17 Feb March 29: Free Idea to Action on Mental Health Issues

You’re welcome to sign up for the March 29 Idea to Action symposium. It will be held from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. This online-only event is free for everyone, but you must register.

The topic is “Erase the Stigma: Equipping the Church on Mental Health Issues.”

10:00 am
Dr. Mandy Kellums Baraka will address, “Who’s in Your Pew? History of Mental Health Care in the Church Congregations.”

Dr. Baraka is an assistant professor of counseling at Huntington University. She holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Wheaton College, and a doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Regent University. She has worked as a crisis therapist for Community Counseling Centers of Chicago.

11:00 am
Dr. Jerry Davis will lead a panel discussion on “Current Practices for Mental Health Care in the Church.” The panel participants:

• Rachele Dixie, Director of Christian Education at New Covenant Worship Center, Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Amanda Campati, Church administrator and coordinator of small group ministries at Broadway Christian Church, Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Kathleen Schaffer, member of the parish health team at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, New Haven, Ind.

Dr. Jerry Davis first joined the Huntington University faculty in 1981, and now teaches in the graduate counseling program. His experience includes 37 years of experience in private practice counseling and 25 years of clinical supervision.

11:45 am: break

12:00 pm
Dr. Eric Williams will address, “Pastoring Post Pandemic: Resources and Reflections for the Days Ahead.”

Dr. Williams teaches in the clinical mental health counseling program at Huntington University. His time as a counselor has seen him in many places, counseling everywhere from military bases to grade schools. He is credentialed as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor and as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of North Carolina.