Everybody belongs. Everybody serves.
Disability
Daryl
Sandy
lynn
Staci
United Way in the U.S. and in Canada has done magnificent work compiling extensive, up-to-date, and user friendly databases of local agencies and resources in both countries.
Here's a list of some of our favorite on-line sites for mental health. The variety is great, there is bound to be something that will offer help for you, your church or your church leadership.
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has a variety of resources available for ministry to those living with disabilities.
The "National Behavioral Health Barometer" (Barometer) provides data about key indicators of behavioral health problems including rates of serious mental illness, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, underage drinking, and the percentages of those who seek treatment for these disorders.
Depression is the second-leading cause of disability, with slightly more than 4 percent of the world's population diagnosed with it. The map shows how much of the population in each country has received a diagnosis of clinical depression.
The creator of Sibshops, Don Meyer, has started a website for grandparents of kids with special needs.
Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, provides solid medical information about various disabilities including mental illnesses.
This website has a calculator to help people receiving public disability benefits determine how their income, benefits, and health coverage could be affected if they go to work. This calculator works only for people living in Michigan.
Not only does this site contain articles that present positive views of autistic identity, but also it maintains an extensive list of resource and advocacy sites.
People with disabilities tend to be highly creative, since they have to find workarounds to do things that cannot be done the way most people do them. A kludge is a workaround using adaptive equipment or household items so that people can do what they want to do.
Wondering what sort of language is appropriate when referring to people with disabilities? This resource lists a host of articles on disability and language on a website founded by disability advocate Kathie Snow.
Shalem offers individual, couple, and family counseling from a Christian perspective and equips and supports communities, including faith communities, to better embrace the needs of people who struggle with emotional distress and/or mental illness.
An Orlando-based, non-profit organization that seeks to bring hope to kids with special needs and their families by providing resources and respite care. They also help equip local churches to be involved in special needs ministry.
Pathways to Promise is an interfaith technical assistance and resource center which offers liturgical and educational materials, program models, and networking information to promote a caring ministry with people with mental illnesses and their families.
Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends exists to communicate the gospel and equip Christ-honoring churches worldwide to evangelize and disciple people affected by disability.