Pam Comer Archives - 91��Ƶ News

Sixth annual Walk for Hope raises awareness for mental health among college students

Randi B. Hagi — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 13:15:00 +0000

A quilt hangs inside the counseling center at 91��Ƶ (91��Ƶ), sharing the message: “Let hope light a fire that no one can put out; I am here to help; stay strong.” The quilt is a collaborative effort created over the first years by participants of , an annual event of solidarity in the face of depression and suicide on college campuses.

That solidarity is shown by the joining, and joint hosting, of four higher education communities in the region: 91��Ƶ, James Madison University, Blue Ridge Community College and Bridgewater College. The event averages between 700 and 800 attendees each year.

Sunflowers glow in a field owned by Bibb and Dolly Frazier and Frazier Quarry. The fall flower-picking event was a fundraiser for Walk for Hope, an annual spring event to raiseawareness about mental health, depression and suicide among college-age youth. (Courtesy photo)

The sixth annual Walk for Hope will be Saturday, March 25. Walkers will meet at Yoder Arena in the University Commons. The walk begins at noon with a loop around the Park View neighborhood. Post-walk festivities include snacks, food trucks, collaborative art projects, games for kids, and keynote speaker Dave Romano, a mental health advocate from Minnesota who works for the nonprofit Active Minds. Two years ago, Romano biked across the United States to raise awareness for mental health.

The message of the walk is that mental illness “is real, you’re not alone, there is hope, and it’s okay to ask for help,” said , 91��Ƶ’s director of .

The theme this year is “sunflowers,” thanks to the event’s primary sponsor, the . The Frazier family opened their sunflower field to the community last fall as a fundraiser for the walk. The field of flowers is memorialized in the t-shirts that all participants will receive.

Comer especially loves the art-making part of the event, such as the quilt squares. A second quilt, which is about halfway complete, will be finished at the end of this event.

“It’s a sense of expression without words, as they’re all sitting together, working together,” she says. “We’re all in this together.”

Comer has been on the planning committee since the walk’s inception through the program. CoachLink, which connects 91��Ƶ students with mentors, was initiated by the Frazier family after their son, Austin, passed away in 2009.

A group from all four schools got together to brainstorm – “how do we gather more schools together and make a statement in the community?” The Walk for Hope was born, and has been sponsored by the Austin Frazier Memorial Fund since the first walk in 2012.

“Without that family’s commitment, we wouldn’t have a Walk for Hope,” says Comer. The original planners were intentional about not asking participants to raise funds for the event, which might distract from their purpose. “It’s for students gathering and getting some inspiration and hope.”

Ken L. Nafziger honored for his many contributions to 91��Ƶ

Lauren Jefferson — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 14:33:43 +0000

At his farewell reception in early January, outgoing Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Ken L. Nafziger characterized his 13-plus years at 91��Ƶ as “a half-marathon.” The comparison drew a knowing laugh from colleagues, each of whom has memories of watching Nafziger jog through and around campus, both alone and with companions.

Provost Fred Kniss spoke about Nafziger’s many accomplishments and contributions to the university, for which he was honored by the Board of Trustees with an emeritus administrator title.

“Ken has helped 91��Ƶ make important gains in our abilities to serve our diverse community of students,” said Kniss, launching into a list of positive changes Nafziger led in from implementing the program, and expanding career services health services, and multicultural student services, to leading the since its inception in 2005.

“It has been a privilege to work here with this great group of people,” Nafziger said in his closing comments. “None of those accomplishments would have been possible or happened without the wonderful work of my colleagues in the Student Life department… I was fortunate enough to be here at the right time with the right group of people to see a lot of things come to fruition.”

The campus community gathers to reminisce and thank Dr. Ken L. Nafziger as he says farewell to 91��Ƶ. Ken has worked in leadership roles in student life for 13 years. (Photo by Dylan Buchanan)

Nafziger and his wife Judy plan to “take a learning break” in Costa Rica to study Spanish. “I’ve taken special care not to say the word ‘retire,’” he added. “Sixty is the new 50 … or so I’ve heard.”

Beloved on campus

A host of colleagues took the opportunity to share remembrances, some humorous and many emotional, about working with Nafziger.

“I’ve enjoyed your commitment to developing students, and really all of us, towards personal improvement,” said Dean of Undergraduate Students Deirdre Smeltzer.

Brian Martin Burkholder, campus chaplain, noted the “stream of people at your door…if it was open and they wanted to meet, you always said, ‘yes,’ and then when driving by at night on my way home, I’d see your office light on. You made yourself available even at great personal cost. That was servant leadership and love in action.”

Several colleagues also offered thanks for his skillful and compassionate relationships with everyone in the campus community, whether student, faculty, staff, “friend or neighbor,” said administrative assistant Bernadette Griffith, who often accompanied Nafziger to meetings around campus. She praised him as willing to understand differences in individuals, someone who would always take time to talk with students. “It was easy to tell how much you love this place and the people here … I saw this place through Ken’s eyes, and it’s quite beautiful.”

A particularly heartfelt thanks came from a faculty member, moved nearly to tears, who spoke “on behalf of other parents whose lives you touched” about how Nafziger helped, “with grace and compassion,” her child overcome some difficult issues and eventually graduate from 91��Ƶ.

Ken Nafziger always jumped to his feet during the most exciting times at 91��Ƶ basketball games. (Photo by Scott Eyre)

In addition to thanking Nafziger for his leadership and care, Director of Counseling Services Pam Comer read aloud the “Top 10 Things We Will Miss 91��Ƶ Ken.” A sampling from this list included praise for his wife Judy’s food and baked goods at potlucks, his knack for knowing and sharing words in other languages, the speedy way he crossed campus “from meeting to meeting to meeting,” his cluttered desk “that made us feel so much better about the state of our own desks,” and his affection for “anything Pennsylvania and Penn State.”

The top reason Nafziger will be missed was mentioned several times by other speakers: “leading the cheering with the bouncing program at basketball games.”

Nafziger, who graduated from 91��Ƶ with a bachelor’s degree in math, psychology and secondary education in 1979, went on to teaching positions in Virginia and Kenya with Eastern Mennonite Missions before returning to graduate school.

After earning a doctorate at University of Iowa, which included a one-year rotation at an out-patient psychiatry at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, he was a staff psychologist at University of Iowa’s counseling services and then assistant director of Penn State University’s Center for Counseling and Psychological Services and an affiliate faculty member in counseling psychology from 1997-2003.

91��Ƶ president appoints ‘Action Plan’ Steering Committee

91��Ƶ communications staff — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:23:57 +0000

President Susan Schultz Huxman launched an Action Plan Steering Committee Jan. 26 at 91��Ƶ to continue to ensure that the university is meeting federal regulations and implementing best practices to prevent and respond to allegations of sexual misconduct.

The appointment of the steering committee is the first of four actions implemented by Huxman in response to the Board of Trustee mandates after receiving the D. Stafford and Associates .

In addition to the work of the steering committee, Huxman announced three other actions to address best practices in the education and prevention of sexual misconduct on campus: development of a full-scale Title IX training program for faculty, staff and students; the implementation of a campus climate survey; and a review of the effectiveness of 91��Ƶ’s Title IX coordinator position, as recommended by DSA.

The DSA report found that 91��Ƶ has “extensive and detailed policies” addressing sexual discrimination, but these policies are found in disparate places; their recommendation was to create one comprehensive institutional policy.

“We are eager to move forward,” Huxman said. “I was pleased by the focus and commitment at our first meeting. This group of full-time 91��Ƶ employees collectively has the requisite special expertise in all facets of education around sexual violence and discrimination. I have full confidence that this committee will prepare a report that takes us beyond compliance, one that helps us to live into our mission and our Anabaptist values of peace and reconciliation.”

Board chair Kay Nussbaum expressed appreciation for the ongoing work of Huxman and the administration, as well as for the new steering committee.

“This work is vital in strengthening 91��Ƶ’s capacity to prevent sexual violence, effectively respond to allegations, and create a safe environment for our campus community,” she said. “We are grateful to move forward on this agenda with intentional action and focused leadership.”

Committee begins work on new Title IX policy

Huxman has named six members to the steering committee. By June 2017, this committee will have proposed a comprehensive new model for 91��Ƶ’s Title IX policy.

To create this model, the committee is charged with reviewing DSA’s Title IX policy recommendations, as well as those recommendations for best practices addressing sexual violence collected by a fall 2016 task force.

, director of counseling services, chaired a key 91��Ƶ task force that met in the fall and is also a member of the steering committee.

, the new Title IX coordinator, will chair the steering committee. Other members include , director of human resources and former Title IX coordinator; , co-director of Multicultural Student Services; , director of residence life, student accountability and restorative justice; and , nursing professor and current chair of the committee that hears and adjudicates Title IX hearings.

Development of Title IX training

Another action requires the design of a full-scale Title IX training program for the board, faculty, staff and students. Kniss will design the program and present it to the board, with cost estimates, a timetable and a plan of implementation for the next academic year (2017-18).

“The safety of 91��Ƶ’s community has been one of my primary concerns as director of health services and continues in this new capacity as Title IX coordinator,” said Kniss, from Orlando, Florida, where she is attending a four-day Title IX training certification conference. “The role integrates my experiences of more than 30 years in the medical field as well as 14 years in a law firm as a legal nurse consultant.”

Campus climate survey

A campus climate survey will be developed by the director of institutional research and effectiveness, , and presented to the board for approval at its June 2017 meeting.

The periodic survey will poll students, faculty and staff regarding their knowledge of racial and sexual discrimination or harassment, sexual assault/violence or any experiences with sexual/racial discrimination while attending or working at 91��Ƶ. The survey will also assess awareness of 91��Ƶ’s Title IX policies and procedures.

Review of Title IX coordinator

The action plan also includes review of the new Title IX coordinator position, completed by the president in consultation with the vice president of finance and human resources.

A summary of recent campus events related to healthy sexuality and institutional harms and healing

Here are some of the activities that have taken place on campus in the past six months related to the topic of raising awareness and educating students about sexual misconduct issues:

In fall 2016 91��Ƶ sponsored a Best Practices on Addressing Sexual Violence Task Force.
91��Ƶ hired a dedicated Title IX coordinator.
Four staff persons have received formal training in carrying out Title IX sexual assault investigations.
The Student Life Division integrated bystander training into orientation and first-year activities.
Students in the teaching, ministry and healthy sexuality class and the introduction to youth ministry class participated in a half-day sexual abuse prevention training provided by The Collins Center. [This is the fourth year the training has been offered.]
‘Conversations on Sexual Violence’ symposium, March 2016, aimed to nurture community-building and resilience, 2016:
A series of chapel addresses including: Sex and Millenials: #NewScripts, by Carolyn Stauffer, Oct. 5, 2016 (; Faithful Sexuality in an Age of Porn, by Ken L. Nafziger, vice president for student life and dean of students, Oct. 28, 2016 (; Service of Lament for Sexual Abuse, with Professor Jerry Holsopple, Nov. 9, 2016 (; Stumbling In The Darkness (Take Back The Night Seminary Chapel) by Charlie Tinsley, Nov. 15, 2016. (.
Symposium and lecture by Catholic victims’ advocate Tom Doyle which focused on institutional harms and healing, Nov. 15, 2016:
Student-planned Take Back the Night events which focused campus attention on sexual violence and victims, Nov. 22, 2016:

Scheduled for Summer Peacebuilding Institute, 2017

Professor Carolyn Stauffer

Course description: Incidents of sexual wrongdoing damage institutions in addition to injuring individuals. When relationships are ruptured by sexual misconduct, institutions have a responsibility to repair the harms done, address breaches of conduct, and work towards prevention. This course investigates the forms that sexual harms can take and provides participants with the knowledge, skills and tools to build more preventative and restorative organizational environments. View more information.

‘Conversations on Sexual Violence’ symposium aims to nurture community-building and resilience

Walt Wiltschek and Lauren Jefferson — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 14:10:06 +0000

A multi-year research project on domestic violence, under the direction of professor , will be highlighted in a community education symposium at 91��Ƶ (91��Ƶ) this spring. The March 19 symposium, “Conversations on Sexual Violence: Cultivating Community Resilience,” focuses on both preventative education and “post-traumatic growth,” according to Stauffer, with the aim of “creating deeper awareness of resilience strategies for both individuals and communities in response to intimate partner violence.”

The event — which includes speakers and interactive arts-based opportunities for reflection, learning and healing — is Saturday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in 91��Ƶ’s Suter Science Center. It is free and open to the public as well as the campus community.

“Sexual violence doesn’t just impact individuals,” Stauffer says. “It is a breach of relationship. How can we rebuild community in the face of violence? If we can build toward a healthier definition of community, I think we’ll all feel safer and provide an environment for profound healing.”

Stauffer’s project, titled “,” began in 2012 with research among domestic abuse survivors from within communities of homeless women, undocumented Latinas and Mennonite women from Old Order or conservative church communities. Stauffer employed a strengths-based approach, with particular focus on the resilient ways in which women survive in spite of gaps in societal support networks. Her project employed strategies that empowered study participants, integrating storytelling interviews with circle processes and healing arts workshops.

Last spring, MA in biomedicine students were integrated into the project with a about adverse childhood experience. Most of the students are future health care providers, and the experience asked them to reflect on the symptomatic and diagnostic implications of personal narratives as they participated in storytelling, communication activities and playback theater events with co-facilitators, some of whom were domestic abuse survivors.

Stauffer and the planning committee have included some of these same components in the symposium, she says. “This is an interdisciplinary event with planning, support and participation coming from various groups and departments across campus,” she added, the representation of which is important to the idea of both community response and support.

Plenary presenters include , assistant professor of restorative justice and peacebuilding at 91��Ƶ’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and University of Notre Dame doctoral researcher Sheila McCarthy. Turner will speak on “Healing in Community” and McCarthy on “Sexual Violence through the Lens of Moral Injury.” , an 91��Ƶ graduate whose published writing has explored her identity as a survivor of sexual abuse, will share her poetry. Inside Out, a campus theater group which has also participated in other parts of Stauffer’s multidisciplinary project, will host a session on the innovative and healing art of playback theater.

“To me, this type of witness moves our peace stance from the rubric of a privatized individual journey to a much more collective awareness of the church’s role in embodying the challenge to ‘speak truth’ to abuses of power,” Stauffer says. “It invites us as a community of faith to higher levels of transparency, truth and grace for all parties involved.”

Afternoon breakout sessions in two 90-minute blocks options provide attendees with a variety of options, including:

“How to Appropriately Respond to Disclosures,” by Mike and Lavonne Yoder of in Milton, Pa.;
“Body Work and Response Mechanisms of Memory Storage and Release,” by , director of 91��Ƶ’s (STAR) program;
“Arts Approaches to Trauma Recovery,” with Janine Aberg;
“International Perspectives on Sexual Violence,” by Diana Tovar Rojas and Myriam Aziz of 91��Ƶ’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding;
”Unpacking Consent, Unhealthy Relationships and Sexual Assault,” by Chris Ehrhardt and Laurel Winsor of James Madison University’s (CARE) program;
“Safe Church Protocols of Prevention,” by Ross Erb and Jackie Hieber of , which provides sexual assault crisis services and other programs in Harrisonburg;
“Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA),” by Sarah King and Daniel Foxvog;
“Restorative Justice Dialogues in Crimes of Severe Violence,” by , restorative justice coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee;
“LGBTQ Perspectives on Sexual Violence,” by , assistant professor of education at 91��Ƶ;
“I Am Your Broken Place: The Grief of Sexual Violence,” by , director of at 91��Ƶ.

Stauffer says the project has involved “many hands coming together.” Members of the faculty and staff planning committee include Mansfield, the STAR director; Comer, director of counseling services; Roger Foster, co-founder of playback theater troupe; , history professor and department chair; Teresa Haase, director of the graduate program in counseling; and , professor of social work. The student-led has also helped to advise and support the symposium, and students are being encouraged to attend.

“Having students as an integral part of what we’re doing is key,” Stauffer says. “The investment and energy that students bring adds huge value to the whole process.”

A final educative component, designed for 91��Ƶ faculty and staff and focusing on institutional dynamics, is being planned for this coming fall.

The “Silent Violence” project has been funded by a JustPax Fund grant since 2014. focuses on individuals and organizations working for effective change through innovative approaches to societal challenges relating to gender, environmental and/or economic justice. The fund is administered by through the Everence affiliate, Mennonite Foundation. Due to that support, the event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required.

New student-led Coalition on Sexual Violence Prevention wants less ‘hush-hush’ discussion of healthy sexuality

Randi B. Hagi — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:18:56 +0000

One positive step towards preventing sexual violence on college campuses is overcoming the traditional silent treatment associated with the topic. As April is , this spring has been the perfect time to break that silence, with the help of the newly formed at 91��Ƶ.

Senior Aliese Gingerich, founder of the group, says that even talking about sexual health “can be very hush-hush,” especially on a Christian college campus.

But that “hush-hush” has been less so lately. In recent controversy, a Rolling Stone article about the alleged gang rape of a female student at a University of Virginia fraternity party was . Also in the press has been the recent government scrutiny, related to Title IX gender equity laws, of how colleges and universities handle sexual violence and harassment complaints.

Add the new Coalition’s efforts to the discussion. The group also goes by the acronym of “SPEAK,” which means Support survivors, Prevent assault, Empower bystanders, Advocate for change, and Know yourself and your rights.

“We want to cultivate a more honest and supportive campus climate for survivors of sexual assault,” says Gingerich, “and a climate that is more proactive in preventing sexual violence.”

Most incidents go unreported

Overcoming barriers to communication is the cornerstone of this student-initiated and administration-supported initiative, according to faculty sponsor and .

“The more we are aware, talk openly, and face this as a campus,” says Comer, “the healthier we become.”

The group has raised awareness this month through a day of activism and a discussion on healthy sexuality in Common Grounds with the Campus Health Educators organization. They hosted a final discussion and meeting in University Commons to make plans for next year.

Two incidents of sexual assault have been reported from 2011-2013 in 91��Ƶ’s most recent Campus Safety and Security Report. However, according to a 2003 study published by the international journal Criminal Justice and Behavior, “completed and/or attempted rapes [among college students] were reported to law enforcement officials in less than 5 percent of cases.”

Many people believe that sexual assault does not happen on a Christian campus, or are just unaware of the definition or consequences of sexual violence, says Gingerich.

Isaiah Williams (left) and Jodie Geddes volunteer at the photo booth event. (Photo by Randi B. Hagi)

“I think it’s an organization long overdue on campus,” says junior Hannah Mack-Boll. Her involvement in the coalition was prompted by survivors of sexual violence in her own life, who need support. “Part of that is prevention,” she said.

Graduate student Jodie Geddes, who is studying , says the coalition’s goals span from specific discussions of consent and assault to addressing “the way we uphold human dignity in our society.”

First-year Isaiah Williams was another member volunteering alongside Mack-Boll and Geddes at the coalition’s first event this month, a photo booth where students posed next to their own hand-written statements about what “consent is” and why they “stand with survivors.”

Engaging voices

Gingerich’s motivation to start the group comes from learning about this type of trauma through her mother’s work with the in Iowa City, Iowa. Housed at the University of Iowa, the organization offers a variety of healing, support, advocacy and prevention services, including 24-hour crisis lines, support groups, and awareness campaigns.

“I just grew up hearing lots of stories” about both healthy and violent forms of sexuality, says Gingerich.

When her mother asked what training and resources 91��Ƶ provides, Gingerich says, “then it dawned on me, we really have nothing. And that’s kind of ridiculous … it lit up a fire in me.”

Gingerich worked with Comer to propose a task force to and the President’s Cabinet. From this proposal, the Coalition was born as an offshoot of the Crisis Management Preparedness Team.

Goals of the coalition include engaging “a variety of voices,” says Geddes.

The group also wants to educate the campus community about how to respond to traumatized survivors – to encourage the campus community to become more “trauma-informed,” Comer says. “We often do not take into account the trauma the experience carries. Most people do not want to talk about this, know this, or face this. We are human beings, and this is one of our challenges, even at 91��Ƶ.”

On Churches Hearing, Holding, and Hoping Amid Mental Health Challenges

Michael A. King and Joan K. King — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:01:31 +0000

We tend to see mental illness as something that happens out there, to stigmatized strangers on the fringe of our churches, when in fact mental illness affects our families, friends, loved ones, congregants, and many of us personally. In short, mental illness is experienced by everyone in church communities – by “us” and our loved ones, not just by “them.”

This was the recurrent theme of the at , Jan. 21-23, which was titled “Imagine Church as Healing Space.” The event attracted over 270 participants and resource persons who sought to “hear, hold, and hope” amid mental health challenges. are online.

Hosted and planned by EMS, the event felt historic: multiple participants said this was the first time in a public church context they had felt part of the group, not in spite of but because of their depression, anxiety, bipolar diagnosis, schizophrenia, and more. This was the first time they had felt normalized, not stigmatized, with their journey held in love, not primarily met with silence or marginalization. We see that experience, so easy to report but so rarely experienced, as a key gift the 2013 SLT offered.

Hearing from those with mental and those who love them

A second gift was space to tell and hear the pain mental illness causes both its sufferers and those who love them. Earl and Pat Martin offered searingly moving glimpses of their journey through their son Hans Martin’s development of symptoms of schizo-affective disorder.

Earl shared journal entries he had written during the sleepless nights after Hans was first hospitalized. In these contemporary psalms of lament, Earl raged at a pitiless God who treats his creatures like vermin, snapping off their limbs, leaving them soaked in their own blood. Earl railed at this God as the sick one who should get treatment for insanity. He reported that after he stopped writing of his own volition, spent, his pen kept going and offered words from God, who said that God’s own son was in fact in treatment and was the roommate in a neighboring bed whom Earl had feared would hurt Hans.

Not a cheap hope

A third gift was hope. This was not a cheap hope. Many at SLT, from participants through resource persons, told of confronting the anguish caused by suicide. To name just one example, in a laughter-yet-tear-stirring blending of drama and storytelling, told of his journey through his comedy partner Lee Eshleman’s battle with depression and of how the suicide to which it drove Lee so shattered Ted’s own life and career that years have gone into rebuilding. Yet precisely in this heartrendingly open naming of the torment, Ted offered hope—hope for himself and hope for those still grieving the loss of their own loved ones.

Hope was also movingly offered through stories of persons seeking to live recovery-focused lives even amid the diagnosed illnesses once thought to be themselves virtual death or at least imprisonment-in-miserable-conditions sentences. John Otenasek, himself a “consumer,” as he put it, in recovery, led a panel of men (including Hans Martin) and women who told of enduring addictions, joblessness, homelessness, and more. Yet they also spoke of finding hope—often from peers confronting their own illnesses—enabling them to live meaningful and even joy-tinged lives while navigating ongoing bi-polar episodes or hearing voices.

And hope was offered when Tilda Norberg modeled what can happen when we attend to the “God icons” in our lives and dreams. She risked a live Gestalt pastoral counseling session with a courageous Sherill Hostetter. Drawing on insights from one of Sherill’s recent dreams, Norberg led Sherill in working through how her mother’s undiagnosed and untreated mental illness had affected her as a child and even now as a leader. She more fully claimed her own empowered voice as a recently ordained minister and congregational consultant.

Recovery, love and acceptance

Fittingly enough, just days after the 2013 SLT concluded, the New York Times published on Jan. 27, 2013 by Elyn R. Saks, diagnosed with schizophrenia yet a successful law professor at the University of Southern California. As did many at SLT influenced by the recovery movement in mental health, Saks stressed, “An approach that looks for individual strengths, in addition to considering symptoms, could help dispel the pessimism surrounding mental illness. Finding ‘the wellness within the illness,’ as one person with schizophrenia said, should be a therapeutic goal.”

In a conclusion that movingly echoes the convictions SLT participants took with them, Saks reported: “’Every person has a unique gift or unique self to bring to the world,’ said one of our study’s participants. She expressed the reality that those of us who have schizophrenia and other mental illnesses want what everyone wants: in the words of Sigmund Freud, to work and to love.”

Claiming our stories

When we checked with the Martins to make sure our references to their stories were acceptable, Pat said, “One of the SLT statements that stuck with me, spoken by either Joan or Ijeoma Achara that first night, pulled us all into the common task of being human: ‘Recovery is about claiming one’s story. The tools are the same for all of us whether struggling with mental illness or an overwhelming job.’” At EMS we’ll continue to ponder how, whatever the details of our stories may be, we help each other claim them.

—Joan K. King is senior integration consultant, The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, and owner of Joan K. King Consulting and Counseling LLC. is dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a vice president of 91��Ƶ.

School for Leadership Training focuses on Mental Illness

Laura Lehman Amstutz — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 14:52:31 +0000

“All congregations are touched in some way by mental illness,” said , coordinator for this year’s at .

“Our goal is to help church leaders and congregations become healthy sources of support for both the individuals and their family and friends.”

The January 21-23 event, titled “Imagining the Church as Healing Space: To Hear, To Hold, To Hope,” will help leaders explore the role of congregations in providing space for those with mental illness, as well as families and friends who play a supportive role with these individuals.

Speakers will share from their personal journeys and offer ways to hold brokenness and faith in tension in the midst of the challenges of mental illness.

Michael and Joan King and Ijeoma Achara will speak Monday evening on “An invitation to hear, to hold, to hope” in a plenary session open to the public. Michael is dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Joan is a counselor and senior integration consultant for the . Achara is a consultant for state and local governments and health care providers on developing recovery-oriented systems of care for those with mental health issues.

Tuesday morning, Tilda Norberg, author and founder of Gestalt Pastoral Care, will lead an experiential session on “Gestalt Pastoral Care: A New Approach to the Ministry of Healing.”

Tuesday morning, , professor of pastoral care at EMS, and , director of , will lead the group in a session titled “It takes a healthy village: 5 things to know about mental illness,” giving participants basic information about mental health and mental illness issues.

Tuesday evening, John Otenasek, executive director of a non-profit center for healing and recovery, will lead a panel of individuals who will share personal stories of the journey through the extreme emotional states of what our society labels “mental illness.”

Wednesday morning, Ted Swartz, founder of , will perform “Laughter Is Sacred Space,” a show based on his experiences with his acting partner Lee Eshleman, who committed suicide in 2007.

Workshops will explore various aspects of the ways congregations can support individuals with mental illness and their families in healthy and sustainable ways.

Pre-registration is necessary for all events except Monday evening. For more information or to register, visit .

Out Of The Shadows

Candace Sipos — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:33:16 +0000

Courtesy Daily News Record, April 2, 2012

Julie Hersh stood in front of hundreds of people Saturday morning and explained how she tried to commit suicide three times while suffering through a long bout of clinical depression.

The vast majority of the crowd was made up of local college students. Some came up to Hersh after her speech to relate similar struggles experienced by family members, close friends or in some cases, themselves.

Hersh, who graduated from Harrisonburg High School in 1978 but now lives in Dallas, said this is what events like Saturday’s “Walk for Hope” are all about.

“This is, unfortunately, something that people are afraid to talk about,” said Hersh, an author who travels across the country telling her story. “Freshman year is a very, very common time for a first mental break. I believe if more people understand that … we would have fewer suicides.”

Hersh was the main speaker at “Walk for Hope,” the first ever held in Harrisonburg, and the response was surprising to many.

“This is the first year ever that we know of that all four schools united for something like this,” said , director of the , referring to 91��Ƶ, James Madison University, Bridgewater College, and Blue Ridge Community College. All of the schools were represented at the walk.

The , set up in memory of a JMU student who committed suicide in October of 2009, paid for the event, which was held to raise awareness of mental illness and suicide, educate the community – and to show those suffering from psychological disorders that they do not have to suffer in silence.

The walk’s planning committee would have been happy with about 400 students, she said.

“We got double,” she noted, explaining that there were more than 800 people at the event.

A short walk from different parts of the city through downtown to the grassy area beside the started off the event.

At least one band from each college then entertained participants while they took part in various activities, such as signing mirrors with encouraging phrases or networking with various community resource vendors.

One woman sitting behind a table was Grace Engle, a senior 91��Ƶ student who works for the , which provides a range of counseling and family services in Harrisonburg.

“I think it’s really good to have awareness,” Engle said. “Suicide really affects the community, not just the person who commits suicide.”

She said she has had friends who have struggled with depression and other mental health disorders.

Other students who participated in the walk expressed surprise at how many fellow classmates showed up.

“To see that many students willing to show their support off campus was motivating,” said Logan Fellenstein, a sophomore music major at Bridgewater College. “It was a good concept. I hope they can continue [the event] in the future.”

Comer said she expects that to happen given the success of the inaugural event.

CoachLink Aims To Save Lives

Kate Elizabeth Queram, Daily News-Record — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Born Out Of Tragedy, 91��Ƶ Program Provides Mentors To Ease Transition To College Life

By Kate Elizabeth Queram, Daily News-Record

When he sat down to write his son Austin’s obituary last fall, Bibb Frazier was faced with a choice.

He could be purposely vague about how the 22-year-old died, or he could say, straightforwardly, that it was suicide, caused by his son’s battle with bipolar disorder.

“And I chose, in this case, to do something to make people think about a very real problem,” said Frazier, of Harrisonburg. “This is a situation where it’s best just to be honest and try to save some lives in the future.”

Austin Frazier Memorial Fund

Austin Frazier

To accomplish that goal, Frazier established the , where people could send monetary gifts in lieu of flowers. Immediately, he said, they began to pour in.

“There were well over 100 gifts made, and they’re still coming in,” he said. “And about a quarter of them are from strangers.”

This fall, that donated money – with additional funds from Frazier himself – will help launch a program at 91��Ƶ designed to make the transition to college life easier for students suffering from mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

‘CoachLink’ connects the dots

Called “CoachLink,” the program will pair undergraduates with “coaches” – second-year graduate students enrolled in 91��Ƶ’s master of counseling program.

–> Participation in the program is voluntary, and the request for assistance can come from the undergraduates themselves, their parents or faculty members, according to Pam Comer, director of counseling services at 91��Ƶ.

The graduate students – who will receive credit for their participation – will serve as mentors, campus liaisons and friends, Comer said.

‘A listening ear’

Pam Comer, director of counseling services at 91��Ƶ

“Coaches will determine case by case what each individual undergraduate needs,” she said. “They’ll connect them on campus, be a go-to, be a listening ear.”

Frazier said he chose 91��Ƶ after the Mennonite community reached out to his family following Austin’s death. The campus’ size, he added, is ideally suited to the program.

“Being such a small school, I think it’s a particularly good nurturing environment for it to be tested and tweaked and monitored,” he said.

Program begins with four coaches

Currently, the program has four coaches, with the potential to expand depending on the demand from undergraduates.

Comer said she knows of at least two incoming students who have expressed interest in using CoachLink, but that the need for the program is much more widespread.

“Twenty-five percent of any college campus usually has some kind of pre-existing issue with depression or anxiety,” she said.

“91��Ƶ half of them could really be helped by a personalized layer of attention.”

Importance of ‘reaching out for help’

The hope, according to Frazier, is to encourage students to reach out for help in time to prevent them from feeling disconnected, withdrawing from school or ultimately succumbing to their disorders.

Frazier said he felt that if Austin – a junior at James Madison University when he died – had access to a program like CoachLink, his outcome could have been different.

“It’s an unmet public health need, transitioning these kids … into the freshman dorms, because once they leave their home, it’s sink or swim, baby,” he said.

“You’re on your own. You have to ask for any help, and sometimes for these students, that’s the hard thing.”

Future plans for CoachLink

The program is funded for three school years, according to Frazier, and the results will be tracked to determine if it can be expanded to other campuses. But even if it stays, successfully, at 91��Ƶ, he’ll be happy.

“My first and number one hope is that it saves lives,” he said. “If we can just save a couple families from having to go through what we did, that’s enough.”

More info

For more information on CoachLink, contact Pam Comer at 540-432-4314 or email coachlink@emu.edu. If you or someone you know has concerns about suicide, she advises calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Pam Comer Archives - 91����Ƶ News