The Bridge
Relieve Suffering - Reveal Christ - Restore Life
Our ministry goal is to create a Mental Health Assistance Program that will be a bridge between the church and our local mental healthcare systems through providing prayer and evaluation through fellowship and coaching.
The Bridge is a pastoral care ministry of Home Church whose purpose is to provide a safe environment for individuals and families to discover help, encouragement, and hope from a Biblical and scientific perspective. We will assist the church ministries and staff to provide the intervention needed for those they encounter to relieve suffering, reveal Christ, and restore life. Individuals and families will be aided in identifying community resources easily, finding tools and techniques that will encourage goal setting, and be provided with direction and support for spiritual growth.
Our framework allows for a digital intake form that will initiate a workflow card for The Bridge team. A minimum of three meetings will be scheduled with the individual/family. There will be a minimum of two leaders present at each meeting.
The following are the forms that will also need a clients signature before our first session:
– An acknowledgement form will be provided for signature at the initial session as required by for Claudia Flato, PHD, Clinical Psychologist.
– Limits of Confidentiality and Client Rights
– Electronic Communications and Contact Policy
The Bridge is not a crisis intervention resource.
If you or someone you know requires immediate assistance, please call 911 or contact the local law enforcement office.
Comal County Sherrif's Office - (830) 620-3400
Blanco County Sherrif's Office - (830) 868-7104
Blanco Police Department - (830) 833-4375 | After Hours - (830) 868-7104
Kendall County Sherrif's Office - (830) 249-9721
Coaching Session
There is a difference between counseling and coaching. Counseling tends to address pain and the focus is usually on the past as a relates to the present challenges. Therapy then focuses on solving problems and treating disorders. Coaching deals with the present challenge in relation to future possibilities using resources and goals to move toward recovery in full potential. We will not be counseling the session attendees but will provide them with counseling resources, if requested. Our goal is to provide information and community resources that will encourage attendees to establish actionable strategies to move forward. Our heartfelt desire is for everyone to Find the Father, Experience the Kingdom, and look more like Jesus, every day.
During our sessions we will be considering three perspectives: how the client views the situation, how others/we view the situation, and most importantly how God views the situation. This will help us to focus our efforts and goals setting so we will be the most helpful.
PRAYER is a priority and will begin each session with the team as well as the opening of the session with the client.
Goals
1. RECOGNIZE:
The team, through active, listening and communication, will evaluate and assess the need what is the level of functioning, level of distress, suicidal thoughts, risky behaviors, etc.
SPIRITUAL MENTAL PHYSICAL RELATIONAL
2. REFER:
Provide resources upon request to local providers. Barriers to professional care are accessibility, affordability, and acceptability. We are currently establishing a resource database that may be of help with this challenge.
3. RELATE:
Create meaningful connections and break stigma; 1 in 5 individuals in the US is dealing with a serious mental health disorder. Half of these individuals have the disorder by age 14 and 75% by the time they are 24. (NAMI)
4. RESTORE:
Provide spiritual direction and support, sanctification process, small group, classes, etc.