Are We AWARE of Religious & spiritual Experiences in mental health crisis?
Contact JanetWerner@UHaveMyWord.com to join our virtual AWARE coalition. This AWARE Coalition is for Religious, Spiritual & Mental Health Leaders & First Responders who are on mission to positively impact crisis care by raising awareness on the spiritual, religious & multicultural aspect of mental health.
AWARE USA State Representatives
Lily Claire Bergstein: VERMONT. Laura Lee Scott: OREGON. Dr. Olivia Johnson: ILLINIOS. Josh Roberts: CALIFORNIA. Carlito Cabelin, Dr. Calvin Chatlos & Janet Werner: NEW JERSEY. Mary Clista Dahl: OHIO.
What does an AWARE state representative do? Contact Janet or Joshua to explore representing your state. (emails at end of page)
State representatives use our AWARE orientation package to raise awareness in their state and meet quarterly with the AWARE USA team.
Our AWARE Orientation tool kit includes:
Table Talk™ placemats & posters, pocket cards & video recordings.
AWARE New Jersey
Provides orientation sessions to all members of the mental health community
Coming Attractions in 2026!
A short film will be produced featuring lived experience & peer support from across the USA & around the world. Your donation helps us move forward.
Film brief: We are restoring FAITH in the mental health system by highlighting the less intrusive humanistic and integrative care in services that already exist. We are making a public service announcement to inform the public of the alternatives that exist which include the spiritual side of crisis care and the value of PEER SUPPORT.
Do you know that CHAPLAINS & CLERGY can make the difference in mental health crisis care?
We move across the USA featuring stories of lived experience & the power of peer support to produce better outcomes.
Donations support complimentary AWARE orientations for first responders & the production of our films. Make your donation to the Human Faith Project, a non-profit 501(c)(3).
Our fiscal partner is Dr. Calvin Chatlos, Founder of The Center for Spiritual Awakening where donations can be sent. Donations will be used to fund training & production of our docuseries.
The Center for Spiritual Awakening is the home of the Human Faith Project, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to “providing educational programs and services to communities through workshops, seminars and other educational initiatives…to empower individuals, enrich communities, and foster a culture of continuous learning and growth promoting a spiritual attitude in life.” www.Humanfaithproject.org DONATE via ZELLE at humanfaith@optimum.net
Checks can be mailed directly to Janet Werner, Co-founder, A.W.A.R.E. at 21 Cove Place, Bayville, NJ 08721 made payable to U Have My Word LLC. Your name or project mission will be noted in social media & in our docuseries as desired.
BREAKING NEWS: We will post new developments in mental health care as we are informed. Latest news will be included in our upcoming films produced as a public service.
October 1, 2025. Revised text: Z65.8 Moral, Religious, or Spiritual Problem
Do you know that the American Psychiatric Association Board & DSM Steering Committee approved definition for Religious or Spiritual Problem (V62.89) as of December 2024 includes the term MORAL? DSM-5-TR Updates take effect October 1, 2025 Revised text: Z65.8 Moral, Religious, or Spiritual Problem This category may be used when the focus of clinical attention is a moral, religious, or spiritual problem. Moral problems include experiences that disrupt one’s understanding of right and wrong, or sense of goodness of oneself, others or institutions. Religious or spiritual problems include distressing experiences that involve loss or questioning of faith, problems associated with conversion to a new faith, or questioning of spiritual values that may not necessarily be related to an organized church or religious institution.
Do you know Z71.81 is a valid billable ICD-10 diagnosis code for Spiritual or religious counseling. It is found in the 2025 version of the ICD-10 Clinical Modification (CM) and can be used in all HIPAA-covered transactions from Oct 01, 2024 – Sep 30, 2025. Z71.81 ICD 10 Code – Spiritual or religious counseling – Billable 2025 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z71.81: Spiritual or religious counseling
Both V and Z codes are underused by clinicians, and there is often a lack of awareness about these codes.
Hear some lived experience briefs from our global network.
Do you know about DEPRESCRIBING as it relates to psychiatric medication reported in Psychiatric Times, May 2025? We will host a podcast conversation soon. PSY0525_eZine.pdf
On March 22, 2025, Dr. Chatlos touches the heart & soul of the audience who is primarily comprised of lived experience, family members & health care professionals. Does his message on the SPIRITUAL CORE touch your heart and soul?
Do you know NAMI FaithNet is an interfaith resource network of NAMI?
Do you know that NAMI hosted Pathways to Hope Where FAITH & Mental Health Unite?
Watch Ben O’Dell, Senior Advisor US Dept Health and Human Services Center for Faith speaking at NAMI Pathways to Hope Conference 2025 (4) Faith Leaders & Mental Health – YouTube
Do you know about the WPA Position Statement on Spirituality and Religion in Psychiatry – World Psychiatric Association ?
Do you know that most patients in psychiatric hospitals say that spirituality is never raised in treatment & that they wish it was? This is why we are influencing the importance of including CHAPLAINS & CLERGY as part of the mental health care team.
Do you know that the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Mental Health and Faith Partnership brings psychiatrists and other mental health professionals together with faith leaders? Faith | APA Foundation
Do you know that AWARE NJ, USA, Global is on a mission to raise awareness on these issues & offer solutions to improve psychiatric services inside hospitals and to prevent wrongful hospitalization with forced medications? We provide preventative & alternative solutions that improve outcomes.
How to HELP
- Advance our A.W.A.R.E. footprint across the US & around the globe. Host an AWARE orientation in your community or online with first responders, hospitals, houses of spiritual worship, mental health organizations. Join our AWARE team as a state or country representative.
- Introduce us to a healthcare organization to sponsor our 4-8 hour fee based training.
- Donate to our AWARE video productions. Speak into our AWARE video productions. Co-produce our AWARE video productions. Contact JanetWerner@UHaveMyWord.com
How did we get started on raising AWAREness?
We started A.W.A.R.E at the Rutgers University Medical School Conference in 2023 to raise attention to the spiritual & religious element in mental health care.
Dr. Olivia Johnson, Founder of Blue Wall Institute became our first official sponsor for A.W.A.R.E. USA.
Dr. Johnson offers this FEAR video as another tool in our AWARE orientation.
We moved forward by establishing a monthly NJ AWARE Coalition for Religious, Spiritual & Mental Health Leaders who are on mission to positively impact the 988-crisis line in a way that includes clergy.
“The cause is real. The need is urgent. The resources exist. The awareness is horrifically lacking.”
Rabbi Marc Kline
We invited experts & collaborators to our NJ Coalition to bridge across the USA.
Dr. Francis Lu returns to our coalition to share the latest article on understanding MORAL injury. We aim to prevent MORAL injury specifically in caring for Spiritually Transformative Experiences.
Our AWARE USA partner now offers support for Moral Injury.
Visit Josh at Moral Injury | Inspired Mind
How do institutions wound the soul? In this powerful and thought-provoking talk, we explore the concept of moral injury — the internal fracture that happens when individuals are forced to act against their deepest values. Drawing on lived experience, psychology, and spiritual insight, we identify three “straightjackets” imposed by authority systems. Josh Roberts, COO InspiredMindMentalHealth.com
We were invited to present a 3-part series with First Responder Health across the USA.
We issued a proposal to the State of New Jersey to include the religious & spiritual part of mental health crisis calls in 988 training.
We reach forward to collaborate with Cops, Clergy & Community in NJ and Faith & Blue across the USA. Faith & Blue – Building Bridges to More Inclusive Communities (faithandblue.org)
Reverend Ronald Sparks leads a prayer over our officers.
Pilgrim Baptist Church, Red Bank, NJ. Oct. 10, 2024.
We completed Part 3 with First Responder Health on Nov. 1, 2024.
Moving forward with orientation for CSPNJ staff & Mobile Crisis Response Units in NJ on Dec. 2, 2024 & January 10, 2025.
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital orientation Dec. 20, 2024 sponsored by CSPNJ Wellness Center.
Greystone Psychiatric Hospital February 10, 2025. NJ-AWARE-Spiritual-Event-Series-Press-Release-February-2025.pdf
May 16, 2025 visit at the Ancora Psychiatric Hospital with the CEO, MDs, chaplains & CSPNJ Wellness Center members & staff. Patients felt comforted knowing they’re not alone, enjoyed the Chaplains’ involvement, & expressed interest in attending future sessions.
“One Wellness Center member specifically mentioned feeling vindicated and heard after the session. Ultimately, members loved the experience and would like to know more.” Center Manager
I Have a Dream table talk conversations on how to improve our mental health system…
…shared at MLK breakfast 1/17/25 sponsored by the YMCA. Shining the light on what we can do …stronger together… Representing Senator Andy Kim: Julianna Heck. Constituent Advocate and Field Representative United States Senate; Rekishia McMillan, Department of Labor & Workforce Development; Achille Dejean, ED Mental Health America; Rev. Sparks, Bethel AME; Vincent Siracusa, Army National Guard. Table Talk hosted by Dr. Calvin Chatlos & NJ AWARE.
Crisis Intervention Teams in Monmouth County are AWARE with our pocket cards as of 9/19/25.
Monmouth Prosecutor’s Office, We Are Monmouth, Feb. 20, 2024. Meeting with first responders, clergy & behavioral health care workers.
AWARE orientation sponsored by the Department of Health & Human Services in Monmouth County NJ 2/21/25
The outcomes we aim to impact include:
- Minimize & eliminate involuntary hospitalization & forced medication of spiritual experiences.
- Prevent trauma & moral injury that occurs from spiritual experiences being discounted, misunderstood & mistreated.
- Improve inpatient & outpatient mental health care through expansion of the spiritual dimension tools and cultural competencies for religious & spiritual experiences.
- Reduce stigma from misdiagnosis of spiritual experiences.
- Advance the screening of spiritual experiences to include referrals to chaplains, clergy, peer support & alternative services.
- Reduce fear in family & friends who witness spiritual emergencies; expand response options through awareness & Open Dialogue training.
Collaborate with folks across the USA & around the world to raise AWAREness on the spiritual & religious aspect of mental health.
Manuel A. Ortiz-Cordero, LSW, ACSW. FLORIDA, USA manuel@manuelortizcordero.com
Mary Clista Dahl maryclistalaughs@gmail.com OHIO, USA
Laura Lee Scott alignedwithjc@gmail.com Oregon, USA
Lily Claire Bergstein lilyclairebergstein@gmail.com Vermont, USA. Social Media Coordinator for AWARE with lived experience.
Carlito Cabelin ccabelin@gmail.com New Jersey
Joshua Roberts InspiredMindMentalHealth@gmail.com CALIFORNIA Visit Josh at Höme | Inspired Mind
Dr. Calvin Chatlos NJ. Visit Dr. Chatlos at The Human Faith Project – The Human Faith Project Our AWARE SPIRITUAL Psychiatrist. Home
Tawanda Mutsigwa tamutsigwa@yahoo.co.uk South Africa
Janet Werner janetwerner@uhavemyword.com NJ Lived experience recorded at Rutgers University Assessing for Spiritual Emergency | Spiritual Emergency
Mija Bradford mpb@thesoulascending.com Chicago
Visit Mija at Mija | Attracting Your Life Hear Mija’s story: Mija ISPS US University Delaware 2023
Dr. Olivia Johnson, Blue Wall Institute olivia@bw-institute.com Illinois
Visit Dr. Johnson at Blue Wall Institute | Committed to Your Safety and Wellness
Follow us on Linkedin (5) A.W.A.R.E. (Are We Aware Of Religious & spiritual Experiences?): Posts | LinkedIn
Follow us on Rethinking Mental Health Facebook.
Our ACTION Plan includes
- Orientation of mental health consumers, healthcare professionals & first responders on the spiritual dimension in mental health treatment.
- Training on the competencies and protocols to address spiritual emergencies & spiritually transformative experiences from a multicultural perspective honoring all religious, spiritual & cultural traditions.
