Author Archives: Dr. G

Unknown's avatar

About Dr. G

Dr. Stephen Grcevich serves as President and Founder of Key Ministry, a non-profit organization providing free training, consultation, resources and support to help churches serve families of children with disabilities. Dr. Grcevich is a graduate of Northeastern Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), trained in General Psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University. He is a faculty member in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at two medical schools, leads a group practice in suburban Cleveland (Family Center by the Falls), and continues to be involved in research evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications prescribed to children for ADHD, anxiety and depression. He is a past recipient of the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Dr. Grcevich was recently recognized by Sharecare as one of the top ten online influencers in children’s mental health. His blog for Key Ministry, www.church4everychild.org was ranked fourth among the top 100 children's ministry blogs in 2015 by Ministry to Children.

Kimberlie Zakarian…When an invisible disability meets pediatric bipolar disorder

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Dr. G

During those times, not one person from the church we were at came to visit or pray with me. My guess is that they perhaps did not know how to handle mental illness. Walking those early years alone as a parent of a child with bipolarity led to depression and trauma on my part. This is the trauma many parents of children with hidden disabilities endure. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Bipolar Disorder, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Who’s your ONE?

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Dr. G

Today’s blog post is authored by Mike Woods, Church Consultant with Key Ministry. One of the potential issues with starting special-needs ministry outreach is that the scope of the disability-related problems in your community can seem so big that it … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Intellectual Disabilities | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cleveland rocks!

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Dr. G

The Heart of Rock and Roll Prom is a wonderful example of how churches without limitless resources can come together to provide a great experience for individuals with disabilities while promoting awareness of their needs in the communities they serve.
Continue reading →

Posted in Intellectual Disabilities, Key Ministry, Stories, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why I’m a little unsettled by the blowback against Matt Walsh…

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Dr. G

It’s impossible for any of us to judge whether what Matt Walsh said without walking in Robin Williams’ shoes was accurate…and his words were certainly insensitive. But I also sense a frightening trend in society to shame or silence people (or organizations) with views that are unpopular in the moment. Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Depression, Inclusion, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Any parents of kids with disabilities interested in an online small group?

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Dr. G

Dr. Steve Grcevich recently contacted me with the idea of offering an online format for parent support via videoconferencing. This is a great opportunity to offer a community of support to parents who otherwise would not have access via a more traditional face to face group Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The relationship between depressed mood and church attendance

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Dr. G

While many experts in the mental health or Christian counseling fields acknowledge the mental health benefits of a vital faith, this data appears to represent a signal that self-reported symptoms associated with anxiety or depression may be significant barriers to church attendance. Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The relationship between anxiety and church attendance…

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Dr. G

Is it possible…or even likely that an important reason people attending church report less anxiety is that the regular experience of anxiety causes people to have more difficulty in attending church? Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

How “prior authorizations” impact kids with disabilities…

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Dr. G

I’m all for controlling medical costs and trying to apply rational rules to our use of expensive medications and procedures. But in the current system, everything seems to be in service of the corporate side of medicine, not the patient. The clinical rationale and the actual patient — not to mention the doctors and nurses involved in the care — are at best secondary concerns.
Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dr. G to be keynote speaker for Awana Ministry Conference 2014-Mississippi

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Dr. G

Our Key Ministry team is delighted that Steve will be serving as the keynote speaker for this year’s Awana Ministry Conference on Saturday, August 23rd at First Baptist Church in Oxford, MS.
Continue reading →

Posted in Key Ministry, Resources, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Incomplete…

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Dr. G

I can attest that our work would be impossible without the time and talent of Board members, staff and volunteers who themselves are being actively treated for a mental health condition or have a child (or multiple children) receiving treatment. Life for each of them is not without bumps in the road, but yet they serve magnificently. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments