Vancleave church members go through children’s mental health training classes

VANCLEAVE, Miss. (WLOX) - Pine Lake Baptist Church members are learning what youths go through during crisis situations.

“This has been a concern I’ve dealt with as a pastor for a number of years, and I am learning some new things, some helpful things here,” said pastor Rendall Cofield.

Cofield said a child’s mental health should be the focus in churches across the country.

“Well, just the fact that we have so many children in our culture and communities and our churches today that are struggling with mental health issues, it’s just a very real need for outreach and health and connected ministries to help these children,” he said.

Nicole Bedsole with the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi says looking out for the signs of a child in need can be tricky, but the signs are there.

“It’s when the youth are unable to do their daily activities,” she said. “Maybe they are really slacking off in school or getting bad grades. They are no longer hanging out with their friends. They no longer want to do sporting activities.”

“There’s such a pressing need for this in our school and our communities,” Rendall said. “To be able to connect with these children who are struggling with these different issues that often fly under the radar and don’t get recognized.”

“I think this type of training is good for anybody to know,” Bedsole said. “We learn CPR and first aid. Why not learn something that can help an individual that is going through a mental health crisis?”

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