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Dr. Sells at Regent University and The Church Cares have been documenting and responding to the loneliness, stress and mental health crisis.
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The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that there are 57.8 million people who have unaddressed mental health needs (NIMH, 2021).
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77% of counties in the United States face a shortage of behavioral health professionals (National Council for Behavioral Health, 2022).
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In 1986, the annual spending on mental health issues was $32 billion...
In 2009, it was $171.7 billion...
In 2020, it was 280.5 billion...
(Mortimer-Mitchell, Overfelt, & Sells, 2024)
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These needs are expanding faster than our ability to train professionals to address them, and we don't have funds to pay for the growing need and professional workforce.
The Christian Church is in a unique position to address the mental health needs occurring in our day.
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The Church carries a physical presence in every neighborhood. There are an average of 8 churches in every zip code in the United States.
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Some people may walk into a church before they seek out professional mental healthcare.
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The church needs:
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Training
Resources
Organization
Supervision and Oversight
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The Church Cares is a collaboration between churches, pastors, mental health professionals, educators, lay volunteers, church members, and the broad community.
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Pastors and Church leaders collaborate with mental health professionals to train volunteer helpers to work with individuals and lead support groups in 6 key care areas.
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Our program is set apart for several reasons:
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-We are university-based at Regent University.
-Developed by a wide range of experts and Christian professionals.
-Our program is completely free and has no strings attached.
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