Doing a web search on the term “systems of care” brings up articles and information related to health care. In fact, most of the articles are related to children’s healthcare and mental health specifically. The focus is in services available within the community and given its position within the health care field, focuses on a pathology model where the care is designed to force the person to adopt into normative social models.
A system of care is: A spectrum of effective, community-based services and supports for children and youth with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families, that is organized into a coordinated network, builds meaningful partnerships with families and youth, and addresses their cultural and linguistic needs, in order to help them to function better at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life. (https://gucchd.georgetown.edu/products/Toolkit_SOC_Resource1.pdf)
As you can see from the definition above, systems of care as commonly defined focus on functioning rather than being. This is the same issue that I’ve found within the neurodivergent community that so many of the coaching and supports being offered focuses on doing/functioning rather than how the person is feeling. It assumes that the person needs to and wants to fit in with society rather than living and existing as a unique and whole being in and of their own right.
Granted, there is something to be said for being able to live, work, and adapt within society and sometimes that’s inevitable. However, a system of spiritual care is centered around the individual and how they are being/feeling rather than what they can or cannot do in relation to a normative society. That is the big difference between spiritual care, or one could use the word holistic care rather than spiritual if that feels better, and systems of (medical) care.
The Shape of Spiritual Care
Spiritual care, as a holistic care approach, engages multiple modalities and systems to care for the individual in the following ways:
- Mental health with a focus on individual acceptance, compassion, and wholeness
- Physical health with a focus on acceptance, compassion, and self-nurturing
- Connection to oneself including a connection to a higher self, intuition, inner feelings, and/or concept of the universe or divinity as the individual believes
- Connection with the natural world including any animal companions who share our lives
- Connection with community whether local/in-person, online, or through identified aspects of the self
Who is involved?
The truth is not every person is privileged enough to have access to medical care (in the US. I am not qualified to speak about countries with more universal health care), and regardless of where you live, not everyone has access to a medical provider (mental or physical) who believes their lived experience and wishes to offer help and support for their diagnoses. That means that while it’s important to seek out the care, when possible, from qualified medical professionals, and I encourage this where possible, it may not be feasible.
Complementary medicine providers such as through energy work, yoga, meditation can be helpful in this, as can someone trained in spiritual direction or mentoring to help the individual craft the systems of spiritual care that work for them. This is why I’ve spoken extensively about the various modalities in which I’m trained as well as the work that I do.
What does a system of spiritual care begin with?
Cultivating these systems begins with creating a sense of profound self-acceptance and nurturing. This is difficult, and luckily it is not a situation where you have to have this in order to begin spiritual care. The act of cultivating self-acceptance is the act of cultivating spiritual care. Someone may also wish to look at a single modality such as yoga nidra or yoga asanas (postures) to begin finding a connection with their bodies and themselves, which is often where we begin. It also begins by exploring what options someone has available to them and what areas of care they currently have or would like to have.
It’s a holistic approach. And it’s a foundation upon which someone can build. All it takes is the first step.
Looking to begin crafting your systems of spiritual care?
Discover the relaxing and stress relieving practice of yoga nidra. This isn’t meditation as you know it; its body awareness combined with sense withdrawal. And you can get a week of practice (three sessions plus an additional one to talk about setting intentions) to try out for free with my yoga nidra retreat. Register today to start your free 7 day retreat.
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