Where Clergy and Psychologists Work Together

When clergy refer members of their congregations to social workers or psychologists, they typically turn to people who share their religious values, but this approach may not provide people with the care they need, maintains Glen Milstein, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the City College of New York (CCNY). “Most Americans are religious, but most mental health professionals are unaffiliated with religious congregations,” says Milstein. “Therefore, seeking help only from professionals with shared religious values may exclude congregants from needed professional expertise.”

For the past decade, Milstein has led a multidisciplinary team of researchers in developing a new multidisciplinary, multifaith, and research-focused model for relationships between clergy and clinicians that is religion-inclusive rather than faith-based. Known as C.O.P.E. (Clergy Outreach and Professional Engagement), the approach is designed to reduce burdens on both professions. As detailed in the April 2008 issue of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, the key to the C.O.P.E. model is the recognition that mental illness is a chronic disease; sometimes one can function and other times not. Says Milstein, “Clinicians and clergy perform distinct, complementary functions in treating these syndromes. While clinicians provide professional treatment to relieve individuals of their pain and suffering and move them from dysfunction to their highest level of function, clergy and religious communities provide a sense of context, support, and community before, during, and after treatment.”

The program aims to improve care of individuals by facilitating reciprocal collaboration between clinicians and members of the clergy, regardless of either’s religious affiliation. Working from the National Institute of Mental Health’s four prevention categories, Milstein and his team developed two handouts, one for mental health professionals and the other for clergy, available at:

www1.ccny.cuny.edu/prospective/socialsci/psychology/gmilstein.cfm.