“Many of our religious and
civic leaders have been misinformed and still approach mental health issues from
ignorance, stigma, fear, and very bad theology,” Chris and Carol explain.
Many still believe
that all people need to do is just quote a scripture, say a prayer, and God
will take care of the mental health issue by miraculously injecting solutions and resolutions into people's minds and emotions. But God says through Biblical text, that His people perish because of the lack of knowledge. In this aspect of our human experience, we suffer from debilitating ignorance.
In response to this
errant mindset and theology, we just wanted to get educated, trained and
empowered to address this crisis by learning from other, more knowledgeable and
experienced Christian organizations and institutions who bring a balanced and
holistic approach to helping individuals and families who are struggling with
mental health challenges. We wanted to immerse ourselves in proper education,
so that we could better understand the mental health crisis in our own families
and communities."
This specialization program in
Crisis Response and Trauma Care involved 24 hours of training and exams that prepares
leaders to come alongside of those who are hurting, and to help the interventionist properly and adequately
respond when a traumatic event happens. The good news is that God is always with us in our trouble,
and He has no greater plan than to work through His people as a conduit, to provide a "ministry of presence" that speaks to people in crisis, so that they might know that God will make a way.
Before taking on this master course, Chris had to complete a 42-hour rigorous training program that included:
1.) First, the
completion of a 14-hour course called Foundations of Mental
Health Coaching - This introductory course was designed to provide
students with an orientation to the field of mental health coaching. Topics
covered included the role and scope of mental health coaching within the local
church, ethical guidelines and professional standards in coaching, crisis
intervention techniques, and the integration of faith and biblical wisdom in
coaching.
2.) Next, the
completion of a 14-hour course called Mental Health Coaching
Skills -The purpose of this course was to provide students with
the fundamental theories and skills of Christ-centered mental health coaching.
Key elements of the coaching process, included methods of change, listening,
effective communication, giving hope, operating small groups, and counseling
theory.
3.) And finally,
the completion of a 14-hour course called Mental and Behavioral
Health Disorders - This course introduced students to the
fundamentals of mental and behavioral health disorders. Particular emphasis was
placed on factors that cause mental disorders, as well as conventional
treatments. Conditions discussed included addiction, anxiety disorders, bipolar
disorder, major depressive disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic
stress disorder.
Yes, that's a total of 66 hours of training and preparation. As a Board Certified
Master Mental Health Coach, credentialed by the International Board of Christian Care (IBCC), Chris has earned a voluntary global credential that trains and charges its
recipients to maintain the highest clinical, ethical and biblical standards of
practice.
“I'm very pleased to
have earned this credential," Chris concluded. “Now my wife (Carol) and I
are better prepared to assist people through our coaching business and
ministry. We're also able to become a more successful connection and liaison
between those who need help, and the very capable mental health professionals in our community.
We are part of an army of mental health coaches that are being trained and
deployed across the United States. It's a new day for those who have been
suffering in silence in our families, neighborhoods, church pews, classrooms
and office cubicles."
Chris and Carol Green are the creators of the CARE-Ready Life Coaching® model: Care-Readiness/ Training/ Certification, and the founders of the STEP Forward Life Institute™, an online community service preparatory platform. Through their business and school, they empower people to become the change they want to see, and to become the kind and caring light this world so desperately needs.
