Under Pressure: Using faith to aid mental health struggles – WSFA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WSFA) – Whenever somebody comes to Eugene Jacobs for advice, he usually has an answer. He’s the pastor at Union Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Talladega, and guidance is just another part of the job.
One day however, he got a question he didn’t know the answer to: “I’m struggling with addiction. How can I get help?”
“They began to lose faith in me, trust in me to be able to help them as a spiritual leader,” Jacobs said. “And then more time it took for me to be able to find that help for them, the more time they had for other influences to creep in.”
Jacobs decided he never wanted to be in that situation again. He got involved in a program sponsored by the Agency for Substance Abuse and Prevention called Faith-Based Support Specialist that’s designed to give faith leaders the tools they need to support those in addiction.
“I just needed the information, and I was so sold,” said Jacobs. “Our job is to bridge the gap between the faith communities and the mental health communities because we believe that prayer, prevention, treatment and recovery do work together.”
In places like Dallas County, the unity of faith is one of the best ways to mobilize. According to independent research organization PRRI, 89% of Dallas County residents are religiously affiliated compared to the national average of 77%.
Miah Tolbert works is the executive director of Dallas County Court Services and sees the need of faith-based intervention firsthand.
“Faith-based programs are so important because faith is intricately a part of who we are. It’s woven into the fabric of not only our communities, but our nation,” Tolbert said. “Individuals that are in our pews of synagogues or wherever our places of worship are, they have individuals that have addiction or mental health and need their services.”
Former Alabama Department of Mental Health coordinator Pamela Butler also recognizes the reach faith-based programs can have. When there’s nothing else around, there’s usually a church even in the most rural of areas.
“By having the faith-based community to come in, first of all, we’re going to get that message to a wider group of people,” Butler said. “They bring in new partners in their community. Now church so-and-so is part of that system of recovery and resources in that county.”
If you want to get involved, Faith-Based Support Specialist will hold a support specialist training conference on Dec. 5-6 at Selma’s Wallace State Community College from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. both days.
Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!
Copyright 2024 WSFA. All rights reserved.

source

Leave a Comment

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com