by Rachael Tvrdy,
Director of the Office of Family Life and Discipleship
Our parishes are families of families, an extension that offers support, fellowship, and stability to our lives. Recently I learned of a program called Faith Partners, an interfaith, evidence-based project with 30 years of experience, that offers a team approach to churches that are dealing with substance abuse, mental health, and addictions. I was able to attend a local training and was encouraged by the program’s desire to break stigmas to serve families who are hurting in isolation.
A question was asked at the training that gave me a long pause: “If not here, then where?” If not the Church, the House of God, a refuge and support for families suffering from these afflictions, where else is it? Addiction, often whispered about in hiding, is increasingly on the rise as our society turns more and more to self-medication through lesser-known process addictions, such as gambling, over-eating, shopping, pornography, and screen addiction. The stigma attached to addiction and mental health keeps families in shame and doesn’t allow for authentic healing. We can hand a family a pamphlet with a list of community resources, hotline numbers, and literature, but nothing can replace the healing power of face-to-face accompaniment.
Addictions, substance abuse, and mental health issues touch almost every family. Often addiction and mental health issues are family afflictions that are both genetic and influenced by our home environments. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) states that one in 10 children live in households with at least one parent with an alcohol use disorder. In our own state, according to the Faith Partners Congregational Survey, 44% of Nebraskans said they were currently affected by or concerned about the alcohol/drug use of a friend or family member.
According to the same survey, 78% of respondents agreed that churches should be helping families with both prevention and recovery, with roughly 11% offering to be a part of the solution. Identifying and forming a team is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but provides flexibility that is unique to each team. Each team member brings their talents, lived experience, and expertise to the table regarding recovery and prevention, and then offers it to their church as a service. Ideally, teams make a year commitment and meet monthly at their parish.
The mission and purpose of Faith Partners is “to help faith communities develop a team approach to prevention and recovery, and to grow capacity in faith communities to respond with grace to alcohol, drug and behavioral health challenges.” A few parishes in our diocese have already adopted this approach, and are openly addressing these hidden issues that are silently afflicting so many families. In essence, the hope is to break the stigmas attached to these conditions by treating them with the same grace as other illnesses. Rev. Otto Schultz, the state representative for Faith Partners, told me he hopes to see a decrease in shame and stigma in our faith communities, “where we can treat mental health, substance abuse, and addictions like casserole diseases.”
“Casserole diseases?” When someone is physically ill for a longer period, we bring casseroles to their families. What if we applied the same principles to families suffering in isolation, by providing the same support and care? The worst thing we can do is let these families suffer in seclusion and shame. As members of the body of Christ, they need our mercy and compassion, as Christ himself said to St. Faustina, “Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God.” (Diary 301)
To stay updated on future trainings, please visit https://talkheart2heart.org/find-local-support/fp/ for resources to learn more.
