Eighty leaders and pastors from the Puerto Rico West District attended two conferences focused on crisis management and suicide prevention on April 27. Both events took place in the El Cotto First Church of the Nazarene in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
District Nazarene Compassionate Ministries sponsored the event, and Dr. Monserrate Allende Santos led the training. Dr. Allende is the Director of Integrated Mental Health and Counter Addiction Programs (AMSCAA) through the Puerto Rican government.
In the morning, Dr. Allende shared on the theme: Crisis Intervention and Intervention Models. She focused on managing crisis and using different models of intervention in order to best help those struggling through crisis situations.
The afternoon session dealt with Suicide Prevention. She taught how to identify risk factors and how church leaders can respond. There are high suicide rates in Puerto Rico.
“Suicide is a grave social problem, and the church ought to be preparing to face it,” said Carmen Reyes, the West District NCM Coordinator. “We thank God for the opportunity to be trained to help brothers and sisters and our communities who suffer these social ills and whom we are called to serve.”
Source: Carmen N. Núñez Reyes, NCM Coordinator, Puerto Rico West District
