Local church discusses mental health

Mental Health awareness has become a buzz phrase but it is far more than something we should simply be talking about. First Reformed UCC, Lexington, under the leadership of Rev. Elizabeth Parker Horton is doing something about it. They are in talks with the national organization, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) about chartering a local affiliate.

According to its website, there are nearly 1,000 NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates across the country and  NAMI is “The nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.” They offer services including support groups for any adult who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition, helplines to provide one-on-one help with  personal challenges, a video resource library, and online discussion groups, to assist those dealing with mental health issues.

Rev. Horton has two congregation members, Joe and Cathy Browder that have personal testimonies about NAMI and its benefits after working with the organization’s Charlotte affiliate. The church has already reached out to the NC NAMI Chapter. The next steps they are taking to start a NAMI affiliate include attending a brief presentation answering questions like “What does it mean to run a NAMI affiliate?  And, what can the church offer to the community as a NAMI affiliate? Lastly, it will cover the process for starting a NAMI affiliate. Rev. Horton and her team will attend this 30 minute “NAMI 101” presentation on June, 23rd via zoom to learn more about the process. Afterwards, you should look forward to finding out more about NAMI and how you can become a part of the local affiliate. More details to come.