Care for the Caregivers Interfaith Project

Self Care and Skill Building for the Clergy: A Unified Approach
A Program of the Council of Churches of the City of New York

The Care for the Caregiver Interfaith Project is a program of the Council of Churches of the City of New York offering a comprehensive, integrated health, wellness and pastoral skills program for religious leaders in the metropolitan New York area. This program is funded by a grant from The September 11th Fund which was established by United Way of New York City and The New York Community Trust.

Stage 1 — Short Term Crisis-Intervention Skill Building for the Caregiver (C-Flash)

Section One Goal: To help religious leaders become more effective in their role as trusted caregivers.

Outcomes: Religious leaders will learn to understand the difference between care and counseling, to understand one's own limitations, and to build a partnership of care.

Section Two Goal: To understand religious leader's role in assessment and intervention in disasters and other crises.

Outcomes: Religious leaders will learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of anxiety and brief responses in disaster; the differences between spiritual emergence and spiritual emergency; how to practice skilled care; and how to recognize severe symptoms of anxiety and grief that need referral for professional treatment as an extension of care.

Stage 2 — The Circle of Life Self Care Program*

Two hundred religious leaders throughout the metropolitan New York area will be recruited to participate in twenty-five circles of eight members each. Professional facilitators for each circle will lead religious leaders through a program of professional skill building and self care interventions.

Each circle will meet eight times for two hours each session, from September 2003 through February 2004. Group members will also meet twice individually with their group facilitator.

Using The Circle of Life program, participants will discover personal life choices that exert a draining, negative impact on their emotional and physical health and healing. Participants will learn what attitudes and actions enhance their ability to attain their health and life goals.

Confidentiality will be required at all times.

* The Circle of Life, A Dynamic Process of Continuous Personal Improvement
is a program created by Rebecca McLean and Roger Jahnke.