and pastoral care  This is a flexible tool for use in Church of England  parishes, in a range of different groups and situations, to trigger discussion and debate. It was produced in 2005 by Mentality following work by a diverse steering group and much groundwork and piloting in local Church of England parishes.

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[b] Report on the General Synod mental health debate

Action for Happiness

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Bernadette Group

Breathing Space, (Jan 2006)

Spirituality is a tricky concept to understand.  Many people confuse those talking about their spirituality or spiritual needs as a reference to being a member of a religious institution.

Catholic Church Mental Health Project

The Mental Health Project is an innovative project that exists to help the Catholic community to further develop pastoral support for mental health.  They have an excellent website which includes lots of useful resources and onward links.

Chaplaincy

Scottish Association of Chaplains in Healthcare

Chizuk

Chizuk is a mental health organisation that specialises in providing support in a religiously and culturally sensitive environment for its Orthodox Jewish users.