Sustaining the Spirit in Spiritually-Integrated Mental Health Care

At Samaritan, our mission is to provide spiritually integrated mental health care to the people in the communities we serve. This means we take seriously each person’s faith and spiritual practices, and if they are willing, integrate these beliefs into their mental wellness care. In fact, part of employment at Samaritan is regular Wednesday devotions for all staff members; this is also the day our off-site team members travel to our main office to reconnect with one another.

Recently Jill Harp, our marketing and development coordinator, was the devotions leader. She read a children’s book about mindfulness and then helped lead staff members through a guided meditation. “I keep this book on my nightstand and read it occasionally to remind myself during very hectic or challenging times to be cognizant of the present moment and to enjoy the blue sky, nature, a good piece of chocolate, my kids’ laughter, or a smile from a friend,” she said. The clear and concise message in I am Peace, A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde is an excellent introduction to mindfulness for kids and adults alike. It was a creative and colorful way to share our weekly staff devotional time and a reminder that good children’s literature is inherently life-giving. Let’s all take a peaceful moment to remember that!