PEWS- Promoting Emotional Wellness and Spirituality. Certificate Program

PEWS- Promoting Emotional Wellness and Spirituality. The PEWS Certificate Program- will educate members of the clergy, lay leaders, and houses of worship to better recognize mental illness and how to link members to resources. It promotes emotional wellness by embracing the mind, body and spirit approach while addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness. Participants will also receive QPR Gatekeeper Training certification QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) which is designed to teach lay and professional “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond.

DATE: Saturday, May 9, 2026

TIME: 9am- 1pm -Refreshments will be served.

LOCATION: The Mental Health Association in New Jersey Conference Room-located at 673 Morris Ave. Suite 100 Springfield NJ

PARKING: Free parking on site lot

OBJECTIVE: This full day of in person interactive training will be facilitated by Deacon Laverne S. Williams- Founder of the PEWS program. Promoting Emotional Wellness and Spirituality. This program will educate members of the clergy, lay leaders and houses of worship to better recognize mental illness and how to link members to resources. It promotes emotional wellness by embracing the mind, body and spirit approach while addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Participants will also receive QPR Gatekeeper Training certification QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) which is designed to teach lay and professional “gatekeepers” the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond.

RSVP: via Eventbrite by April 24th

For details and information contact Deacon Laverne S. Williams at [email protected]

ABOUT YOUR FACILITATORS:

Deacon Laverne S. Williams is the Director of the P.E.W.S. (Promoting Emotional Wellness and Spirituality) Program for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. Ms. Williams is a certified Social Worker, WRAP (Wellness & Recovery Action Plan) Facilitator, Mental Health First Aid Instructor, Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, “Buried in Treasures” Workshop Facilitator and the owner/operator of Laverne Williams Enterprise, LLC a consulting firm which provides individually designed health and wellness workshops. With over 36+ years of experience in mental health service, Ms. Williams is a trailblazer and highly sought-after conference keynote and workshop facilitator. Her mental health advocacy in under-served communities has been recognized by numerous statewide and local agencies, consumer organizations and family member groups. Most recently, the NJ Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA) awarded Ms. Williams with the Enhancing Wellness & Recovery through Spirituality Award.

Ms. Williams is an advocate on behalf of persons with mental illness, and a Deacon at her church, Ms. Williams diligently develops partnerships between faith-based communities and the behavioral health institutions. Her manuscript titled “Implementing a Mental Health Ministry Committee in Faith Based Organizations: The Promoting Emotional Wellness and Spirituality Program” was published in the “Social Work in Health Care” journal. Most recently Ms. Williams is quoted in the April 2017 #1 best-selling book “Option B – Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.

During the height of the COVID 19 pandemic Ms. Williams communicated that “people are more isolated, anxious, and depressed due to an array of losses: lost loved ones, lost jobs, and a loss of a sense of normalcy.” With this in mind she created and hosted “Thankful Tuesdays” a weekly interactive webinar that reached over five-thousand people virtually . Each show included a special guest, mental health education, coping strategies, and resources. The special guests represented a diversity of disciplines and areas of expertise, which included reverends, police officers, government officials, doctors, lawyers, diversity and inclusion specialists, and community

Lynette Sheard has presented to over 50,000 people nationwide and has received numerous ambassador and community awards for her work at the intersection of arts, advocacy, and education. She is certified by Mental Health America as a trainer of Mental Health First Aid for adults, older adults, and youth, and also holds certifications in QPR Suicide Prevention, Psychiatric Advance Directives, and Trauma-Informed Care. She serves as Director of the NJ Mental Health Players and Community Education Coordinator at the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, where she leads the New Jersey Mental Health Players—the longest-running community arts and education program in the state. Under her leadership, the program received Mental Health America’s National Innovative Program of the Year Award. In addition to her advocacy work, Lynette is the Founder and President of LLM Coaching & Consulting, where she works as a certified behavioral coach helping individuals and organizations gain clarity, remove barriers, and move forward with purpose. She is also President of Lynette Entertainment LLC, providing full-service creative production and curation for artistic projects and performances.

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