Church agency is ready, willing and able to help
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
LDS Family Services
Enhancing the living of gospel principles
Because Church members are not immune to many of the world's challenges, LDS Family Services is available as a support system to local Church leaders, said Fred M. Riley, LDS Family Services commissioner.
At the start of this year — just months after changing the name LDS Social Services to LDS Family Services and in the wake of a public service ad campaign designed to educate the public about adoption — Brother Riley hopes to help Church members understand and take advantage of the many services the agency provides.
LDS Family Services, which has existed in various forms since 1919, is a private, non-profit organization affiliated with the Church to meet the social and emotional needs of members and others.
Today, there are 55 offices throughout the United States and six international offices which provide services to those in Canada, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Brother Riley explained that many members are not aware that the Church agency provides adoption and birth parent services; consultation with priesthood leaders; assessment of client problems; therapy; help in identifying and developing acceptable community resources where members can be referred for values-sensitive counseling; orientation and training of ecclesiastical leaders; and special services that include assistance for missionaries, a help line for bishops and stake presidents dealing with abuse issues, services to prisoners, substance abuse groups, Native American and refugee programs, and emergency response and crisis counseling.
Church members seeking help through Family Services should talk to their bishops. Young women facing an unplanned pregnancy or individuals dealing with homosexual issues can contact the agency directly.
"The services we offer are similar to the assistance provided when a bishop refers someone who is having financial problems to the Bishop's Stereo to get some meat and potatoes," said Brother Riley. "In that way he has helped that family. We are just another resource like that.
"If a family needs something and they can't supply it by themselves and the bishop can't supply it for them, we are just one of the resources the bishop can draw on to help him fulfill his stewardship."
Brother Riley said that the agency exists to enhance the living of gospel principles and the keeping of covenants and to strengthen family relationships.
Brother Riley recently detailed some of the many services the agency can provide for Church members:
This year LDS Family Services will launch a television and radio ad campaign to promote adoption to educate the public about the services they offer.
Consultation services, said Brother Riley, are provided at no cost to ecclesiastical leaders. That is one area "where we are not used as much as we could be. That evaluation process can be really helpful," he added, explaining that the agency may decide to treat a client themselves, determine that treatment is not necessary, or refer the client to another source of help that will keep gospel standards.
In 1999, the agency volunteered 5,888 hours assisting more than 3,272 people. Professionals provided individual and group crisis counseling to those affected by school shootings in Canada and Colorado, a tornado in Oklahoma and a shooting at the Church's Family History Library. They also provided services to individuals in refugee camps in Albania.
Brother Riley noted that research has shown that if professionals can get to people who go through a traumatic event and let them talk about the disaster, it can prevent future problems.
In many cases, Brother Riley said, representatives from wards or stakes come to LDS Family Services for training and then, using the agency's materials, provide parenting classes in their own units.
Brother Riley said in many cases the agency can also refer a Church member dealing with a substance abuse problem to community resources. Then professionals from LDS Family Services might further help by counseling the individual on other issues that can accompany substance abuse, including marital problems and depression.
The agency, said Brother Riley, could assist priesthood leaders who might have an institution within their units' geographic boundaries. "If they were to determine that they wanted to do something with the LDS population there, then we would be a resource to help them do that," he said. The Church provides Sunday meetings and other programs at the Utah State Prison.
"Our staff is really committed to using gospel principles in a professional setting to help Church members. The nice thing we have is the eternal perspective. It gives us the chance to help individuals work on a family that is an eternal process rather than just a mortal one."
6 — CHURCH NEWS
