NJMentalHealthCares (NJMHC) is New Jersey’s first comprehensive behavioral health management helpline and website, serving professionals and the general public. Every call is answered within seconds by a trained, professional behavioral healthcare specialist. The Helpline staff provides professional assessment of presenting problems and issues, including the use of standardized tools to assess concerns such as depression, suicidality and substance abuse. Our staff readily answers questions and discusses concerns, providing information, resources, support and advocacy navigating the public and not-for-profit behavioral health systems. Follow-up phone assistance is offered to every caller to ensure connection needed services.
All of our staff members hold degrees in behavioral health and participate in ongoing training which includes topics such as:
• Interpersonal Theory of Suicide of Suicide Assessment Model (Standard for National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline)
• Handling Difficult Callers / Handling Crisis Callers
• ASAM Levels of Care
• UNCOPE Substance Abuse Screening Tool
• Motivational Interviewing
• Understanding Developmental Disabilities
• Understanding Entitlements
For more information, resources and support or to access services, Please Call our Toll Free Helpline: 866-202-HELP (4357). Persons who are deaf may access the Helpline by calling 711. Calls are answered live, Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Messages are returned the next business day.
NJMentalHealthCares (NJMHC) staff is trained to and regularly handles crisis and suicidal callers who contact the Helpline. Therefore in September, 2012, the program formalized its expertise in this area and commitment to this significant and often devastating mental health issue by becoming a participating center with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Helpline is an ideal fit for handling these calls given the extensive and ongoing staff training, as well as the database and staff expertise, enabling callers to be readily linked to needed crisis or other behavioral health services.
People in the U.S. can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach a caring, trained counselor who can help.
Mental Health Assciation in New Jersey’s Call Center is one of four responding centers in New Jersey and one of 200 across the U.S. We have recently been chosen to increase our capacity to serve.
Click here for more information.
The Peer Recovery WarmLine (PRW)
At Peer Recovery WarmLine “Recovery is Mutual”.
· All calls are answered by peers who are trained, supportive mental health consumers in recovery.
· This service does not provide crisis intervention. For an emergency, call 911 immediately!
· Each discussion is invididualized, focusing on how the caller perceives the situation or world views.
· Steps to help develop and implement the caller’s own personalized Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) re taken.
· The International Peer Support model is used, therefore the caller and peer mutually supports each other’s recovery and talk about their our own stories in a way that helps the recovery process for both.
The most up-to-date listing of NJ’s community mental health services is used for referrals.
· The most updated list of New Jersey’s community mental health services is used for referrals; follow-up to the caller is facilitated.
Need someone to talk to? Afraid no one will understand?
For free Mental Health Support, Information and Referral from Peers
The Peer Recovery WarmLine is open 365 days a year, including holidays. The hours of operation are Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Holidays, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. To reach the WarmLine, call 877-292-5588. Persons who are deaf may access the line by calling 711.
If you are interested in position on The Peer Recovery WarmLine: Please send your resume via email to PRWfeedback@mhanj.org
The Peer Recovery WarmLine us a service of The Mental Health Association in New Jersey and is funded by the NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Community Education
NJMentalHealthCares (NJMHC) serves as one central access point statewide where individuals may obtain wide-ranging information about mental health, co-occurring, and other community services, as well as professional psycho-education, advocacy and supportive counseling.
As part of our commitment to ensure we reach any individual in need of our services, we provide outreach statewide to groups who are interested in learning more about the Helpline.
For more information or to schedule a presentation contact Kiyonna Thomas, Operations Manager, Mental Health Association in New Jersey’s Call Center Services, kthomas@mhanj.org.
