Links

Here is a selection of sites offering a faith based link.

Some of them also appear on the helplines page.

Anscombe Centre
The Anscombe Centre (originally known as the Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics) is a Roman Catholic academic institute that engages with the moral questions arising in clinical practice and biomedical research. It brings to bear on those questions principles of natural law, virtue ethics, and the teaching of the Catholic Church, and seeks to develop the implications of that teaching for emerging fields of practice. The Centre engages in scholarly dialogue with academics and practitioners of other traditions. It contributes to public policy debates as well as to debates and consultations within the Church. It runs educational programmes for, and gives advice to, Catholics and other interested healthcare professionals and biomedical scientists.
Professor David Albert Jones, the director of the Centre, is a research fellow at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford and a visiting professor at St Mary’s University College,Twickenham and is a member of the Bishops’ Health and Social Care Advisory Group.
Bishop John Robinson Fellowship
The Bishop John Robinson Fellowship in Pastoral Theology and Mental Health is a resource that people can access for advice, consultation, education etc. It produces an informative newsletter including current activities and publications around spirituality and mental health.
Contact:
Bishop John Robinson Fellowship in Pastoral Theology and Mental Health,
c/o Julia Head, Spiritual and Pastoral Care Service,
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust,
Denmark Hill,
London, SE5 8AZ
Tel: 020 7919 2815
Boarbank
Is home to a community of Catholic Religious Sisters, Canonesses of St Augustine in Cumbria. Their life is based on the ideals of unity, love and compassion, as expressed in the fourth-century Rule of Saint Augustine.
Boarbank regularly hosts retreats for those in healthcare. “Doctors and nurses are dealing every day with matters of life and death. Yet they are often too busy and preoccupied to reflect on how their work relates to their faith and their spiritual lives and to those of their patients. Our residential week provides a restful, restorative and encouraging space for exactly that.”
British Association of Christians in Psychology (BACIP)
The British Association of Christians in Psychology (BACIP) is an organisation for Christian professional and student psychologists in academic and applied settings.
Caritas Social Action Network
CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) is the official agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales for domestic social action.They support a network of 43 Catholic charities in England and Wales.
The Caritas network works for some of the most vulnerable people of society across England and Wales, providing support for families and children, the elderly, the homeless, refugees, the disabled, and prisoners. The national team of CSAN, based in London, works to strengthen and facilitate the network, conduct policy and advocacy work and use its ‘voice’ at a national level.
Catholic Family
For a wealth of news, information, resources and sources of support for Marriage and Family Life across the catholic community go to:
Catholic Health Association USA
Represents hospitals and health systems and provides a substantial range of resources
Catholics in Health and Social Care
Today, many Catholics work in the health service, in all disciplines and fields, and Catholic hospital chaplains provide a vital ministry. The contribution that the Church can make to ensure that the good of the human person is always placed at the heart of the health system cannot be overestimated.

The Bishops' Conference Health and Social Care Advisory Group has priorities which include:
• enabling Catholic hospital chaplaincy to thrive with integrity in the fast changing world of the National Health Service
• creating a multi-disciplinary network for Catholics working in healthcare to find mutual support
• articulating a Catholic spirituality of healthcare in the 21st Century.
Catholics in Health and Social Care continued...
For a selection of talks at a seminar held by the Network of Catholics in Health and Social Care which asked the question: ‘Health and Social Care Staff: Good Samaritans for the 21st century?’ Go to:
Catholics in Healthcare
Here is a website celebrating and supporting the Catholic contribution to health, social care and social actionwhich includes prayer materials, links to Catholic organisations, resources such as Cherishing Life and the Caring for the Catholic Patient series, and a series of prayer material and reflections on health from the Church’s teaching.
Cedar
The Domestic Abuse Working Group (DAWG) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales have gathered a range of resources under the banner of CEDAR (Catholics Experiencing Domestic Abuse Resources) to help parishes, deaneries, dioceses, school and organisations in the Catholic Church in England and Wales grow in awareness of the issues surrounding domestic abuse.
Chaplaincy
For NHS England’s information on chaplaincy and NHS England – NHS Chaplaincy Guidelines 2015: Promoting Excellence in Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care go to
Chaplaincy - Julia Head
Julia Head is a Mental Health Chaplaincy team leader in a busy London hospital that provides in-patient and community mental health care. Mental Health chaplains look after the spiritual, religious and faith-based needs of patients and service users.
Day for Life…
…was initiated by the late Pope John Paul II, to encourage the Catholic Church worldwide to celebrate the sanctity of life. Day for Life 2008 focused on Mental Health to raise awareness of the needs of those affected by mental ill-health, their friends, their family and their carers and the support that the parish community can bring. For 2008, the Bishops chose ‘The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit’ as the theme. Then in 2009 the focus was on the theme of suicide. Building upon the previous year’s focus on mental health, the bishops hoped that the 2009 day with its particular focus on suicide would help raise awareness of the vital role played by families and a supportive parish community in supporting and sustaining those who may be struggling to cope. The theme was ‘You are precious in my sight’ Isaiah 43:4
To hear Baroness Sheila Hollins speak on mental health, wellbeing and everyday life go to:
Episcopal - Bishop Moth
Bishop Richard Moth is the Bishop for Mental Health and Chair of the Bishops’ Conference Mental Health Project and talks about the mental health project in this podcast.
Faithaction
FaithAction is a network of faith-based and community organisations serving their communities by delivering public services (such as childcare, health and social care, housing and welfare to work).
They empower faith-based and community organisations by offering support and training, disseminating key information and acting as a connector between Government and grass-roots organisations.
Faithaction have been a part of the Department of Health’s Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme every year since its formation in 2009. Along with the other Strategic Partners, they work with the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England as the voice of faith groups.
Hospital/Healthcare Chaplaincy
The Mission and Public Affairs Division of the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England has a website which lists and regularly updates news and information on training courses relevant to healthcare chaplaincy.
Jericho Tree
Is a magazine-style website bringing together articles and videos about faith, culture, lifestyle and news – from a Catholic perspective.
Mental Health Access Pack
One in four people experience a mental health problem at some point in their lifetime. This is as true for those in the church as anyone else. It can be hard to know how best to support those with mental health issues. Livability and Mind and Soul have teamed up to provide this free resource to:
• equip you with knowledge and advice, from medical, psychological and theological perspectives
• help you support those in your community who are struggling with mental health issues
• help you to discuss issues and share ideas surrounding mental health and the church
The pack can be found on:
Mental Health Chaplains
Chaplains make a valuable contribution in the NHS, providing spiritual support for patients in difficult circumstances, bereaved relatives and staff. Chaplains working within mental health in-service units have an important role to play around spirituality and mental health. You could contact the local hospital chaplaincy department as a starting point for links with the NHS. For a list of all mental health trusts: see Mental Health Trusts link below. Many diocese websites have hospital chaplains listed. For a quick link to your diocese website go to:
Mental Health Chaplains Forum
The College of Healthcare Chaplains hold s an annual conference with a mental health forum running alongside. http://www.healthcarechaplains.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/MHTG-propgramme-Annual-Study-Confernce-2016.pdf
Mental Health Trusts
Provide health and social care services for people with mental health problems and every Trust has chaplaincy services which are advertised on their individual websites. For a list of all mental health trusts look here:
Mind and Soul
Mind and Soul is a non-denominational organization exploring Christianity and Mental Health.
National Catholic Safeguarding Commission
Free online training for a culture of safeguarding.
Each programme is meticulously considered to be at the service of the learner.
The Church has a responsibility to ensure all those who undertake work in the name of the Church are adequately trained in safeguarding matters.
The Catholic Church is dependent on Clergy, Religious and Lay people using their skills and talents to nurture and support the Catholic community. Some will be paid employees, but the majority undertake their work on a voluntary basis. Whilst some will recognise their role as a volunteer, many rightly see their caring and support contribution as part of their Christian responsibility and ministry.
But we all have a role to play in safeguarding the young or adults who may be at risk and it is for this reason that we have worked with EduCare to bring you an e-learning package that will raise awareness throughout the Catholic Community in England and Wales. The e-learning package is part of the Church’s commitment to safeguarding, and is available to all members of the Catholic community free of charge.
There are several modules available as well as one on Mental Capacity.
This module introduces the fundamentals of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 (which came into full force in 2007) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and covers the purpose of the MCA, to whom it applies and its five core principles.
Video and imagery Engaging interactivity Responsive design Voiceover and audio.
Official Catholic Directory for England and Wales
The official Catholic Directory for England and Wales as a one-stop shop for information about our Catholic parishes - contact details, Mass times, maps and more. Managed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, the directory also gives you information and contact details for our 2,245 Catholic Schools. The directory is easy to search, just enter a town, postcode or name into the simple search form.
Older People - Ben Bano
Ben Bano was a social worker for nearly 40 years and was Director of Older Peoples services in East Kent Mental Health Partnership Trust from 2002 to 2005. In 2007 he founded Telos Training and he has delivered a range of training workshops in mental health care and dementia across the statutory and non-statutory sector. In 2011 Ben started an initiative called 'Welcome Me as I Am' to raise awareness of mental health issues in Catholic parishes and deaneries.
Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, Vatican

St Dymphna Befriending Group - Jo Bird
Joanne Bird, a Mental Health nurse from Nuneaton, leads the ‘St Dymphna Befriending Group’ – bringing together a group of volunteers from her parish to support all those in the Rugby deanery who experience mental distress.
The National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum
Invites mental health service users, carers, workers, faith community leaders and representatives to learn from each other, develop working relationships and share good practice in spirituality and mental health care.
For articles and reports go to:
Week of Prayer & Awareness of Dementia
12th -19th March annually.
For a multitude of downloadable resources and updates go to the Prayer and Resources sections - new resources are added regularly in the lead up to the Week.
Email [email protected]
Welcome Me As I Am
Understanding Mental Health Needs in our Parish and Deanery Community
Ben Bano is the Director of 'Welcome Me as I Am' - a not-for-profit Community Interest Company promoting mental health awareness in Faith Communities and in the wider community.
Ben works with Parishes, Deaneries and Chaplaincies and as well as with Councils of Churches in the important task of raising awareness of mental health and dementia issues and how they can be communities of understanding and welcome for those with mental health needs.
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day falls on 10 October every year. To raise awareness the Bishops’ Conference media team produced a series of podcasts and asked the question ‘Could this be you?’ to encourage the Catholic community in England and Wales to explore how we can support and promote good pastoral care for people experiencing mental distress.
Here are the podcasts where experienced mental health professionals give us an insight into their work in a Catholic context.