The Project will offer clergy systems of support and opportunities for personal and professional skills building through self-reflection, group accountability, and individual consultation and faith specific professional seminars.

In Stage One, Faith Based Liaisons will recruit a cadre of clergy who will become trainers of C-FLASH. C-FLASH is a curriculum developed by Dr. Carol North and Barry Hong, Ph.D., in cooperation with pastoral psychotherapists, to train the clergy to better assess PTSD and add to their professional tool belts discrete pastoral counseling techniques to work with post trauma reactions. These trainers will go out into their faith-based communities to organize and deliver C-FLASH training events delivered to other religious leaders and pastoral leaders.

STAGE TWO: CIRCLE OF LIFE SELF CARE PROGRAM

Stage Two is built on the identified strengths of participants and plans to support their growth and change within their role as spiritual leaders. This second stage of the project will be accomplished through 25 groups or Circles consisting of a maximum of eight religious leaders.
This core of 200 religious leaders will be taken through a three-step program of professional skill building and self care interventions. The process for Stage two is based upon the Circle of Life: Health Initiative for Ministry Professionals and process manual, The Circle of Life, written by Rebecca McLean and Roger Jahnke.
In Stage Two, participants will establish and follow a schedule of tasks, activities and prescribed practices to support the individual's identified health and wellness goals. In this implementation stage individuals will be encouraged to select the identified areas of growth and renewal that would most likely create positive outcomes. Facilitators will help participants clarify, modify and refine their individual goals to help eliminate obstacles to success.
In Stage Two, individuals will meet for eight 2-hour sessions in groups of eight for the purpose of support and encouragement and accountability throughout the duration of this process. The accountability dimension of the program is intended to support and motivate participants in developing more internalized accountability and self-sufficiency and help participants practice the decision/action process.

STAGE THREE: ONE DAY SKILL BUILDING SEMINARS

In stage three, one day skill building seminars will be offered to the entire New York metropolitan religious community. Educational seminars will include topics such as: cultivating wholeness; partners in healing; undoing racism; the healer within; by power vested in me; helping families survive in a crisis; and end of life issues. In addition, faith specific seminars will be offered throughout New York City.