Behavioral Health
All Good Health Includes Mental Health: Healing the Body, Mind and Spirit
Dealing with struggles is an expected part of life that cannot always be avoided, but sometimes those struggles become overwhelming.
Sometimes they are temporary and sometimes they may persist as a mental illness – actually a “brain illness.” Strengthening the connection between the body, mind and spirit takes effort. Anyone can experience mental health issues which affect the whole person. Healing also has to take into consideration the person as a whole. Friends, family and your parish can make a difference in a person’s healing process.
The Behavioral Health Ministry at St. Thomas strives to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and to minister to the emotionally/mentally ill and their family and friends with confidentiality and respect through advocacy, prayer, education and support. By continuing to break the stigma, we can work toward a parish where everyone affected by mental illness can find the support and care they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
For more information about mental health resources at St. Thomas or in the community, please contact Nancy Kratz, Ph.D. in the St. Thomas Wellness Office at 630.355.8980, x104 or nkratz@stapostle.org
Helpful Resources
If you are in an Emergency or Crisis situation please call 911 for immediate assistance.
The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, and prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. Call or text 988 now.
In 2022, nearly 49,476 people in the U.S. died by suicide according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10–14 and the 12th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.
At the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, our goal is to make mental wellbeing a reality for everyone. Reach out to the following resources to help yourself or someone in your life.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Call or text 988 for 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress, including: Thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, and other kinds of emotional distress.
- Veterans Crisis Line
- Veterans and their loved ones can text 838-255 OR dial 988 then press 1 for to get 24/7 confidential crisis support. Responders are real people, many of them veterans, who are specially trained to support veterans. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to use the Veterans Crisis Line.
- SAMHSA’s National Helpline
- Call 800.662.4357 (HELP) or text your zip code to 435.748 (HELP4U) for free, confidential treatment referral and information for individuals and families in need. The helpline is available 24/7, 365-days-a-year and has English and Spanish language options.
- SAMHSA’S Disaster Distress Helpline
- Call 800.985.5990 for a 24/7, 365-days-a-year national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
- St. Thomas Grief Support
- Catholic Charities
- Catholic Therapists
- Need You Right Now
- Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers
- Chicago Archdiocesan Commission on Mental Illness
The information provided is not a substitute for medical or psychological evaluation and treatment. For assistance with physical or emotional problems or concerns, talk to your physician and a mental health professional.
- Presentations and workshops sponsored by the Behavioral Health Ministry
- Mental Health First Aid Training throughout the year
- St. Dyphna Mass and Resource Fair in May
- Grief Support Educational Ministry Groups
