Introducing Restoring Wholeness—Supporting Mental Health Care Access in Chatham County

At The Local Church, we’ve long believed that mental health matters and that it’s a critical part of our overall health. We’re certainly not the first to affirm this truth. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, understood salvation itself as a kind of healing: the restoration of the whole person: body, mind, and soul.

And Scripture affirms it, too. Paul prays that the whole person, “spirit and soul and body,” be kept sound (1 Thessalonians 5:23). And when Jesus names the greatest commandment, he calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

And yet, we live in anxious times, and many of us—and our neighbors—are struggling. Between partisan division, the rising cost of living, and the persistent din of social media, many of us—and our neighbors—are carrying more than we can hold. It’s not just you.

Here in Chatham County, for instance, more than 1 in 4 adults have reported a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. 2 in 5 high school students report feeling persistently sad or hopeless.

But finding care isn’t simple: 1 in 12 adults lacks a regular healthcare provider, 1 in 10 has no health insurance, and across rural North Carolina, provider shortages and stigma make the barriers even more difficult to overcome. For many people, the up-front cost alone is enough to keep them from ever beginning the journey to find care.

Our mission to “love where you are” compels us to act.

Thanks to the generosity of the North Carolina Council of Churches’ Partners in Health and Wholeness initiative, we’ve been awarded a $5,000 grant to launch the Restoring Wholeness mental health pilot, specifically designed to overcome barriers to care and reduce stigma.

Restoring Wholeness has three main pillars.

First, finding a counselor can feel overwhelming. Anyone seeking care can be paired with a trained advocate who will help them find the right fit and follow up to make sure it’s going well, all kept confidential.

Second, we know that care can be expensive, and access shouldn’t depend on one’s bank account. So we’ve created a confidential, needs-based scholarship that will cover the cost of the first three sessions.

And finally, in an effort to reduce stigma, we’re hosting regular trainings on various mental health topics. The first one is the Triple C Training, focused on mental health for parents and caregivers of teenagers and students on Saturday, November 7, at 10:00 a.m. You can learn more and register here.

Want to get involved, share an idea, or support this work? Just reply to this email. You can read more about Restoring Wholeness and our partners here. We can’t wait to see how this helps restore wholeness in our community!