Products and Resources Catalog

  The purpose of the sessions is to support tribal health care providers, and non-tribal health care providers who serve tribal people, in today’s critical environment. Trauma, stress, fear, and anxiety touches health care workers, just as it is felt by the patient or person you are helping. Longer hours and extra shifts, and the deep concern for family and patients, can weigh heavy on us as we continue to do our jobs. Our goal is to continue the supportive environment we enjoyed last month; where we remembered our strengths and learned new ways to renew during the most stressful of times, enriched by a series of Native music videos.   To watch the recording, click here.   Other resources: Nakoa Heavy Runner - Warriors Prayer  Twin Flames - Human Tunchai Redvers - "You Matter" Spoken Word Poem 9 Terms to Avoid in Communications with Indigenous Peoples  

Native people define spirituality as central to their culture and traditions. Spirituality, culture, and healing ceremonies not only reinforce the core beliefs of tribal life but also restore personal balance when life stressors threaten to overwhelm. The COVID-19 pandemic added enormous anxiety and fear into many tribal communities. Tribal health care providers needed to assume expanded and urgent responsibilities, and physical isolation of tribal community members meant that they were cut off from their traditional gatherings, dances, and ceremonies. Many tribal families lost relatives and friends to COVID-19, or other tragedies, which brought new levels of grief to our communities. We are now beginning to see light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and many Native people are taking stock of the past 15 months of physical separation and emotional strain. This discussion with Native spiritual and cultural leaders provides an opportunity to applaud the bravery of our health care providers and community members, and to discuss how Native spirituality can support our ability to regain our health and balance. For many, Native spirituality can be a potential antidote that minimizes the consequences of anxiety, fear, depression, and other stresses caused during the coronavirus crisis.   To watch the recording, click here.    Other Resources: Introductory Tribal Video: “Why” Native Dads Network Terry Cross/NICWA podcast (Jan. 11, 2021): Intentional Resilience White Bison Wellbriety Native Wellness Institute Native American Music Awards   Moderator:  Holly Echo-Hawk, Pawnee Nation, Tribal Behavioral Health SME, New England MHTTC   Presenters: Chief Mutáwi Mutáhash (Many Hearts),  Dr. Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba, Mohegan Tribe Jennifer ‘Healing Waters’ Harding, Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, Tribal Council Member Mike Duncan, Maidu/ Wailaki / Wintun and Western Band Shoshone

People define their spirituality, faith, and religion as being a process involving growth, addressing existential questions about meaning and sense in life, life satisfaction, well-being, a sense of purpose, hope, and optimism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and communities have started to explore more personal and collective connections with spiritual, faith, and religious resources as coping mechanisms. They seem to be a potential antidote that minimizes the consequences of anxiety, depression, and any other mental or physical stress caused during the coronavirus crisis.   In this context, the proposed panel and conversation series on spirituality, faith, and religion: creating a time and space for connection, wellness, and hope can be a tool for healthcare professionals, patients, family, and communities to reconnect with themselves, provide the most comprehensive care possible, benefit from spiritual practice, build social support, and share stories of hope and resilience.   Our community conversation series will offer comfort and safe space through structured and innovative conversation focusing on spiritual beliefs and coping. Activities facilitate verbal expression and appropriate social interaction and build a sense of belonging. We discuss activities and themes from these webinars within a recovery-oriented “emotion-focused coping” framework. A faith community member will lead this series.   To watch the recording, click here.    Moderator: Thomas Burr, Community and Affiliate Relations Manager, NAMI Connecticut   Panelists for July 8th, 2021   Enroue [On-roo] Halfkenny [Haf-ken-ee] Enroue Halfkenny has been a Babalawo [Bah-bah-lah-woe] within the West African traditional religion of the Yoruba [Yoh-ru-bah] People for more than 20 years. He is a clinical social worker, an artist, and an activist. He is a multiracial, Black, cisgender, heterosexual man, father of two, who has been married for more than 21 years. Mr. Halfkenny has also been living sober for over 28 years. The weaving together of spiritual health, mental health, and social justice issues and practices guide his life and direct his work with others. Noman J. Nuton Jr., Senior Minister Congregation: New Haven Church of Christ A native of Cambridge, Maryland, Minister Nuton is a graduate of Amridge University (formerly Southern Christian University) where he earned his bachelor of science degree in bible/ministry, graduating summa cum laude. For several years, he served at the Cambridge Church of Christ as the assistant minister and youth minister. At the Capital Church of Christ, he assisted with the youth ministry, teaching high school teens and preaching the gospel. Minister Nuton served as the senior minister of the Church of Christ in Easton Maryland for 6 years; for the past 4 years, he has served in his current position as senior minister at the New Haven Church of Christ. Committed to serving his church and his community, Minister Nuton is a board member of Christian Community Action, which is a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to housing, feeding, and educating families who are less fortunate. Minister Nuton achieved recognition working as a paralegal for a prominent law firm in Baltimore City, Maryland. In addition to his ministerial service, he worked in the insurance industry for 15 years in various positions, including working as a national sales executive for an insurance brokerage in Cambridge for 8 years. He also worked in conjunction with the Dorchester County Public Schools, speaking at various schools and community events. Minister Nuton, a resident of Hamden, Connecticut, is married to Myra; together they have three children, Mya, Mariah, and Norman III. Reverend Bonita Grubbs Rev. Grubbs has been the executive director of Christian Community Action since December 1988. Before that, 1985–1988, she was employed as assistant regional administrator in Region V (Northwest Connecticut) for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health. Actively engaged in public service, she has served as a governing board member for these organizations: Connecticut Housing Coalition The Hospital of Saint Raphael Greater New Haven Community Loan Fund International Festival of Arts and Ideas Connecticut Voices for Children Project Access New Haven Community Economic Development Fund Addition leadership positions include the following: Member, Connecticut Judicial Review Council Interim pastor, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, Hamden, Connecticut President, Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Co-chair, Steering Committee of New Haven’s Fighting Back Project Member, Board of Trustees of Mercy Center in Madison, Connecticut Member, Board of Trustees of Connecticut Center for School Change and Dwight Hall at Yale University Lecturer in supervised ministries and homiletics, Yale Divinity School President, ABCCONN, and chair of ABCCONN’s Personnel Committee   Rev. Grubbs holds an undergraduate degree in sociology and Afro-American studies from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She received two degrees from Yale University, a master of arts in religion and a master of public health. She received an honorary degree from Albertus Magnus College in 2001. In 2012, Richard Levin, former Yale University president, and Rev. Grubbs received the New Haven Register’s Person of the Year Award. In 2013, she received the Humanitarian Award from the Connecticut Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission. Presently, Rev. Grubbs is a member of the governing board of the Regional Workforce Alliance. Confirmed as deputy chaplain of the Connecticut State Senate General Assembly in 2015, she continues to serve in this capacity.  

People define their spirituality, faith, and religion as being a process involving growth, addressing existential questions about meaning and sense in life, life satisfaction, well-being, a sense of purpose, hope, and optimism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and communities have started to explore more personal and collective connections with spiritual, faith, and religious resources as coping mechanisms. They seem to be a potential antidote that minimizes the consequences of anxiety, depression, and any other mental or physical stress caused during the coronavirus crisis.   In this context, the proposed panel and conversation series on spirituality, faith, and religion: creating a time and space for connection, wellness, and hope can be a tool for healthcare professionals, patients, family, and communities to reconnect with themselves, provide the most comprehensive care possible, benefit from spiritual practice, build social support, and share stories of hope and resilience.   Our community conversation series will offer comfort and safe space through structured and innovative conversation focusing on spiritual beliefs and coping. Activities facilitate verbal expression and appropriate social interaction and build a sense of belonging. We discuss activities and themes from these webinars within a recovery-oriented “emotion-focused coping” framework. A faith community member will lead this series.   Moderator: Thomas Burr, Community and Affiliate Relations Manager, NAMI Connecticut   Panelists for June 24th, 2021   Reverend Hiram L. Brett Rev. Brett, the spiritual care coordinator and chaplain at Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) in New Haven, serves as a chaplain in the Bridgeport Hospital emergency room. Before joining CMHC, Rev. Brett served as pastor of Whitneyville United Church of Christ in Hamden, Connecticut. A graduate of Yale Divinity School (MDiv) and Stanford University (MBA), Rev. Brett completed his residency in clinical pastoral education at Yale New Haven Hospital. He has completed International Federal Levels 1 and 2 coach training and is working toward professional coach certification. Rabbi Randall (Randy) Konigsburg Senior Rabbi, Beth Sholom B’nai Israel, Manchester, Connecticut For almost 40 years, Rabbi Konigsburg has been a spiritual leader and pastor in congregations in Florida, Minnesota, Alabama, and Connecticut. He graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York City with ordination and a master’s degree in rabbinic literature. He has worked as a hospital and police chaplain, as a rabbi for hospice, and as a rabbi for teens on the March of The Living, an educational history tour of holocaust sites in Poland. He has trained in pastoral crisis intervention, education, cancer care, and substance abuse. He received an honorary doctorate from JTS for his work in the Jewish community. Rabbi Konigsburg tries to find time for nature photography. Benjamin (Ben) Doolittle, MD, MA Div Rev. Dr. Benjamin Doolittle is a local church pastor and a physician. He is an associate professor of internal medicine and of pediatrics at Yale Medical School and an associate professor of religion and health at Yale Divinity School. He directs the Yale Program for Medicine, Spirituality, and Religion as well as the Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program. Pastor Anthony (Tony) C. Martin Congregation: Trinity Baptist Church Pastor Martin is worship director at Trinity Baptist Church in Arlington, Massachusetts, and regional worship leader at the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. He holds a master of science and a bachelor of arts degrees in music and political science from the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston). He is the director of the UMass Boston chapter of My Brother’s Keeper. Launched by President Barack Obama in 2014, the My Brother’s Keeper initiative works to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.

Topics: * Evidence Base for Application of Yoga in Mental Health Disorders: Focus on work done by NIMHANS during the COVID-19 Pandemic * Panel Discussion/ Brief Q&A Session * Practice of Cyclic Meditation Technique for Stress Management Bios: Dr. B N Gangadhar, MD (Psychiatry), D.Sc. (Yoga), is currently the President of Ethics & Medical Registration Board, National Medical Commission, Government of India. Dr. Shivarama Varambally, MD (Psychiatry), MAMS, D.Sc. (Yoga), is a Professor of Psychiatry and current Head of the Department of Integrative Medicine at NIMHANS. Dr. Hemant Bhargav, MD (Yoga and Rehabilitation), PhD (Yoga), is a conventional medicine doctor with MD and PhD in Yoga therapy. He is currently working as Assistant Professor of Yoga, Department of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.   To watch the recording, click here. 

People define their spirituality, faith, and religion as being a process involving growth, addressing existential questions about meaning and sense in life, life satisfaction, well-being, a sense of purpose, hope, and optimism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and communities have started to explore more personal and collective connections with spiritual, faith, and religious resources as coping mechanisms. They seem to be a potential antidote that minimizes the consequences of anxiety, depression, and any other mental or physical stress caused during the coronavirus crisis.   In this context, the proposed panel and conversation series on spirituality, faith, and religion: creating a time and space for connection, wellness, and hope can be a tool for healthcare professionals, patients, family, and communities to reconnect with themselves, provide the most comprehensive care possible, benefit from spiritual practice, build social support, and share stories of hope and resilience.   Our community conversation series will offer comfort and safe space through structured and innovative conversation focusing on spiritual beliefs and coping. Activities facilitate verbal expression and appropriate social interaction and build a sense of belonging. We discuss activities and themes from these webinars within a recovery-oriented “emotion-focused coping” framework. A faith community member will lead this series.   Moderator: Thomas Burr, Community and Affiliate Relations Manager, NAMI Connecticut   Panelists for June 3rd, 2021   Pastor Marylin Rodriguez Congregation: Church Oasis of Blessing Christian Center   Pastor Marilyn Rodriguez was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and raised in a Christian home. In 1996, Pastor Rodriquez received her bachelor’s degree in visual arts and moved to New Britain, Connecticut, where she met her future husband, Jose Rodriguez. She has always been active in her church, and in 1999 she graduated from the Hispanic Bible Institute. In 2014, Pastor Rodriguez graduated from the Latin-American Bible Institute and went on to teach there for 2 years. For the last 8 years, she and her husband have worked at the Church Oasis of Blessing Christian Center. Pastor Rodriguez and her husband Jose have eight children. Pastor Kelcy G. L. Steele Congregation: Varick Memorial African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church   A native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, Rev. Steele is the 43rd pastor of Varick Memorial AME Zion Church. He is author of the book The Sound of Revival: 7 Powerful Prophetic Proclamations, which explores prophetic preaching in the Wesleyan tradition. He earned his master of divinity degree at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in 2018. Governor Ned Lamont appointed Pastor Steele to the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles in 2020. Pastor Steele is CEO of the Varick Center for Empowerment and an Imani Breakthrough Project Leader. He serves on the Board of Directors of Booker T. Washington Academy and is Cultural Ambassador of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. Pastor William L. Mathis Congregation: Springs of Life-Giving Water Church (The Springs) A native of Albany, Georgia, after graduating from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in political science and accounting, Pastor Mathis joined the staff of the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control for the U. S. House of Representatives.   Afterwards, he pursued his interest in law at Boston College, earning his JD degree in 1989 and serving as the National Chair of the Black Law Students Association in the wake of increasing minority presence in the profession. He served first as a judicial law clerk and then as Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney. While in these positions, he worked to ameliorate the plight of juvenile delinquents and to develop preventive programs and supporting environments. During this time, he was called to the ministry and began ministering through public policies. Before he entered Harvard University, he served as chaplain, counselor, and teacher at The Baraka School, a school for inner-city male youth based in Kenya, East Africa. Pastor Mathis received his MDiv from Harvard in 2002.   The Springs is an American Baptist Church in New Haven, Connecticut. Pastor Mathis seeks to help individuals view and develop each life experience as empowering and directional for their purposed lives as they become all that God intends. In line with his assignment, Pastor Mathis is CEO of WLM Ministries, a nonprofit organization devoted to providing consulting services to create community and faith-based initiatives focused on criminal justice, neighborhood safety, community building, youth empowerment, social justice, and African diaspora collaboration.    These are additional positions and affiliations for Pastor Mathis: Immediate past president, American Baptist Churches of Connecticut (ABCCONN), 2019–2020 Member, Baptist World Alliance’s Justice and Freedom Commission Consultant, Brazilian faith-based communities and non-governmental organizations working to empower Afro-Brazilian communities Member, Kingdom Association of Covenant Pastors Founding and steering committee member, New Haven 828, an organization devoted to bringing pastors and para-church leaders together for prayer and the formation of collaborative initiatives to address social ills Advisory board member, New Haven’s Juvenile Review Board Member, New Haven’s Reentry Initiative Roundtable Member, New Haven Community Violence Response Group      

Recording of the Rock Recovery-led event Breaking through Shame - How Faith Communities Can Remove Mental Health Stigma and Support those with Eating Disorders, originally held on March 11, 2021.   Slide Presentation

In this session, we discussed key cultural issues for understanding the causes and manifestations of psychiatric disorders in persons of Indian origin from India/South Asia in the United States. We will also discuss approaches to the management of such clinical presentations.

Recording of the webinar "Guiding the Shepherd and Shepherding the Flock in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Part 3," originally held on June 16, 2020.   Download the slides

In many cultures, spirituality is a key driver of well-being and hope. Faith leaders are coming together across communities to organize, support, provide, engage and instill hope. This NNED webinar discusses how faith-based NNED partner organizations are supporting the mental health concerns of racial/ethnic minorities and providing opportunities to receive support and connection through faith-based practices and partnerships. View the slides here.

Recording of the webinar titled "Guiding the Shepherd and Shepherding the Flock in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Part 2," originally held on June 9, 2020.   Download the slides

Role of Religion and Spirituality in Recovery presentation slides and transcript Additional Resources: Well Together: Community Inclusion Fundamentals Developing Welcoming Faith Communities Helping People Connect to the Religious Congregations and Spiritual Groups of Their Choice: The Role of Peer Specialists

Recovery from SMI has been studied and documented by researchers, practitioners, and individuals with lived experience around the world and across time. Recovery is real. Recovery can be supported by practices and services that encourage participant engagement, community inclusion, valued social roles, and overall wellness. This webinar series will introduce you to recovery from SMI and many of the evidence-based and promising practices that support recovery.  This session focuses on the role of religion and spirituality in recovery.   Download and view presentation slides, resources, and transcript

Recording of the webinar titled "Guiding the Shepherd and Shepherding the Flock in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Part 1," originally held on May 26, 2020.   Download the slides

  Farming and Faith Supports: Cultivating Spiritual Resilience in Challenging Times Resources Access slides using the download button above Recording   Corey Smith, PhD, moderated a panel of experts focused on the role of pastoral care in supporting farmers in crisis. Sean Brotherson, PhD, Monica McConkey, LPC, and Bishop William Tesch acted as panelists for this presentation. Panel members provided data and an overview of farm stress and the role faith communities play in supporting farmers. This data and policy was followed by an in-depth look at how agricultural workers engage with faith communities and the long-term benefits and improvements faith-based organizations provide. The session closed with information on resources available to farmers that are specific to faith communities.   Panelists Corey Smith, PhD Sean Brotherson, PhD Monica McConkey, LPC Bishop William Tesch

Hands-on Tools and Strategies to Assist Providers Working with Farmers December 16, 2019 Meg Moynihan, from Eyes on the Horizon Consulting, and Monica McConkey, from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, provided an overview on the tools and strategies they utilize every day to address the mental health needs of farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. This session highlighted specific examples of resources available to support farmers experiencing stress and mental health challenges, as well as a discussion on the best practices for providers working with this population. Slide deck Recording  

The slide deck for the August 25th training, presented by Dave Eckert of Access Services, on the intersection of faith and mental health.

The slide deck for the August 19th training, presented by Dave Eckert of Access Services, on the intersection of faith and mental health.

The slide deck for the August 18th training, presented by Dave Eckert of Access Services, on the intersection of faith and mental health.