| FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Clergy Consultation Service of
the Kairos Institute?
The Kairos Institute, Inc. is a non-profit corporation, staffed by
highly trained professionals in the fields of mental health and
spirituality. We maintain a 24-hour presence, for consultation,
information and referral through an 800 number. Most of our work is
conducted during regular business hours. However, emergency or holiday
calls are monitored by our automated answering service and referred,
when appropriate, to consultants equipped with beepers. Our staff of
certified and licensed Pastoral Counselors, Marriage and Family
therapists, Psychologists and Psychiatrists are ready to assist you
with consultation, assessment, planning and referral. Since 1987 the
Clergy Consultation Service has provided help with the multitude of
issues and challenges of ministry.
How does the
Clergy Consultation Service help me with my professional concerns?
Increasingly, clergy are on the front lines of mental health care
in the U.S. In this age of managed care, clergy are being called upon
to do more and more for people than ever before. People have always
turned to clergy for counseling; over 40% of persons using mental
health services first turned to clergy for help. The need for mental
health care is great; depression alone costs the U.S. $43.7 billion
annually in absenteeism and lost productivity according to the
National Institutes of Mental Health. According to the national
Council of Churches, there are approximately 300,000+ clergy in the
USA with little or no training in mental health, and with few
confidential sources of assistance for themselves or members of their
congregations.
The Clergy Consultation Service of the Kairos
Institute can help you help those who turn to you. We can give
you the professional support you need, with consultation, information,
referrals, and resources. We have a national referral network ready to
assist you.
How could the
Clergy Consultation Service help me and my family?
We live and work in a stressful world. As clergy, we often feel
isolated and trapped by public roles of self sufficiency and of being
held to a “higher standard” than others. Just the stress of
relocation can undermine a family’s coping mechanisms, causing
serious emotional and perhaps physical difficulties. We sometimes have
difficulty finding confidential sources for listening and support.
Even just knowing that we can connect with another empathetic and
compassionate soul gives hope and encouragement when we feel depleted
and confused.
How do I
subscribe?
Individual churches and their clergy may subscribe, or as in the
case with most of our callers, their denomination or clergy group has
subscribed for all their leaders on a regional or nationwide basis.
If you are a representative of a
denomination, clergy group or individual church, and would like
information on enrollment for your clergy, please call the Clergy
Consultation Service administrative offices: (973) 966-9099.
We will be happy to answer your questions and make the appropriate
arrangements to serve your clergy.
What is the
cost?
CCS fees are small in comparison with large insurance companies,
but can save thousands of dollars through preventive care. Hundreds of
clergy families have been helped before expensive diagnostic tests or
procedures are required, as fewer illnesses are somatized.
When a denomination, clergy group or church subscribes for its
clergy, the cost varies with utilization, number of persons to be
covered, region(s) to be served, and time zones to be accomodated. A
discount is available for individual churches who subscribe in
clusters of 5 or more. A considerable discount is offered for
subscription by a whole jurisdiction or denomination.
For individuals, the subscription cost is $350.00 for 8 phone
consultations, or $500.00 for 12 phone consultations. Payment can be
made in full or in two equal payments. Additional consultations can be
billed separately ($40.00 for twenty minutes or $80.00 for forty-five
minutes). For an individual clergyperson, the subscription is tax
deductible as a business expense.
Denominations and clergy groups often provide funds related to
Pension Funds or Health Insurance committee accounts. Individual
churches use donated funds or clergy support funds for this purpose.
What should I
expect when I call?
A counselor will inquire as to the focus of your concern, answer
any question you might have about the Services, and help you to
identify as succinctly as possible how they might help you. Oftentimes
the concern you want addressed may be handled with one or more phone
calls. If necessary, the consultant will arrange a referral to a
pre-screened individual or institution specializing in help for your
particular concern. |
