Western Yearly Meeting Focuses on Mental Health

‍[Ed. note: In July, Western Yearly Meeting devoted a substantial portion of their annual sessions to a consideration of issues around mental health. We asked Associate Superintendent Tom Rockwell to tell us more about Western’s commitment to this issue.]

‍At Western Yearly Meeting’s 2024 Annual Sessions, we spent Saturday afternoon in a time of discussion and discernment about a unified mission opportunity centering around mental health.We discussed the experiences of our Meetings and individuals with mental health struggles in their communities and different ways that Monthly Meetings could support those struggling with mental health.Our mission around mental health will take three forms:

1.  The Yearly Meeting office and staff will do whatever possible to support individual Monthly Meetings in their unique missions in their communities around mental health.

2.  A task force centered on Quakers and mental health is being established to draft a document about the connections between mental health struggles and Friends history and theology, focusing on how Friends can live out our testimonies by supporting those struggling with mental health in communities around our Monthly Meetings.

3.  A Quaker mental health challenge—based in social media and more traditional communications—that challenges people to experiments based in Quaker practice that better their mental health.We invite Monthly Meetings and individuals from other Yearly Meetings to participate in these projects as they feel led. We would like to support, in any way possible, those who are interested in participating.

Tom Rockwell

Western Yearly Meeting Associate Superintendent