Dr. Steve Grcevich's presentation for the suicide prevention webinar offered by Community Health Center of Northeast Oklahoma, March 10, 2021. The presentation includes a series of action steps for pastors and clergy of all faiths to follow to be prepared to respond to attendees with suicidal thoughts, plans or behavior .

1. Pastors, the Church
and Suicide Prevention
Stephen Grcevich, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
President and Founder, Key Ministry
Community Health Centers of Northeast Oklahoma
March 10, 2021

2. Churchgoers and
suicide
• 32% of churchgoers have lost a
family member or close
acquaintance to suicide
• 35% of victims attended church at
least monthly in months before
death
• 4% report church leaders or fellow
members knew of their loved
one’s struggles
Suicide and the Church Research Study, Lifeway Research (2017)

3. Suicide and the Church Research Study, Lifeway Research (2017)

4. The Church’s Response to Suicide
A disconnect between clergy and churchgoer perceptions?
• 51% of pastors,16% of churchgoers say their church has a list of mental
health professionals who can treat those considering suicide.
• 46% of pastors, 12% percent of churchgoers say their church regularly
addresses mental illness.
• 36% of pastors, 22% of churchgoers say their church has a lay counseling
ministry.
• 29% of pastors, 23% of churchgoers say their church has a trained counselor
on staff.
• 18% percent of pastors, 12% percent of churchgoers say their church has a
crisis response team.
Suicide and the Church Research Study, Lifeway Research (2017)

5. Action steps for clergy of all faiths
• Train pastors, frontline staff to respond to persons in crisis
• Formal training in suicide prevention
• Process for responding to persons expressing suicidal thoughts,
plans, behavior
• Become familiar with local mental health crisis response resources
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255), 9-8-8 in July
2022
• Talk about mental health-related topics during worship services
• Websites, social media, printed materials
• Maintain a current referral list of mental health practitioners, facilities
• Know one or two mental health professionals well enough to text,
call when confronted with someone in a mental health crisis

6. Help from Key
Ministry
• Training
• Conferences
• Video training
• Roundtables
• Consultation to churches
• Resources
• Networking with other
ministries
• Social media, sermon
videos, research
• Someone to come alongside
your ministry!

7. Connect with Key Ministry
• keyministry.org
• Facebook: Key Ministry
• Twitter: @KeyMinistry
• Catherine Boyle – Director of Mental
Health Ministry
• catherine@keyministry.org
• steve@keyministry.org