Clergy members who experienced the highest levels of

Clergy members who experienced the highest levels of stress included
those working in the smallest churches and those who were non-white. It
is plausible that clergy from the smallest churches have the least resources,
and possibly have higher demands than those from larger churches. It
would be worthwhile to further explore why non-white clergy experienced
more stress, specifically whether cultural beliefs about the origins of men-
tal health conditions were significant factors. These individuals may also
benefit from developing collaborative relationships with outside mental
health professionals.
Education also affected the level of stress experienced by clergy.
Specifically, pastors with the highest levels of education endorsed lower
levels of stress when providing grief and bereavement services and those
who attended seminary endorsed less stress than clergy who did not attend
seminary. This may indicate the significance of general and theological
education in dealing with the on-the-job demands inherent in the ministry.
The study also focused on clergy knowledge of mental health issues and

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CLERGY/MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER COLLABORATION
treatment. The majority of participants had obtained their education about
mental health through self-study and research, while some had acquired
knowledge through personal and familial experiences. Such findings sug-
gest that clergy value possessing knowledge of mental health and are aware
that congregants may look to them as first responders. Many participants
may thus welcome further training on mental health issues.
An overwhelming percentage of participants reported positive attitudes
toward referring congregants with emotional challenges to mental health
professionals, preferring counseling centers to any other single resource.
In fact, almost 70 percent endorsed referrals to such professionals without
reservation. This result differs significantly from previous research (e.g.,
study by Openshaw & Harr, 2009, involving 24 clergy members from the
Dallas/Fort Worth area, and a study by VanderWaal, Hernandez, & Sand-
man, 2012, involving 179 clergy from Kent County, Michigan), and may
reflect a bias in Southern California subculture that is more amenable to
accessing the services of counseling professionals. The efforts of the state
public mental health system to involve clergy members, as leaders in the
faith community, may also affect these results.
As clergy are called upon to intervene in crises, recognize serious
mental health issues, and provide referrals and ongoing support and
spiritual direction, they may benefit from collaboration with mental health
professionals to address these issues. According to Weaver (1995), pastors
and counselors would benefit from collaboration, especially given the
shared common values and dedication to serve those in need. The nature
of effective collaborative relationships between clergy and mental health
professionals should be further explored. Doing so may improve the mental
health services to congregants in need.