The emotional & mental health crisis in poverty.

The emotional and mental health crisis in poverty.

Being in local non-profit ministry on the front lines, both CVCCS and our colleagues have noticed a dramatic shift not only in Lancaster County but nationwide. The issues of emotional and mental health have morphed into arguably the most pressing need that we face in addressing poverty.

There are no easy fixes, blanket approaches, or government policies that will make it right. To be very clear, not everyone in poverty is struggling with mental or emotional issues. That’s far from the truth. The root issues of poverty are always unique in each situation.

That said, the major issue we see is the extreme number of cases being treated as relief when relief is not what’s really needed. Organizations practicing charity must be very careful not to miscategorize someone’s need.

Relief is meeting an urgent need ONLY. It is temporary and not meant to be long term solution. As a result, keeping multitudes in perpetual relief has failed to address the root causes of poverty. This is why we are facing such chronic homelessness issues in our country.

It has also caused an epidemic of dependency. As root causes have been pushed aside in favor of “meeting needs,” we have arrived at a breaking point when it comes to emotional and mental health.

Multitudes of people find themselves stuck, therefore, we can’t ignore root issues any longer. If we continue doing so, it will be to our own peril. The practice of true charity means moving away from doing something for someone to working with them.

As such, we must seek to lead others in going ‘back’ in order to go ‘forward.’ What do I mean? Well, no one is exempt from unhealthy emotional patterns & behaviors passed down from our family of origin (even those raised in the healthiest of households).

The secret issue of poverty that no one is talking about is the grave number of unhealthy cycles being repeated where people are living according to the same old messages, patterns, and scripts passed down to them from their family of origin. These are root issues that, if not dealt with in a healthy manner, lead to destructive behaviors.

In Nehemiah chapter 9:22-31 the people of Israel came to a point of examining how they ended up in captivity. It led them on a journey of deeply exploring their family of origin and unearthing destructive emotional & behavioral cycles which needed to be dealt with. Pay attention to this brief overview and identify the unhealthy relationship & behavioral cycles:

After God blessed them, V26 in chapter 9 describes what took place next: “Nevertheless, they (Israel’s prior generations) were disobedient and rebelled against You and cast Your Law behind their back and killed Your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to You, and they committed great blasphemies.”

To review, in their family of origin, there was disobedience, rebellion, murder, idolatry, pride, and blasphemy among other things. Do you think these things affected generations to follow?

As cycles were repeated throughout Israel’s family of origin, the people were brought to a place of honesty about themselves and their past. In Nehemiah chapter 9 it prompted them to go back in order to go forward.

Hear the people’s plea for God’s intervention in Nehemiah 9:33-34: “… for You have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept Your Law or paid attention to Your commandments and Your warnings that You gave them.”

Israel was keenly aware of the reality that all this was very generational. With that, they took responsibility for themselves first. This wasn’t about blaming, bashing their families, or playing the victim. Rather, they wanted to learn from their past so they could mature in the present.

Doing the hard, inner work of going back to go forward takes deep integration but God’s grace is waiting there. In Nehemiah 9:38, the Israelites made a firm commitment to go back to go forward. “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”

As those in non-profit work, we must gently guide the people we serve in this process of emotional integration. This is why building relationships is so key to effective charity.

Here are some helpful questions to start with in helping others to recognize what is deep under the surface:

  1. How was conflict, anger, and disagreements handled in your family of origin? How do you deal with those things now in your adulthood?
  2. What was considered “success” in your family of origin? How do you define success now in your adulthood?
  3. What generational patterns or themes are you aware of that took place in your family or origin? How do you think the past impacts who you are in the present?
  4. What traumatic losses did your family experience growing up? How have those losses affected who you are today?
  5. What are some unhealthy scripts that you are still carrying from your family of origin?

Awareness brings freedom. It takes deep integration and commitment but unless we’re willing to dive deep under the surface with those we serve, our approach to poverty will continue ignoring root issues, leaving people stuck where they’re at. Therefore, the problems we continue to see over and over will only keep persisting.

At CVCCS, we believe people are much more than mouths to feed and bodies to clothe. Ensuring we really are helping is more important than simply having a benevolent heart.

Keep Looking Up,

Rev. Jon Barrett

Executive Director of CVCCS

CVCCS is a proud member and ambassador of the True Charity Network.