BYU NewsNet - Bridging the clergy, counseling gap

Approximately one in four adults suffers from a mental health disorder every year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

A group of 25 master’s students, monitored by Michael Seipel, associate director of the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences, designed a program to help the Utah County community called the Clergy Bridge project.

Clergy Bridge aims to shorten the gap between professional mental health care services and clergymen of all religious denominations.

“This is a resource for everybody, not just the LDS,” said Emily Mathusek, a social work master’s student from New Jersey.

The master’s students said with current stressors placed on families because of the economic recession combined with the common forces of living, many individuals will be seeking mental health care assistance through spiritual advisors.

Clergy Bridge provides spiritual advisors with training and materials to better administer to the needs of individuals.

One master’s student from Orem, Jesse Ellis, said he first conceptualized this project three years ago as a domestic violence advocate for the Orem City Police Department.

The focus has since changed to connecting clergymen with mental health resources in the community. Therapy should be a joint effort with both religious advisors and community mental health care professionals, hence the need for Clergy Bridge, Ellis said.

“I think this project is an invaluable resource to the clergy community,” the associate director said.

He said there are two expected outcomes of this project said.

First, people in the religious community will have access to more mental health services. Second, the project hopes to build better relationships between clergymen and the social service community.

This semester, students compiled a manual to inform readers of resources available when facing problems in Utah County. Issues this project deals with include suicide, pornography, violence and mental illness.

The guide will direct all clergy in helping people who face various issues. All of these services are provided in both English and Spanish.

“It’s a fascinating project,” Ellis said. “I can’t wait to see it grow and produce positive results for our community.”

It is the team’s hope that Clergy Bridge will serve as a template for others to create similar projects, Ellis said.

“It represents how a few committed students really can do something for their community,” said Kerianne Dyer, a social work master’s student from Reno, Nev.

A seminar is planned where all clergy, including bishops, are invited to receive the free 109-page community mental health care services manual.

The seminar is scheduled to take place at Heritage Schools Inc. in Provo on April 18 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The school is located at 5600 N. Heritage School Dr. in Provo, and the seminar will be held in their non-denominational chapel.

“In all my years of school,” Mathusek said, “this is the most worthwhile class project with a tangible resource that can help people.”