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LAKE FOREST (CBSLA.com) — A prominent Orange County pastor is teaming up with other faith, health and psychology leaders to provide effective and compassionate care to those who suffer from mental illness.

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest convened “The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church” as part of ongoing community outreach efforts following the death of his 27-year-old son, who committed suicide last April amid struggles with severe depression and suicidal thoughts.

The event will feature 20 interactive workshops covering depression, suicide-risk reduction, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, addictions, and other topics along with speakers who will address the role of church leaders in mental health and crisis management, according to a spokesperson.

In addition to Rick and Kay Warren, speakers will include Bishop Kevin Vann of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange; Eric Johnson, Ph.D., Lawrence and Charlotte Hoover Professor of Pastoral Care at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Matthew Stanford, Ph.D., professor of psychology, neuroscience and biomedical studies at Baylor University; Aaron Kheriaty, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry, UC Irvine; and others.

Warren said the event is aimed at removing the stigma surrounding mental illness following the death of their son, Matthew, who took his life on April 5, 2013, after a lifelong struggle with mental illness.

“One of the things I believe is that God never wastes a hurt and that oftentimes your greatest ministry comes out of your deepest pain,” said Warren. “When Kay and I began ministering to people with HIV AIDS about a dozen years ago, I thought being HIV positive was the greatest taboo. But actually, I think mental illness is and we want to remove the stigma.”

RELATED: Rick Warren Returns To Pulpit 16 Weeks After Son’s Death

According to the National Institutes of Health, one in four adults — approximately 61.5 million Americans — experiences mental illness in a given year. One in 17 —  about 13.6 million — live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.

Warren, who founded Saddleback Church in 1980, is also author of the bestselling “The Purpose Driven Life” and gave the invocation at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.

Tickets for the gathering, which will take place March 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., are currently available for $20. The event will also be streamed live at MentalHealthAndTheChurch.com.

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