Mental Health

Screen Shot 2020-06-10 at 10.59.00 AM.png
Screen Shot 2020-03-19 at 12.55.46 PM.png

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been tremendously stressful . Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. We urge people to ask for help when it is needed and to take steps to maintain their mental health in equal degree as their physical health.

Please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Guide for Managing Stress and Anxiety During the Coronavirus.

If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. (TTY 1-800-846-8517)

The Disaster Distress Helpline is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters, including infectious disease outbreaks. You may call for yourself or on behalf of someone else. Dial 800.985.5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. 

Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 10.42.13 AM.png

Additional Coronavirus anxiety resources can be found here.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call 800.273.8255, or chat through their website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Additionally, the following local agencies are able to help:

  • Eva’s Village

    Eva’s Village will continue operating its halfway houses and shelters, as well as outreach programs for those struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

    In lieu of the state’s call to limit group gatherings and practice social distancing, the non-profit has suspended outpatient services and on-site programs at its Recovery Community Center. But, counselors and peer recovery mentors will still be available by phone to clients. Eva’s Village has also set up a hotline for those seeking recovery support. 

    The hotline can be reached at 973-754-6784, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

  • Oasis

    Social workers are on-call on weekdays from 10 am - 2pm to speak with people who may be struggling with anxiety or mental health issues. Call 973-881-8307.

  • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/campaigns/covid-19/

  • Erika’s Lighthouse: We’re in This Together is focused on supporting young people's mental health. Teens were already struggling with high levels of stress, anxiety, depression and suicide. Social isolation may make it worse. We’re In This Together is designed to provide practical tools and resources for teens to support themselves, peers, parents, family members and their community during this crisis. https://secure.qgiv.com/event/inthistogether/

  • Mental Health Association NJ is holding virtual support groups and Learning opportunities: https://www.mhanj.org/virtual-support-and-learning-opportunities/

  • The Well Being Therapy Center is offering online teen support groups and are live streaming Talk About Real Things for Teens https://wellbeingtherapycenter.com

  • Children's Mobile Response is available 24/7 to help any family/legal guardian who is having concerns (behavioral/mental health) with a youth (ages 3-21). We are currently responding to families/youth using telehealth and we are able to implement in home services through telehealth as well. If anyone has any questions or would like to discuss further you can reach us at (877-652-7624) or dglinkin@fisnj.org.

  • The Youth Mental Health Project is offering online support groups for parents: https://ymhproject.org/parent-support-network/

  • NAMI NJ has online support groups and lots of other great support for mental health. https://www.naminj.org\

You may also consider connecting with a therapist virtually through one of the following services:

Screen Shot 2020-03-23 at 3.19.50 PM.png

Accessing Help with Substance Abuse

  • Alcoholics Anonymous has an online meeting directory which can be accessed here.

  • This website provides links to a vast array of pre-recorded AA talks.

  • Visit www.recoveryaudio.org for over 6000 recordings on a variety of topics related to recovery.

  • Connect with others at NJ Peer Recovery, a peer-support line available seven days a week, offering a holistic treatment approach to those living with substance use challenges. https://njpeerrecovery.com,

Talking to Children About Coronavirus

Children and teens rely on parents and caregivers to deal with the COVID-19 calmly and confidently. Please visit the following resources to help you talk to your children about Coronavirus and help them manage their anxieties.

Get Active

Remaining active can go a long way in alleviating anxiety and remaining healthy. Check out the following resources to keep yourself physically fit during this crisis: