The Unique Purpose of the Center for the Restoration of Impaired Clergy (CRIC) is to support Church governing bodies as they assist their clergy whose struggles with behavioral health impact their ministries.
CRIC is not a counseling agency; instead, it is the only ecumenical organization dedicated to transforming how church governing bodies address Behavioral Health issues; including all types of addictions and mental health disorders.
The quality of care for clergy with behavioral issues provided by church governing bodies varies widely. It may differ even within a denomination. Some governing bodies are well-balanced in their approach, while others are punitive or overly tolerant. Similarly, the quality of care for the congregants served by these impaired clergy and their immediate families also varies widely.
We envision a time when the leadership of every Church governing body uses best practices to aid the recovery of behaviorally impaired clergy while also safeguarding and supporting the people those clergy serve and live with. We call this “Compassionate Accountability.”
The Center for the Restoration of Impaired Clergy is dedicated to crafting exemplary policies, guidelines, training, and marketing strategies to bring its vision to fruition.
In early 2023, a small, ecumenically diverse, nationwide team of clergy, clinicians, and church leaders was established to tackle this issue. Learn more about their journey, challenges, and outcomes on the “Brief History” page.
Our team is backed by a significantly larger network of supporters and advisors. See “The Team” for more about the connections and networks we are building through our Board Members.
Right now – the Center for the Restoration of Impaired Clergy is adapting programs and policies from other professions that have had successful impaired practitioner programs for decades. CRIC’s Compassionate Accountability model has been designed for church governing bodies and we are working with governing bodies across numerous denominations and polities to identify church bodies that will pilot the programming.
From 2025 to 2027, we will launch the program with 6 to 10 governing bodies. Starting in 2028, we will expand the program across North America and other regions.
To join in this work contact Executive Director, Otto Schultz 402-770-1974, [email protected] to explore opportunities to help.
