Top photo caption: Canva image
By David Karas, Correspondent
This article is fourth in a series leading up to the New Jersey Catholic Mental Health Conference May 2, highlighting the Church’s response to the growing mental health crisis. To read all of the articles, see the links below. For more information visit: http://www.njconf.com/
While working for Catholic Charities in New Orleans, Ben Wortham gained a deep understanding of the barriers facing those with behavioral health challenges.
“It quickly became clear how difficult it was for people to access mental health care, especially psychiatrists who accepted Medicaid,” said Wortham, whose role at the time involved accompanying those experiencing homelessness to medical appointments. “Long wait times and fragmented systems often left people without the support they needed.”
Wortham was part of a street medicine team, collaborating with physicians, emergency medical professionals, law enforcement and social service providers with the goal of “meeting people where they were” and connecting them to a broad range of resources and services.
“One of the most important lessons I learned was that while many individuals had significant medical needs, what they often needed most was help with housing, benefits or restoring lost income,” he said. “Those social factors were directly tied to their mental and physical health.”
Wortham’s belief that the mental health crisis and homelessness are solvable, and his dogged determination to close gaps in care and services are what has driven him and his career – both during the seven years he spent working in New Orleans, and in his present role as vice president for behavioral health integration for Catholic Charities USA.
While working in New Orleans, Wortham’s team built partnerships with hospitals and clinics to support individuals who had heavy reliance on emergency room care, with an eye toward offering comprehensive services to address both medical needs and underlying obstacles. They also opened a 109-unit apartment program with built-in, intensive case management geared towards those facing chronic homelessness.
His work on the national level is, in many ways, an extension of that same mission.
“At Catholic Charities USA, my work has focused on helping agencies across the country build capacity in behavioral health and case management,” he said. “This includes helping to strengthen partnerships with hospitals, clinics, and insurers to support integrated models of care.”
Wortham is one of several leading figures in the field who will be featured during a one-day conference, “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church.” The program will be held on Saturday, May 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. Registration is limited; those interested in attending are encouraged to sign up at njconf.com.
At the core of Wortham’s current efforts is the concept of integrated health, and the recognition “that a person’s health outcomes cannot be separated into silos.”
“Mental, physical and spiritual health are deeply interconnected, and when one area is struggling, it often affects the others,” he explained. “An integrated approach brings these elements together through coordination across behavioral health providers, primary care and social services. It also means addressing basic needs such as housing, food security, and access to care alongside clinical treatment. When care is delivered in this way, it supports the whole person and leads to better, more sustainable outcomes.”
Untreated mental health conditions can complicate the management of physical conditions like diabetes or heart disease, he said, much like how physical ailments can fuel depression, anxiety and isolation. At the same time, spiritual health can support a sense of meaning, hope and community – improving one’s response to other difficulties or obstacles they might be facing.
Wortham noted that the Catholic Church plays a key role in this area thanks to the extensive Catholic Charities network.
“Catholic Charities is one of the largest providers of social services in the country, with 169 agencies, 45,000 staff and 200,000 volunteers,” he said. “Many of these agencies operate counseling programs, including both community-based and school-based services, staffed by licensed professionals.”
He encourages those in need of support, as well as their families, to reach out to their local Catholic Charities program to see what services might be available. Additionally, community-based organizations can step in to provide support with social determinants of health like housing, food and employment.
Beyond direct care and support through Catholic Charities agencies, Wortham said, the Church serves as “a bridge to care,” through connecting those in need with providers.
Between promoting spiritual health and even encouraging folks to seek other forms of support, the role of faith communities cannot be understated.
“Faith communities can provide meaningful support through pastoral care, prayer and connection, while helping individuals navigate and access professional services,” he said. “Members of the Church also play an important role through simple acts of presence and compassion. By listening, reducing stigma and walking alongside those who are struggling, they help create a community where people feel supported and encouraged to seek help.”
Wortham hopes that, in the future, more people will understand the essential role of mental health in one’s overall health.
“Experiencing anxiety, depression or other challenges is not a personal failure. These are real human conditions that deserve care and compassion just like any physical illness,” he said. “The Catholic Church does an amazing job supporting the social determinants of health by providing access to food, housing and other essential needs. All these programs and services have a direct positive impact on mental health.”
If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988.