Expanding Collaborative Mental Health Practice: A Response from Faith-Based Leaders

Expanding Colloborative Mental Health Practice: A Response from Faith-Based Leaders

Background:

Faith based communities are often at the center for healing and well-being for different populations. Although faith-based organizations have a history of providing mental health services to their congregation and community, mental health services are often less utilized by African Americans due to cultural barriers, geographic location, stigmas, prejudice and discrimination. With the increasing disparities in mental health among African Americans, this community resource can be engaged in providing mental health services to increase acceptance and significance of mental health. Empirical research in this area also remain largely fragmented to bolster the evidence base for faith based community engagement. The purpose of our study was to expand the evidence base for the engagement of faith based communities in providing mental health services among African American population showcasing partnership between a faith-based organization and a local university.

Methods:

Using the Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) approach, we engaged pastors, ministry leaders, and clergies from a faith-based community event and surveyed them about their perceptions regarding mental health services. The Duke University’s pre- survey for leadership scale and the attitudes toward seeking psychological professional help scale (adapted from Blalock and Dew’s Survey of Clergy Regarding Mental Health Care) were used to collect the baseline data. Delphi technique was used as a structured communication method for gathering qualitative data from participants within their domain of expertise.

Findings:

This sample consisted of 246 participants: 65 males and 181 females.  Age of participants: 73% was 50 years and older; 2 of the participants (0.8%) did not indicate age. Regarding race: 1.63% did not indicate; however, 3.66% indicated other than Black/African-American. Results indicated an agreement concerning the need for mental health (MH) services: 99.60% and 95.12% indicated that they would refer someone to a psychiatrist.  Talk therapy, family therapy or counseling had support of 98%.  Knowledge of MH disorders saw 73.17%; 86.59% knew where to refer someone for MH services and 94.31% wanted to collaborate with others to increase the health and wellness program.

Implications:

Our study yields important implications for community collaboration between social work researchers, community agencies and faith-based organizations. While faith-based establishments have long been active in providing services to their constituents and the communities in which they are located, the research on effective ways to partner with and enhance the services they provide is very limited. Consistent with community based participatory action research (CBPAR), the federal government and other entities have recognized the effectiveness with which faith-based organizations already serve their communities. This faith-based and university partnership will fill a gap in the research literature and provide outcomes that will go towards developing an effective model that may create additional pathways of opportunity for faith-based organizations, community groups and university partnerships.