To say the mission of Beacon of Light "hits home" for executive director Doug Reed is an understatement.
Reed, a long-time member of St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, helped launch the program in 2021. His daughter, Natalie, then 29, died by suicide in January 2020 shortly before the pandemic.
"There are few families left untouched by mental health challenges," Reed says. "In our case the impact was immediate and devastating. We thought that death by suicide happened to others, not our family. Our vision for Beacon of Light, quite simply, is to combine the power of faith with expert clinical services to help save lives."
Since its inception, Beacon of Light has provided services to 170 families struggling with a variety of mental health issues. Now they're hoping to multiply their programing to help other churches combine faith with mental health.
"Our pilot program proved that if a church offers a mental health program, people will use it," Reed says. "On average, someone struggling with mental health issues waits 11 years to seek help. We must remove barriers to treatment, and the church – often one of the first places people turn to when in crisis – is one of the easiest places to seek help. We encourage anyone in the community struggling with mental health issues to reach out to us."
With that in mind, Beacon of Light invites the community to its first special event, a panel discussion, "Thriving in Transition: How Healthy Families Navigate Life's Next Season," on May 10, from 6:30-8 p.m., in Piro Hall at St. Andrew Methodist.
The event, free and open to all, will feature guest speaker, Dr. Elizabeth Zak, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 25 years' experience working with children and adults across the lifespan, as well as a panel discussion with Hannah Wilkins (college freshman); Julee Williams (parent of 4 children, ages 19 to 25); Rev. Kim Meyers, St. Andrew; and Tyler Woodall, LPC, Beacon of Light counselor.
The discussion will focus on struggles with transition and their impact on mental health; ways to keep connection with family and friends and take care of your mental wellbeing through transition; and the role that faith can play.
"For many families, May represents a challenging time of transition – promotion from one grade to the next; transitions to new schools; and graduations from high school to college mean big changes for families," added Reed. "Through Beacon of Light, we've seen the impact of these transition periods, and it is always our goal to be proactive and provide important resources so that individuals and families have the tactics and tools to manage changing and challenging times."
An RSVP is encouraged for the panel discussion but not required. Visit www.beaconoflightmh.org for a link to RSVP.
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