A Catholic Clinical Home + Cross-Denominational Support Model

⭐ INTEGRATED PITCH

A Catholic Clinical Home + Cross-Denominational Support Model

Breath of Life Ministry + Catholic-Funded Counseling + Re:Generation Discipleship + Community Suicide Prevention

1. Executive Summary

Our region faces a severe and escalating mental-health crisis—marked by high suicide rates, limited access to bilingual, faith-integrated counseling, and an urgent need for both clinical and spiritual support.

We propose a unified, diocesan-supported model that brings together:

  • Catholic-funded clinical counseling under an approved organization (preferably Catholic Charities of Central Texas, CCCTX)
  • Licensed LPC-Associates Daniel & Fatima Smith, serving through the Breath of Life Ministry
  • Re:Generation’s 52-week discipleship and accountability framework through local Protestant churches
  • A coordinated suicide-prevention and long-term grief support pipeline
  • A clinical home with Electronic Health Record (EHR), HIPAA compliance, and liability protection

This model allows Catholic Charities (or another diocesan-identified oversight structure) to provide the clinical backbone, while local Catholic and Protestant churches provide community support, discipleship, and ongoing wellness pathways, forming a holistic system that neither group could provide alone.

2. The Catholic Clinical Need (Breath of Life Ministry)

Statement from Daniel Smith, LPC-Associate

“Breath of Life Ministry accompanies individuals and families affected by suicide, but as a parish ministry—not a private counseling practice—we lack the required clinical infrastructure for safe and ethical long-term counseling. We need a clinical home that provides an EHR, HIPAA-compliant communication, administrative support, liability protection, and proper supervision.”

Daniel and Fatima bring:

  • Graduate internships completed under CCCTX, including parish-based counseling at
    • CCCTX counseling office
    • Santa Cruz Catholic Church & School
  • 11 years of public service experience (Daniel, City of Austin)
  • Bilingual casework and crisis-care experience (Fatima, Travis County)
  • Clinical supervision under Paul L. Duffy, M.Ed., LPC-S
  • Commitment to Catholic-integrated counseling when desired by the client
  • Fully no-cost counseling for families in grief or crisis

Breath of Life does not seek to bill clients and requires diocesan financial support to operate responsibly.

3. Why a Catholic Clinical Home is Required

Breath of Life cannot legally or ethically operate without:

  • ✔ Electronic Health Record (Kareo or another EHR approved by the Diocese)
  • ✔ Secure storage of intakes, assessments, safety plans
  • ✔ HIPAA-compliant messaging
  • ✔ Administrative support
  • ✔ Registered counseling site
  • ✔ Liability coverage
  • ✔ Clinical supervision integrated with the agency
  • ✔ Documentation expectations & scope clarity

These components cannot be supplied by a parish alone.

Therefore, a diocesan-identified clinical home—preferably CCCTX—is necessary.

If CCCTX is not the right placement, Daniel & Fatima are fully open to another Catholic oversight organization the Diocese approves.

4. The Integrated Program Structure

Catholic Clinical Backbone + Re:Gen Discipleship + Community Support Model

This model supports both Catholic and Protestant parishioners while maintaining strict boundaries:

TIER 1 — Catholic-Funded Clinical Counseling (Daniel & Fatima)

  • Suicide-risk assessment
  • CBT-based counseling
  • Grief after-care
  • Trauma stabilization
  • Bilingual counseling
  • Parish referrals
  • HIPAA-secure documentation in Catholic systems
  • Clinically neutral, faith-integrated only upon client request
  • No billing; diocesan-funded

TIER 2 — Re:Generation 52-Week Discipleship (Protestant Partners)

  • Open group (Weeks 1–4) → Closed group (Weeks 5–52)
  • Step study, confession, accountability
  • Biblical reframing (compatible with CBT)
  • Suicide red-flag detection → immediate clinical referral
  • Leader training pipeline for sustainability

This is a discipleship program, not clinical care.

TIER 3 — Catholic–Protestant Bridge System

  • Catholic clinicians may recommend Re:Gen for discipleship
  • Re:Gen leaders escalate safety concerns directly back to Catholic clinicians
  • Shared neutral vocabulary prevents doctrinal conflict
  • Care remains Catholic-supervised and clinically compliant

5. Why Cross-Denominational Partnership Works

  • Catholic clinicians handle mental-health risk, liability, documentation, and trauma.
  • Protestant churches provide Re:Gen—world-class long-term discipleship and accountability.
  • Catholic parishes remain the center for sacramental life, Mass, confession, and pastoral care.
  • The Diocese maintains theological oversight and control.

This is not ecumenical blending—it is parallel partnership, each side remaining distinct in role and doctrine.

6. What Daniel & Fatima Need to Move Forward

A. Diocesan Confirmation of the Clinical Home

  • Ideally CCCTX, given their systems and our prior internships
  • Alternatively, another Diocese-approved oversight organization

B. Authorization to Use Catholic Clinical Infrastructure

  • Kareo (EHR)
  • HIPAA-secure tools
  • Liability coverage
  • Approved documentation workflows

C. Role & Scope Clarity

  • Part-time / temp / contract structure
  • Clinical supervision requirements
  • Service boundaries
  • Reporting lines

D. Modest Diocesan Budget Allocation

Since clients will not be billed:

  • Clinical hours
  • Administrative support
  • Suicide-prevention outreach
  • Grief retreats
  • Parish workshops
  • Ministry materials

E. Approval for Service Locations

  • CCCTX offices
  • CCCTX counseling office
  • Santa Cruz Catholic School
  • St. Mary of the Assumption counseling trailer

F. Direction on MOU Requirements

  • Required only if the clinical home is outside CCCTX

G. Flexibility if CCCTX is Not the Fit

  • Fully open to diocesan direction

7. Top-Down Diocesan Leadership Needed

For Success, We Request:

  • Diocesan funding to avoid draining CCCTX budgets
  • Bishop’s authorization to integrate CCCTX infrastructure
  • Formal alignment with CCCTX leadership
  • Clarity and unity across all diocesan departments
  • Approval to jointly fundraise where appropriate
  • Assurance that finances will not block life-saving work

8. Why This Matters

With a stable clinical home and diocesan backing, we can:

  • Provide no-cost bilingual counseling
  • Prevent suicide in high-risk communities
  • Offer long-term grief support
  • Equip parishes for crisis response
  • Expand access to faith-integrated mental health care
  • Build a bridge to Re:Gen for sustained discipleship and recovery
  • Strengthen the Church’s mission to heal the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1)

9. Conclusion

Breath of Life Ministry stands ready to expand its mission with proper Catholic oversight. By placing Daniel and Fatima under a diocesan-recognized clinical home and integrating counseling with Re:Generation support and community partnerships, we can create a model that is:

  • Clinically sound
  • Theologically faithful
  • Financially sustainable
  • Spiritually healing
  • Scalable to multiple parishes
  • Designed to save lives

We welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss next steps.

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