Welcome

Please note that this site is under construction. Items in the menu marked with an asterisk* are in progress or not available yet. We wanted to go ahead and roll out the site now, especially in order to provide some helpful resources during the coronavirus outbreak. This site will be undergoing regular updates, so please check back!

Welcome to our Wiki Site! This site is intended to be a resource for mental health information for members and congregations in the ELCA Southeastern Synod, as well as their partner organizations and friends of any background.

Whether you are in the process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life, or whether you know someone who is struggling with mental health concerns, we want to be a resource for you.

This site is continuously growing as we add new articles and new referrals, so please keep checking back! We also invite you to share your ideas and feedback at any time. We are especially looking to grow our team of professionals and interested laypersons on the Mental Health Task Force, so anyone who is interested or otherwise would like to contact us can email the chairpersons, Pastor Michael Jannett at mjannet@ses-elca.org, and Mr. Adam Renner at adam.m.renner@gmail.com.

The Mental Health Task Force was established in Fall 2019 by the Synod Council at the direction of the June 2019 Synod Assembly which had adopted resolution 2019-2 A. This resolution was drafted and submitted by SESLYO and is titled Resolution Regarding Mental Health Awareness within the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA. You can read the full text of the resolution here. Per the text of the resolution, the purpose of this Wiki site is to gather resources in each of the four states of our Synod to assist pastors and lay members in referring those in need of mental health services.

You will find several types of articles on this site. Some articles provide information mental health topics (such as depression or addiction, for instance). Other articles provide information on how to go about seeking treatment or how to find help (such as how to locate a good therapist or treatment center). Some articles provide information about specific resources and how to get the most out of them (such as how to use the Psychology Today website). Many of these articles may also include our own recommendations for treatment options or support in your local community. However, this site is not intended to be an exhaustive source of information good therapists or treatment support, since the landscape is constantly changing and such an endeavor is not sustainable. Our intention is to help you understand and connect to resources that are out there and how to evaluate them yourself.