Mental Health Initiative

Mental Health Initiative is sponsored by Center for Congregations. An education and grant initiative designed to assist Indiana congregations in addressing mental health and wellness among their members. This opportunity includes educational sessions and a grant to fund expenses and activities that support mental health programming.

Mental Health Initiative and Learning Opportunities - Center for Congregations Our team is here to help you get clarity around what is possible, which resources are available, and how you might best use them to meet your congregational goals. We are currently not accepting applications for MHI grants. Stay tuned for announcements on the next round of program applications.

The Mental Health Initiative is an education and grant initiative designed to assist Indiana congregations in addressing mental health and wellness among their members. This opportunity includes educational sessions and a grant of up to $40,000 to fund expenses and activities that support mental health programming in congregations.

The Center for Congregations is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and therefore encourages congregations of color and rural congregations to apply. As a result of participating in this Mental Health Initiative, your congregation will: Understanding ways that their congregation can benefit from the intersection of mental and spiritual wellness.

Harnessing their congregation’s spiritual practices and faith claims to promote healing and mental well-being. Understanding cultural dynamics that can limit the discussion of mental health in congregations. Equipping themselves to identify and offer mental health resources to support their faith community.

Finding rejuvenation and healing while learning how to offer it to their own congregation. Learning ways to support clergy people and their spiritual and mental wellness. This grant awards 90% funding up to $40,000 and will require a 10% commitment from each participating congregation.

More information is below in Details for Selected Congregations section. Continue scrolling for more information. Grants are made possible by a grant to the Center for Congregations from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Details for Selected Congregations Select two to four people from your congregation to be your Mental Health Initiative team.

Designate one person as the project director who is expected to attend all sessions. Include a pastor or clergy person on your team. Educational Session Requirements Cohort participants must attend three educational sessions.

Educational sessions are comprised of in-person and online gatherings. Stable internet or cellular connection is expected and Zoom access is required. Two to four team members may attend each educational session.

Other Requirements for Accepted Congregations: Meet for two hours per month as a congregational team Meet for thirty minutes per month with a Center for Congregations consultant Complete monthly assignments on the Center for Congregations’ online Grant Project Description and Funding Cohort participants will submit a Project Proposal.

The maximum grant dollar amount awarded is $40,000, or 90% of the total cost of grant activities, for each project. Therefore, each congregation’s financial responsibility is 10% of the grant eligible expenses and must be in the form of dollars and cannot include in-kind donations. Congregations may apply for and receive less than $40,000.

Grant Eligible Activities may include, but are not limited to, a combination of the following (all activities must be related to mental health): Guest speakers (food and/or travel costs) Retreats (food/travel costs/supplies/facility rental) Licensed counselor for family, group, or individual sessions where insurance is not available (not applicable for salary of licensed counselors already on staff at a participating Conference attendance (registration, travel and lodging expenses) Online courses related to mental health Training (i.e. Mental Health First Aid, Celebrate Recovery) Coursework in pursuit of a degree is not grant eligible Technology or building improvements/fixed assets that support mental health activities Hear how churches across Indiana are innovating and growing with the help of our support.

Elise Erikson Barrett, Ph. D. PASTOR SONDRA GENTRY | BETHEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Transforming Lives, One Heart Tug at a Time: A Congregation’s Outreach from Seymour to Maui I appreciate the Center for providing churches with the opportunity to live out their specific DNA in the context of their communities.

We were able to adapt what we were learning to fit our congregation’s needs and it was a game changer. Northview Church | Indianapolis, IN