1st Mental Health Sabbath at Delaware Ave SDA Church

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Feb. 13, 2014 - PRLog -- The Health and Temperance department at Delaware Ave SDA church presents the first Mental Health Sabbath with Dr. Allycin Powell-Hicks, Dr. Michelle St. Fleur and Pastor Lawrence S. Dorsey, Sr. on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 11:00 AM and at 3:00 PM at Delaware Ave SDA Church located at 1845 20th St. Santa Monica, CA 90404.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church cares about mental health and that is why on Saturday, February 15th, 2014 the North American Division will be focusing their attention on the importance of mental health. As a part of the initiative, Delaware Ave SDA is pleased to be a part of this worldwide effort to bring awareness to the stigma of Mental Health.

"About one out of every four American adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. Sadly that does not mean that the other three experience good mental health. We are called by scripture to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. (Ephesians 4:23) Our God cares about our minds and our mental health. Our church also cares. Together we can share thoughts and focus our time and attention on this important matter," says Douglas C. Nies, Ph.D.

Pastor Lawrence S. Dorsey, Sr. will preach during the 11:00 AM divine worship service on mental illness and how it affects the body of believers in the church. Lunch will be provided after the morning service and then in the afternoon at 3:00 PM, Dr. Michelle St. Fleur will present a presentation entitled, "Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives." The presentation will be about depression and what causes people of faith to become depressed and what the Seventh-day Adventist church says about mental illness and what one can do to heal a hurt mind.

After the presentation, please join us for a conversation, questions and answers with our featured expert panelists Allycin Powell-Hicks, PhD, Michelle St. Fleur, MD and Pastor Lawrence S. Dorsey, Sr.

Refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall at the conclusion of the program.

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About Allycin Powell Hicks, PhD - Dr. Allycin Powell Hicks, PhD attended Oakwood University where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry.  She later received her Masters in Psychology at Loma Linda University then continued to complete her PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in health.  She received training in Behavioral Health at Cedars Sinai Medical Center where she also published three papers focused on quality of life.  She completed her internship at Kaiser Permanente where she treated medically fragile patients, those suffering from depression and anxiety, and patients with personality disorders.  Dr. Hicks currently works as a primary therapist at a locked residential facility for severely traumatized adolescents where she treats children with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative disorders, and psychosis.

About Michelle St. Fleur M.D.  - Dr. Michelle St. Fleur is a family medicine physician who completed residency training at Montefiore Medical Center. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts and received her medical training at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Currently, Dr. St. Fleur is a first year Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of California Los Angeles. In addition, she is pursuing a Masters in Health Policy and Management at UCLA. Dr. St. Fleur's research interests include health disparities, mental illness and women of color.  As a Clinical Scholar, she is interested in engaging community participation in understanding the gaps that lead to inadequate access to mental health services among women in primary care.

About Pastor Lawrence S. Dorsey  – Lawrence S. Dorsey Sr. is a native New Yorker and a product of Oakwood University, who entered the Gospel Ministry in 1980 with the Northeastern Conference of 7th day Adventist. He also served as a certified substance abuse counselor for St. Mary's Hospital; Addictive Services Dept. in Brooklyn NY. Evangelism is his first love, and he has conducted evangelistic meetings in many of the major cities of the United States as well as Canada, England, Kenya, Ethiopia, Haiti, India and the Cayman Islands. In January 2011, he held his first uplinked evangelism series which was aired live by 3ABN. He is the author of the book “Born to Preach” published by West Bow press in June 2013, and has written a handbook “The Divine Commission” to be used for evangelism preparation. Currently he serves as the Southern California Conference as evangelist for the Greater Los Angeles Region and pastor of the Delaware Ave. Church in Santa Monica. Pastor Dorsey is happily married to the former Beverly Abrams, who labors with him in Ministry as singing Evangelist. They have two adult children and four grand children. To God be the Glory.

About Delaware Ave Seventh-day Adventist Church -  Elder Lawrence S. Dorsey, Sr. is currently the Pastor of Delaware Ave Seventh-day Adventist Church. Delaware Ave SDA is located at 1845 20th St, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Seventh-day Adventists are a faith community rooted in the beliefs described by the bible.