Capitol Hill SDA Church Reaches Community’s Mental Health Needs
10 February 2023 |
Capitol Hill SDA Church in Washington, D.C., has taken a different approach to evangelism and community outreach, aiming to instead meet the holistic and mental health needs of their especially affluent D.C. community. Enter Capitol Hill Counseling and Resource Center, a building purchased across from the church and made into a holistic care center.
Emil Peeler, senior pastor of Capitol Hill, says that “In our original, [whole-church] vision-casting meeting in 2016, our congregation prayed to create an environment of relevance in our community and touch the people where they were hurting.” NAD News reports that:
To date, the counseling center has held more than 2,000 sessions, 90 percent individual counseling and 10 percent family counseling. Its diverse clientele includes children ages three and up, teens, and adults. Most clients present with anxiety or depression; the majority are also millennials (25-40 years old). Initially, the center offered in-person services but pivoted to teletherapy during the pandemic; they are transitioning back to a hybrid model. This center has helped thousands battle mental health issues, realize their full potential, stop smoking, fight chronic diseases, adopt a healthier lifestyle, and much more.
Nine licensed Christian mental health professionals staff the center, and Tanya Taylor, a licensed clinical social worker, is the director. Results at the center have shown the church leadership that mental health issues are universal and that they often cross economic, social, and generational boundaries.
Today, the church works hard to ensure the community knows they can address certain issues. Thus, the center is regularly promoted during church services, on the church’s website, via Eventbrite, flyers, word of mouth, and the Psychology Today database, where it stands out for its Christian-focus.
Peeler is proud of the talent he pulled from the pews of his church, with members’ contributing their special, individual gifts to make the Center a reality. “Once we stepped out in faith, 99 percent of the pieces to organize came from our church: our health coach, our initial counseling team, the organizational structure, our attorneys, even the realtor helping us secure this building. We have a rich, resourceful [church] community.”
One of the Center’s counselors, Mario Broussard, feels it is important to address the current issues in society. “Aside from physical health and nutrition, mental health has emerged as one of the most relevant tools for evangelism. Jesus gave us the blueprint [Christ’s method]. When you meet individuals’ needs, then they want to know what else you’re about.”
