On the 1st of August Dr Monica Short, Rev. Dr Alexander Abecina and Rev Natalie Arendse presented a workshop on "How chaplains provide grace-full hospitality during a youth mental health crisis" at the Anglican Schools Australia Conference.
Harries, Cant & Butorac in their work "An outcome evaluation of school Chaplaincy" found that mental health issues were the second-highest pastoral issue dealt with by Chaplains in state schools and we believe it is similar in private schools. In response, the team decided to undertake a co-operative inquiry conversation between two social workers (Kat Hindle - CSU alumnus and Dr Monica Short) and three chaplains (Revd Dr Alexander Abecina, Revd Natalie Arendse and Revd Chris Lewis) to explore and document the contemporary experience of being a chaplain.
The pilot research, which has ethics approval, is a partnership between Burgmann Anglican School, Whitsunday Anglican School, Canberra Girls’ Grammar School and Charles Sturt University through the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture and the School of Social Work and Arts. It aligns with CSU Yindyamurra Winhanganha research ethos regarding the wisdom of respectfully living well; and the Anglican Communion Marks of Mission which call us to respond to human need by loving service.
The team is now in the end phase of the pilot. The early findings include that Anglican Chaplains undertake an exciting and diverse Christian ministry, and are often significant members of multidisciplinary teams within a school ecosystem. Chaplains can help safeguard a school spirituality and build its capacity. They propose that it is possible to harmonise between the professions in a school and for each profession to be valued. The entire school community benefits when chaplains' strengths are fully leveraged.
In the workshop the team launched their fact sheets:
Why Anglican Schools Chaplaincy during a youth mental health crisis?
What is Anglican Schools Chaplaincy during a youth mental health crisis?
Defining Anglican Schools Chaplaincy during a youth mental health crisis
4 strategies for recruiting & retaining chaplains during a mental health crisis
The fact sheets can be downloaded for free.
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