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Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together

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Nehemiah Action Results

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We had over 1,500 people in attendance at the 2011 Nehemiah Action from IMPACT’s 31 member congregations and guests from the community.
 
We secured committments from Charlottesville City Councilors Satyendra Huja and Kristin Szakos, Albemarle County Supervisor Lindsay Dorrier, and Region Ten Executive Director Robert Johnson.
These officials committed to funding Healthy Transitions, a program to serve ex-offenders with mental illness upon their re-entry into the community; as well as developing plans to provide supportive housing for those with a diagnosed or diagnosable mental illness.
Because of their commitments, we are making a positive IMPACT on our community for those with mental illness!


IMPACT will continue to follow-up with these officials through the next budget cycle and beyond to make sure that they follow through with their commitments. 

Questions IMPACT asked Robert Johnson (Executive Director of Region Ten):
1. “Will you utilize the funds allocated by the City and County in 2012 and subsequent years for the implementation of the Healthy Transitions Program?”
2. “Will you provide IMPACT, the City and the County with a written report on the Healthy Transitions Program by November 30th, 2011?”
3. Will you attend IMPACT’s Annual Assembly in the fall of 2011 to give an update on the development of the Healthy Transitions Program?”
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Robert Johnson
Yes
Yes
Yes
Questions IMPACT asked the City and County officials:
 
1.“Will you support funding for the Healthy Transitions Program in the amount of ½ of the $85,000 program cost, up to a maximum of $50,000, on an annual basis starting in the 2012-2013 fiscal year?” 
 
2.“Will you designate a staff member to develop a proposal to use a percentage of new affordable housing proffers specifically for supportive housing for people with mental illness and present it during the upcoming comprehensive planning process?”
 
3. “Will you direct your staff person to meet with IMPACT leaders periodically throughout the development of this proposal?” 
 
4.“Will you attend the IMPACT Annual Assembly in the fall of 2011 to give an update on the development of Supportive Housing for People with Mental Illness Proposal and the funding for the Healthy Transitions Program?”
 
City Council Member
Attended Nehemiah Action?
Question1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Kristin Szakos
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Satyendra Huja
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dave Norris
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Holly Edwards
No
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Dave Brown
No
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
    *n/a-official was not present, nor sent a response to IMPACT leadership
Result: The City officials have committed to fund their portion of the Healthy Transitions program between Region Ten and District Nine Probation and Parole.  IMPACT did not receive enough commitments at the Nehemiah Action to have the city develop a proffer policy that would include housing for people with a mental illness.
 
County Supervisor
Attended Nehemiah Action?
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Lindsey Dorrier
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ann Mallek
No
Yes
No
No
n/a
Duane Snow
No
Yes
No
Yes
n/a
Dennis Rooker
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ken Boyd
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Rodney Thomas
No
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
 
Results: In the County there is enough support for the Healthy Transitions program if the proposal goes through the funding review process and is supported by the Commission on Children and Families.  The proposal for proffers to be used for supportive housing for people with mental illness does not currently have enough support to pass in the county.
 

Mental Health Survey Results

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IMPACT Congregational Survey
Brief Summary of Interim Findings
March 28, 2011

Early Research Committee interviews surfaced the belief that even as we seek to motivate action from the community for more effective provision of mental health services, we need to know more about what support is needed and is being provided through our congregations. Some members believe that communities of faith have unique opportunities to dispel stigma and increase inclusiveness for persons impacted by mental illness. We therefore provided a questionnaire to our member congregations seeking information about what is being provided and what more is desired. Seventy-one (71) individuals have submitted online or paper responses thus far to 8 questions.
Responses, edited for confidentiality, may be secured from gwilcoxs1@aol.com.
Mental health issues reported:
Depression (18) Post partum Depression (2) Obsessive-compulsive disorder (3) Anxiety (15) Bipolar Disorder (14) Borderline Personality disorder (2) Eating Disorder (2) Self injury (1) Suicide attempt (2) hospitalization (3) Anger management (3) Social anxiety in groups (1) Severe grief (1) Care Giver Syndrome (1) Substance Abuse Disorder (6) Disabling Emotional Distress (3) Gay family member adjustment (1) ADHD/ impulsive disorder (5) Work related stress due to discrimination (1) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (2) Schizophrenia (4) Schizoaffective Disorder (1) Self deprecating/retributive judgments of the Divine (1) Sleep Disorder (2) Brain Trauma (1) Elderly Dementia (4) Autism (1) Psychopathic (1)
Support received from faith community:
Loving acceptance/sense of belonging and value (5) Spiritual Direction (1) None (13) Open available clergy (2) Not church role (1) Pastoral counseling (2) Referrals to providers (1) Prayers and sermons (1) Small groups/peer support (2) Worship (3) Social activity (2) Committee Work (1) Child care (1) Volunteering opportunities (2) Private I assume (2) Openness of self-affirming others with mental illness (3) Financial assistance (1 ) Childcare (1) Teaching Assistant for special needs during Sunday School (1) Pastoral Care/support Committee (2) Prayer partners (1) Care Giver Support (1) Bible Study (1)
Support desired from faith community:
Respite care for care giver (1); Understanding of how hard it is to keep it together (2); Free/discounted counseling (5); Financial aid (3) Group insurance option  (2); Counseling/support groups (8); Education groups (4); Spiritual support counseling and group (6;) Referral information (2); Buddy program (1); Short and Longer term grief group (2); Awareness raising activities (2); Mothers’ Support Group (1); Adults reach out to other’s children (1); Family support (1); Listening individuals (1); Nothing more than prayers (1); Bible study (1); Peer or pastoral counseling (1); Complete openness by all (1)
Congregation comfort with mental health issues:
Only comfortable in safe friends/groups (4); Not at all comfortable (15); Don’t know (34); Quite Comfortable (6); Somewhat comfortable (7); Considered needy and people turn away (1);
What would make the congregation more comfortable dealing with mental illness?
Pastoral leadership (3); Education (5); Support groups with families sharing same problems (2); Open discussion/people affected share stories (4); Affirming sermons and offer of support (3); Assurance of confidentiality upon request (1); Alleviate shame (2); People needing support should make known (1); Bible study (3); Have know mental health advocates in congregation (1); Ask the congregation this question (1); Called congregational discussion (2);
Is there stigma, and what can congregations do to help overcome stigma related to mental illness?
Yes (39); Not in our congregation (1); Keep company with consumers (2); In churches, be open and recognize we are all part of the Body of Christ (1); Provide access to the church overnight (1); Support groups for families dealing with it (1); Dispel association of mental illness with violence or homelessness (1); Education re: brain research/frequency/diversity/suffering/lack of services (8) Financial support of provider organizations (1) Input from mental health professionals (2); People with mental illness “come out” (1); Broad, open discussions (1); Help in coping with actively mentally ill (3); Un-welcoming congregations seek practices of welcoming congregations (1); Sermons(2); Congregational leaders/clergy share about treatment they receive/d (1);
Other comments:
Thanks for asking (12); Worse during recession (1); Work on community-at-large, pessimistic about congregations to help (2); Congregations make long term efforts to reduce stigma (1); Not congregations job (1); IMPACT publish resources on web site and other ways (2); Understand connection with homelessness, jail, relationship loss (1);

Executive Committee

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2011-2012 Executive Committee

Co-Presidents:
The Very Reverend Jim Richardson, Rector, St. Paul Memorial Episcopal Church
Minister Dorothy Jordan, Zion Baptist Church-North Garden

Vice President:
Denise Zito, Holy Comforter Catholic Church

Secretary:
Kim Wilkens, Peace Lutheran Church

Treasurer:
Reynell Stokes, University Baptist Church

At Large Members:
Rev. John Herman, Pastor, Peace Lutheran Church
Kristen Schenk, Church of the Incarnation

Please send general inquiries to impact@thedartcenter.org

2008 Nehemiah Action Results

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The March 10th IMPACT Nehemiah Action meeting was a great success! Nearly 2,000 people (1,950 people signed in) from 28 member congregations attended. All of our elected officials from Charlottesville and Albemarle County, and key healthcare providers attended and participated. Significant progress was made to address critical needs in our community.

Dental need:
The lack of access to dental care, both emergency and restorative, for low-income uninsured adults has reached crisis proportions in our community. There are over 1,000 people on local waiting lists for dental care in volunteer based programs. One program sees 60 people per month, another saw 20 people in the last year. UVa Hospital had over 1,700 people come to their emergency room with dental needs last year, most of whom were sent away just with antibiotics and pain medication.

Dental commitments received:
We received commitments from the Charlottesville Free Clinic to develop a plan and hire a dentist with the goal of beginning service by March ’09. The health department and CADA (Charlottesville Area Dental Access) agreed to support this plan with in-kind resources, such as space. Martha Jefferson Hospital, UVa Medical Center, and the Charlottesville/Albemarle Dental Society committed to bring appropriate resources to implement this plan.

Affordable Housing need:
IMPACT has focused on the tremendous need for affordable housing for families earning 0-30% AMI (Area Median Income), or under $20,000 per year. There is a deficit of 3,917 affordable rental units for families in our region earning under 30% AMI (Source: TJPDC “State of Housing Report”, Jan. 2007). There are over 900 people on the waiting list for public housing in Charlottesville and the Housing Choice Voucher program (section 8 rental assistance) waiting list in Charlottesville is closed. Seven hundred people applied for the Albemarle County Housing Choice Voucher program when they opened their waiting list between Nov 07 and Jan 08.

Affordable Housing commitments received:
Last year IMPACT sought and won the creation of a Charlottesville, Albemarle, UVa Task Force with the first priority to address the need for affordable housing for families earning 0-30%AMI.

This year IMPACT sought funds to enact the proposals coming out of this task force. We asked Charlottesville City councilors to budget $500,000 in FY09 to support proposals that come out of the Task Force for rental housing for the working poor in the 0-30% AMI category. We received commitments from Councilors Holly Edwards, Satyendra Huja, Julian Taliaferro and Mayor David Norris. Councilor David Brown did not commit.

IMPACT also asked Albemarle County Supervisors to budget $500,000 in FY09 to support proposals that come out of the Task Force for rental housing for the working poor in the 0-30% AMI category. We received commitments from Supervisors David Slutzky and Lindsay Dorrier. We did not get commitments from Supervisors Ken Boyd, Sally Thomas, Dennis Rooker and Ann Mallek.

These monies could be used to create more rental housing units, for rent assistance, or to preserve existing units of affordable housing. With this investment of local funds, non profit developers can leverage 4-7 times as much money in matching funds from state, federal and other sources to build or preserve affordable housing units.

Through the work of IMPACT we are excited to have so many people from all walks of life and faiths coming together to create a more just community!

Charlottesville Tomorrow recording of IMPACT Assembly