Baylor University-Baylor Scott & White Behavioral Health Symposium Seeks to Address Mental Health across the Lifespan
Contact: Nikki Wilmoth, Marketing & Communications, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, 254-710-4417
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DALLAS (Feb. 27, 2018) — Baylor University faculty and staff joined colleagues at Baylor Scott and White Feb. 17 in Dallas to host the third annual Gil Taylor Behavioral Health Symposium, which focused on the impact of behavioral health issues that arise across generations.
“The number of individuals suffering with mental health problems in America has increased in recent years, and availability of mental health professionals cannot meet the demand,” said Michael K. McLendon, Ph.D., interim provost at Baylor. “This event serves as a way to strengthen our collective response in addressing behavioral health needs around the state.”
This year’s symposium provided ongoing training to church lay leaders, including teachers and ministers who often serve as mental health first responders when families need support and seek help for their struggle.
Jon Singletary, Ph.D., dean of Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, introduced the theme by sharing his own journey as his mother battled cancer and anxiety while his own children’s struggles also challenged his family.
“This event is important for those in places where families turn to first,” Singletary said. “These families are vulnerable in those moments of asking for help, and you only get one chance to receive their story as you offer your initial response. Today is about being equipped to respond. We cannot learn everything we need to know in a one-day event, but the network we are building will continue to support you as you support others.”
Workshops focused on mental illness in children and adolescents, on the needs of adults who are caring for aging parents as well as their own children (known as the Sandwich Generation) and on older adults who disproportionately struggle with depression and anxiety. Dennis Myers, Ph.D., professor of social work and gerontology in the Garland School, led a workshop on Intentional Parent Care.
“We focused on the behavioral health of an adult child’s caregiving for a parent who struggles with loss of autonomy and personhood,” Myers said. “They can feel unprepared, as both the adult child and parent struggle with competing opportunities and demands.”
About 56 percent of American adults with mental illnesses do not receive treatment, leaving more than 24 million Americans with limited or no access to mental health care, McLendon said.
“With this in mind, we must continue to work together to improve our ability to better prepare teachers, ministers, health professional students, social workers and others for their respective areas of service since each is a critical partner in our responding to mental health needs,” McLendon said.
Keynote speakers included Elizabeth McIngvale, Ph.D., who helped launch the Baylor master of social work program in Houston and serves as assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She shared her story of living with mental illness and the impact Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has had on her life and how it devastated her entire family.
Her father, Jim McIngvale, joined her in support of the intergenerational theme, sharing how he and his wife searched extensively for care for their daughter and how difficult the journey is for most families. He also shared his family’s decision to provide shelter to hundreds of individuals in Houston during Hurricane Harvey. The McIngvales received national attention for opening their Gallery Furniture store to Houston residents during the storm. Jim McIngvale shared the trauma and mental health needs of families during those dark days, inviting each audience member to offer “a life lived for others,” quoting Mother Teresa.
The final keynote speaker was forensic psychologist H. Jean Wright II, Psy.D., a mental health and criminal justice advocate serving the City of Philadelphia. Wright shared his passion for trauma response and the role of spiritual care alongside mental health care. Even if individuals do not have a formal diagnosis of depression, they may experience “spiritual depression,” Wright said, where they cannot reconcile their understanding of God and struggle to maintain mental health.
Recognizing the value of health as a theme uniting Baylor partners, the annual symposium provides an opportunity to educate, train and engage in research together and further the cause of improved health outcomes. “Together these represent a cause worthy of our time and dedication, and we hope to continue to find ways to partner on this journey for hope, resilience and renewal,” McLendon said.
As part of Baylor University’s health focus, the University is launching a new academic strategic plan this spring that includes a significant focus on a range of health research initiatives, including mental health. In support of this research agenda and to strengthen the mental health workforce, several health-related professional graduate programs are being redesigned for significant online growth including the master of public health and the master of social work degrees.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.
ABOUT THE DIANA R. GARLAND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work is home to one of the leading graduate social work programs in the nation with a research agenda focused on the integration of faith and practice. Upholding its mission of preparing social workers in a Christian context for worldwide service and leadership, the School offers a baccalaureate degree (B.S.W.), a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree and three joint-degree options, M.S.W./M.B.A., M.S.W./M.Div. and M.S.W./M.T.S., through a partnership with Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business and George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. program. Visit www.baylor.edu/social_work to learn more.