Category Archives: Families

One mother’s journey…adoption and psychotropic medication

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Dr. G

For my family, psychotropic medication provided a critical tool on the road to get her to where she is today, at a time when we desperately needed it, but it was neither a simple nor problem-free tool to use. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Mental Health, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A different way of thinking about kids with mental illness

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Dr. G

Let’s think about church for a minute and consider the reality that folks with mental illnesses have disabilities that cause them difficulty in some environments but not others. There are lots of things about the environments in which we “do church” that pose major barriers for a parent or child struggling with common mental health disorders.
Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Advocacy, Anxiety Disorders, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Does your church inadvertently hurt people with mental illness? Guest blogger Amy Simpson

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Dr. G

Unfortunately, many church leaders are ill-equipped to help people get the care they need. And while 25 percent of those who seek help from clergy have the most serious forms of mental illness, studies have shown that clergy refer less than 10 percent of them to mental-health professionals. On top of that, for every person who seeks help, many more stay silent, afraid to admit their illnesses to themselves or to risk the rejection of the people around them. Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Key Ministry, Leadership, Mental Health, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Introducing Amy Simpson…guest blogger for Mental Health Month

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Dr. G

I’ll be doing a short series next week in honor of Children’s Mental Health Week examining the obstacles to fixing our country’s broken system of providing care for kids and teens with mental illness and their families and exploring ways in which the church might play a redemptive role in supporting families in need of care. Later in the month (or whenever it becomes available), we’ll be launching a series based upon the publication of the DSM-5, the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Continue reading →

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An adoptive parent’s plea…Why won’t God show us what to do?

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Dr. G

The church also needs to be prepared to come alongside parents through the process of raising kids exposed to trauma or abuse and proactively put the necessary supports in place to allow families who adopt to maintain their active role in their local church family. Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Families, Key Ministry, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Evidence of God at work…just outside the Beltway

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Dr. G

Every time I’ve been able to attend, I’ve come away with three or four invaluable new contacts who have contributed greatly to our work at Key Ministry. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Families, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Guest Blogger Dave Lynden…Remembering How the Story Began

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Dr. G

On the Labor Day weekend of 2010, I found myself- yet again- living the story of the Scriptures while on a trampoline with my beautiful little boy who was soaking in the unadulterated one-on-one time he had with his dad. Continue reading →

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Joe Butler: Life with Micah, Part Two…Ability Tree becomes a reality

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Dr. G

The vision of Ability Tree is big. It’s my life mission, and will take at least a lifetime to see fulfilled. We have already seen glimpses of the vision God placed in our hearts. Listen to what one of our volunteer families wrote recently… Continue reading →

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Guest Blogger Joe Butler…Life With Micah

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Dr. G

The more we learned about special needs ministry, the more we learned that the majority of churches weren’t equipped to include families with special needs. Both Jen and I sensed that it was our life mission to reach out to other families like our own.
Continue reading →

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Our kids (and families) aren’t defined by a diagnosis…

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Dr. G

Your child is not defined by their diagnosis. They’re the same kid that they were when they got up this morning, with the same strengths, weaknesses, gifts and talents. As Christians, we’re defined by who we are in Christ. Their diagnosis is not their identity. Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments