With reports of stress and loneliness on the rise, one New Jersey nonprofit is expanding its efforts to reach state residents before they hit the breaking point.
CONTACT’s Listening Line has been operating for over 50 years under the auspices of its parent organization, CONTACT of Mercer County. But the group’s “warmline” has been rebranded in recent months to reflect its growing mission to provide help for people across the state.
What’s a warmline? Listening Line coordinator Jesse Szwed calls it a bridge between everyday support and crisis intervention.
“A hotline like 988 is there to handle emergencies, but the Listening Line is for those not in immediate crisis who still need support,” he said. “We’re here to provide compassionate listening, active counseling, and referrals to resources that might address underlying issues before they become more severe.”
Warmlines have popped up across the country — the website warmline.org lists more than 100 nationwide — as officials seek to take pressure off suicide prevention lines and reach people before their lives tip into crisis. Callers can talk about their problems to a friendly voice and get referrals to mental health therapy, housing assistance, food pantries and other resources.
Why NJ needs a ‘warmline’ for mental health
Organizers with CONTACT see it as a key part of a strategy to tackle a rising tide of mental health complaints in New Jersey and beyond. Nationwide, suicide rates have increased steadily since the late 1990s. The U.S. surgeon general, meanwhile, has warned of a “mental health crisis” among young people that accelerated during the COVID pandemic.
Two years ago, a federal initiative promoted and renamed the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline as “988,” a simple three-digit number that directs users via phone, text or chat to a network of local crisis response centers. Warmlines are another piece of the puzzle
Szwed and his 11 co-workers are standing by, hoping to assist callers before a 988 call is necessary. With 949 calls so far this year through October, CONTACT has seen a 120% increase in call volume over the same period last year.
“We’ve been taking steps to meet that demand,” Szwed said.
Calls come in for many reasons, from people who are lonely or stressed to those struggling to afford food or lodging — two concerns often closely tied to mental health, he said.
Szwed recalled a moving case of a caller “overwhelmed by housing instability.” The woman from North Jersey reached out regularly, anxious and uncertain. Over a year and a half of conversations, Szwed and his co-workers were there for her and managed to connect her to affordable housing options.
Can it follow success of 988?
As the federal government built up the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in 2022, CONTACT was expanding its operations, hiring counselors and investing in phones and technology. Tony Ciavolella, the group’s assistant executive director, emphasized the importance of both services and the unique help that warmlines can provide.
“There are still too few warmlines nationwide,” Ciavolella said. “While we need crisis lines, we also need more services that people can call for emotional support before things escalate. Mental health awareness is growing, but so is the need for accessible, early intervention. We’re doing our best to meet that need, but more resources and recognition for warmlines would make a huge difference.”
While the national push to promote 988 hotlines came with federal dollars, the Listening Line’s growth has largely been self-funded, he said.
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How to reach Listening Line
Paid counselors staff the Listening Line from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, with volunteers covering the remaining hours. That hybrid structure helps CONTACT keeps costs down and keeps the warmline free for those who need it.
“We rely heavily on volunteers, but funding can help us expand and operate consistently statewide,” Ciavolella said.
Szwed said the line’s value comes from its ability to provide both practical assistance and emotional support.
“If someone calls us facing homelessness, we connect them to resources like HomeFront or Arm In Arm,” he said, referring to two Mercer County nonprofits. “We’re acting as a preventive care system, so that by getting that support early on, it never evolves into a crisis situation.”
“There’s a growing awareness of mental health needs, but so many people still don’t know that 988 or the Listening Line exist,” Ciavolella said. “With more support, we could reach even more people across New Jersey.”
CONTACT’s New Jersey Listening Line can be reached at (609) 737-3300.
Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: myers@northjersey.com
Twitter: @myersgene
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Listening Line: ‘Warmline’ takes new tack amid mental health crisis
