Program forms clergy, lay ministers to meet mental health needs of others

For Beth Hlabse, working in the mental health space has been something of a vocation.

“Like so many, I got into the mental health field because of ways my own life and my family’s life had been impacted by mental illness,” she said. “In my late 20s, I returned to school to become a mental health counselor. I had felt a consistent vocational tug to try to serve in this way.”

Hlabse earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Divine Mercy University and pursued postgraduate studies in Christian ethics at the University of Oxford. She went on to work for a time as a mental health counselor, supporting adolescents and adults with histories of trauma as well as adverse childhood experiences.

She was later invited to serve on a committee reviewing a proposal for what would become the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame University – and was asked to serve as its inaugural director, a role she continues to hold today.

“The Fiat program strives to help Catholic leaders to strengthen hope and belonging within their parishes so as to better support those living with mental illness and their loved ones,” Hlabse explained. “We do so by forming priests, deacons, and lay men and women who serve at the parish and diocesan level.”

The program helps participants develop an understanding of mental illness, while supporting their discernment around how they can establish and cultivate “a culture of belonging and hope” in their faith communities.

To date, the program has formed more than 330 men and women serving in parishes and diocesan communities across the country. Those ministers have established faith sharing and support groups, and have injected education into other ministries like preparation for baptism, confirmation and marriage. They have also seen participants apply their training in efforts to reach the immigrant community, where mental healthcare can be difficult to access.

“It has been profoundly inspiring to see how they are walking with men and women in their home parishes who would otherwise be isolated and potentially experiencing the anguish of mental illness alone,” she said, adding that ordained clergy and ministers have also included what they have learned in their daily ministries. “The priests and deacons who have journeyed with us describe how they’re bringing an awareness of mental health into their homilies, and they say that the Fiat course has helped them in their pastoral care and accompaniment.”

Hlabse is one of several leading figures in the field who will be speaking at the New Jersey Catholic Mental Health conference on May 2. The program, “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church,” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., of the Archdiocese of Newark, will celebrate Mass. The cost to attend is $40 per person. Seating is limited, so visit njconf.com before registration is full.

Efforts to form faith leaders through the Fiat program are critical, Hlabse said, because they are often among the first to be approached for help by someone who is suffering.

“Many people turn first to their parish priest or to a lay parish minister when they themselves, or a family member, is impacted by mental illness,” she said. “We support these ministers in responding with compassion and care, identifying how the parish community can be a resource, and identifying referrals beyond the parish community in the mental health field. Our leaders serve as a bridge to resources internal to, and outside of, the parish community while at once being an ongoing source of accompaniment.”

Supporting those in their darkest moments is deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, Hlabse said.

“Our Catholic faith upholds the belief that Christ took on our suffering to the point of death, so that we would never suffer alone,” she said. “Even in moments of desolation and darkness when we do not experience the consolation of God‘s presence, our faith affirms that God is with us. We form leaders so that they can be present with those who are suffering … and help their faith community to be this presence for one another.”

Hlabse also reflected on the “profound loneliness” of today’s society, and how loneliness can exacerbate the experiences of mental illness. She noted that many might be tempted to offer quick fixes or advice.

“As communities of faith, we can recognize that we may not be able to offer a cure,” she said, “but we can offer a supportive presence, a presence of hope and love.”

To learn more about Notre Dame’s Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health, visit tinyurl.com/3jzbcun3.

If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988. For information about mental health resources available through Catholic Charities South Jersey, visit catholiccharitiessouthjersey.org/resources-2/mentalhealth/. For information on confidential emotional and spiritual care provided by VITALity’s Stephen Ministry, visit vitality.camdendiocese.org/stephen-ministry/.