Faith Services
The ODMHSAS will support faith-based communities across the state to provide prevention services to their congregations and communities. Faith-based sector providers will deliver direct prevention services, link faith-based organizations with community resources, and build relationships between groups at risk in the community.
Moving Forward With Faith Initiative
The Moving Forward With Faith Initiative is ODMHSAS’s commitment to including the voices of the faith based community in our efforts to reduce substance misuse and promote mental well-being for all Oklahomans. Guided by a statewide advisory council composed of faith leaders, community partners, preventionists, recovery specialists, mental health professionals, laity, and stakeholders with lived experience, and utilizing evidenced based and faith tailored interventions, this Initiative will work with communities of faith to build a path forward in the fight against the substance misuse and mental health crises facing them.
The Moving Forward with Faith State Advisory Council meets on the third Monday of the month. Each meeting includes an educational component geared towards faith community and leaders, a networking opportunity, followed by an Advisory Council meeting. Past educational topics include 988 Mental Health Lifeline, Overdose Prevention, working with the aging population, and more. To join the next meeting, reach out to Emily Morrow at Emily.Morrow@odmhsas.org.
Upcoming Events
November 18th at 9:00am – Moving Forward with Faith State Advisory Council Meeting.
Training Opportunities
The ODMHSAS collaborates with Faith Partners to provide state-wide training to Clergy, Staff and Laity. The Faith Partners team ministry approach consists of a small group of trained lay people who work together to provide substance misuse awareness, education and recovery support for youth and adults served by the congregational community.
Clergy Training: The Clergy training is a four-part virtual training for clergy and pastoral care workers to equip them with the needed knowledge and skills to develop an informed, compassionate response to addiction and related mental health issues and initiate congregational prevention and recovery support activities.
Leadership Team Training: The Leadership Team Training is a two-day in-person training with teams consisting of three-to-ten members. The in-depth, hands-on training provides congregational teams with the information, strategies, and resources to initiate and build an addiction and mental health ministry in their congregation. This team approach cultivates an informed, compassionate response to addiction and mental health through awareness, education, and recovery support right in the congregation.
Upcoming 2025 Clergy Training and Leadership Team Training dates will be announced soon.
Technical Assistance: Making a Plan that Will Work
No cost technical assistance is available for Oklahoma faith leaders and clergy to help with assessing needs, building capacity and readiness, implementing proven prevention strategies, and more. The ODMHSAS can advise faith communities in designing prevention services that are most likely to deliver positive outcomes. Contact us for support.
Resources
988 Mental Health Lifeline: The 988 Mental Health Lifeline replaced the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in July 2022. 988 is a direct, three-digit lifeline that connects you with trained behavioral health professionals that can get all Oklahomans the help they need.
Mental Health First Aid: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a 12-hour course that teaches people how to give first aid to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis situation and/or who are in the early stages of a mental health disorder. The aid provided is not a substitute for professional help but may help in stabilizing the person until appropriate professional or other assistance (including peer and family support) can be engaged.
Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is a community-based presentation that covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide. This free, one-hour training is offered both virtually and in-person.
Emily Morrow
Sr. Prevention Program Manager
