In New Jersey, public mental health care for adults is overseen by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), part of the Department of Human Services. DMHAS leads the state's 988 system, which includes the 988 contact centers and 988 Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams that can come to adults in crisis. NAMI New Jersey runs a free statewide HelpLine at 1-866-626-4664 and offers support groups and classes across the state.
If you want to talk to someone but aren't in crisis, NJ MentalHealthCares at (866) 202-HELP (4357) offers free, confidential emotional support and referrals every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
DMHAS funds mental health programs in all 21 of New Jersey's counties and publishes a directory of the providers it supports. For a crisis, 988 counselors can send a Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Team, run by five regional providers that together cover every county, to adults who agree to a visit. Early Intervention Support Services, a short term crisis program that works as an alternative to the emergency room, is available in every county, and you don't need an appointment for a first visit. Children and teens have their own entry point through the Children's System of Care, which can send a mobile response team to a family's home. DMHAS says it's still developing crisis receiving and stabilization centers, so for now walk in crisis care runs through EISS programs and designated screening centers.
Crisis lines
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 anywhere in the United States, including from New Jersey. Free and confidential, 24 hours a day. For chat, visit 988lifeline.org.
- 988 in New Jersey (DMHAS). DMHAS's page on what happens when you call, text or chat 988 from New Jersey, and how 988 connects to mobile crisis teams and other crisis services in the state. It also lists New Jersey's specialized call lines in one place.
- NJ MentalHealthCares. New Jersey's mental health information and referral line, run by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey with DMHAS funding. Call (866) 202-HELP (4357), 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., for emotional support and help finding services; it isn't a crisis line.
- Peer Recovery WarmLine. A line answered by trained peers who have lived experience with a mental health condition, for people in recovery who want someone to talk to. Call (877) 292-5588, weekdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., weekends 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and holidays 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- NJ 211. New Jersey's information and referral service for health and human services, available 24/7 by phone, text, chat and web. Dial 211 or text 898211, or search its online directory.
- 2NDFLOOR Youth Helpline. A free, anonymous and confidential helpline for New Jersey's youth and young adults, funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. Call or text 1-888-222-2228 at any hour.
- NJ Vet2Vet. Support around the clock for New Jersey National Guard members, active military, veterans, their families and caregivers. Call 866-838-7654, or use the site's chat, text or email options.
Crisis care and mobile crisis
- 988 Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams (MCORT). Teams that include a trained peer support specialist and respond in person to adults 18 and older in a mental health, substance use or suicidal crisis that isn't life threatening. Only 988 centers can send a team, so call 988 and ask.
- Early Intervention Support Services (EISS). Short term crisis intervention and stabilization for adults, funded by DMHAS and offered in every county as an alternative to the hospital emergency room. NAMI New Jersey lists each county's program with its address and phone number; no appointment is needed for a first visit, though calling ahead is recommended.
- Psychiatric emergency screening centers. Designated screening centers provide emergency psychiatric assessment, crisis intervention and referral for residents of their area. DMHAS links a list of screening centers, in English and Spanish, from this page.
- Children's System of Care (PerformCare). The statewide entry point for behavioral health services for children and young people, at 1-877-652-7624, 24 hours a day. For an urgent situation that isn't life threatening, PerformCare can send a mobile response team to your home within an hour.
State mental health authority
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). The state mental health authority within the Department of Human Services. It oversees adult community mental health and addiction services, contracts with community providers and leads planning for New Jersey's 988 crisis system.
- DMHAS hotlines and helplines. DMHAS's list of free phone lines in New Jersey, with hours and numbers, including lines for families worried about a loved one's substance use and a peer line for law enforcement officers.
NAMI New Jersey
- NAMI NJ HelpLine. A free statewide peer support line for information and referrals, not a crisis line. Call 1-866-626-4664, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; help is offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and several South Asian languages.
- NAMI New Jersey support groups and classes. Free NAMI Connection and NAMI Family Support groups, in person and online, plus classes such as NAMI Family-to-Family, NAMI Basics and NAMI Peer-to-Peer. NAMI NJ also runs outreach programs for African American, Chinese, Hispanic and South Asian communities and lists its county affiliates.
Community mental health centers
- DMHAS Directory of Mental Health Services. A county by county directory of mental health programs that receive state funding through DMHAS, covering all 21 counties. The same page links to county mental health administrators and to Intensive Family Support Services for families of adults with mental illness.
Treatment locators
- FindTreatment.gov. The federal locator for mental health and substance use treatment. Search by New Jersey zip code and filter by payment type.
- NJ 211 online directory. NJ 211's searchable directory of government and nonprofit programs across New Jersey, including mental health services. You can also call 211 and have a specialist search for you.
University and academic medical centers
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Psychiatry. Academic psychiatry department in New Brunswick with a general psychiatry residency and fellowships in child and adolescent and forensic psychiatry. It runs an adult psychiatric clinic, an autism clinic and a child and adolescent psychopharmacology program.
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Psychiatry. Academic psychiatry department in Newark that trains medical students and residents and serves Newark and northern New Jersey through inpatient and outpatient care.
- Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC). Rutgers' behavioral health care provider, with emergency, inpatient, outpatient, partial hospital and community programs. To make an appointment, call its Access Center at (800) 969-5300.
Other state programs
- New Jersey Self-Help Group Clearinghouse. A DMHAS funded service of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey that helps people find or start free self-help support groups on many topics, including mental health. Call 800-367-6274.
- NJ Disaster Mental Health Helpline. A DMHAS funded line for mental health support after a natural or human caused disaster or a terrorist attack. It's activated only during disasters; call (877) 294-HELP (4357) when it's active.