Mission

The Mental Health Caucus of Equual Access promotes equality and access for Unitarian Universalists with mental health issues. The term 'mental health issues' used here encompasses a number of conditions referred to by various names: mental health disabilities, mental health challenges, mental illness, and other mental health conditions temporary or permanent.

Our mission is to:

• Promote comprehensive accessibility for people with mental health issues, their families and allies throughout our faith community, including congregations, districts, and Association levels.
• Advocate within our faith community for full inclusion by identifying, countering, and dismantling negative mental health stereotypes and prejudice.
• Serve as a point of connection for individuals with mental health issues, their allies and faith communities.

As one of the caucuses of Equual Access, a collective of people with various disabilities and their allies, our focus is on mental health issues, in a society that devalues people with mental health issues. Our special task is to counter these negative forces, replacing them with education, understanding and welcoming into our religious communities.

We shall work to accomplish our mission through the following actions:

• Addressing and eliminating attitudinal and communication obstacles to full participation in all Unitarian Universalist activities in congregations, in districts, and in the denomination as a whole.
• Educating ministers and congregations about mental health by activities in areas such as worship, sharing resources, education about mental health, pastoral care, ministerial education, denominational participation, behavioral covenants, social justice, and spirituality.
• Developing and adopting mental health accessibility policies and practices that endorse and ensure the full inclusion of members, friends, and guests with mental health issues in a non-discriminatory manner, and by seeking to have them adopted by the UUA.
• Affirming the spiritual needs of congregation members and friends with mental health issues.
• Encouraging all people with mental health issues and their allies within the denomination to join in this effort.
• Creating an atmosphere of openness and acceptance of those with mental health issues.

For more information. contact The Rev. Barbara Meyers. Click here to email The Rev. Barbara Meyers.