At the Mental Health Association in Passaic County, we recognize that caring for a family member with a serious mental illness can be stressful and lonely. When you are a client of Intensive Family Support Services, you do not have to cope with the challenges of caregiving alone. Our program will provide the support, education and advocacy you need to cope effectively and help your relative. You will learn about mental illness and the mental health system, how to care for yourself while caring for your relative, how to reduce stress and how to strengthen your problem solving skills. You select the services you want, when you want them. The staff will meet with you in your home, at our office or at a mutually agreed upon location in the community. We provide a variety of services such as individual consultation, telephone support, support groups, education workshops, respite, information and advocacy. These consultations are provided as often as you need them. During this time, you will receive the information you need and you will be able to talk to us about your concerns, thoughts and feelings about your situation. The support groups provide an opportunity for you to meet other family members caring for a relative with a mental illness. These groups can reduce your stress, provide support and increase your coping skills in a professional and peer facilitated environment. Educational workshops consist of professionals from the fields of law, mental health and social services that provide education to you and your relative. Past topics of workshops have included Social Security Benefits, Psychiatric Medications, Estate Planning, Caring for the Caregiver, Navigating the Mental Health System and Residential Services. Respite is a non-emergency service for your family member to give you some relief from the responsibilities of caregiving. It is provided either in your home or during scheduled community outings. IFSS staff will assist you in obtaining the community services that you and your relative need. We also have a lending library of books, directories, brochures, audio cassettes and videos on various mental illness and treatments. All services are provided in English and Spanish and are free to you.

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Parents with mental illness face the same challenges that all parents face; housing, employment, money management, transportation, childcare and more.  Parents with mental illness encounter the additional challenges of medication, hospitalization, the fear of loss of custody of their children and the isolation created by the stigma of mental illness.  The Consumer Parent Support Network recognizes the importance of the relationship between parents and their children.  Our staff has first-hand experience and know that parents need someone who believes in them and will provide support to them in their role as parents.  The purpose of the program is to support parents with a diagnosis of a mental illness in their parenting efforts and to promote the healthy functioning of their families.  The services offered include case management, one to one support from another consumer parent, referral and linkage to other services, parenting education workshops, education about mental illness and advocacy for needed services. CPSN uses traditional case management and combines it with support groups, education with advocacy and mentors.  Each program participant has the opportunity to select from a variety of support services that will strengthen their role as a parent.  The program will assist with needed referrals and case management.  Our Parent Advocates are both parents and consumers.  They can help you negotiate the challenges of parenting by acting as a mentor, sounding board and source of encouragement.  Parents with a mental illness who are residents of Passaic County and have children under the age of eighteen living with them are eligible to receive these services.  All our services are provided in English and Spanish and are free to you.

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The Community Outreach Advocates offer the benefits of their life experience.  They are trained supervised employees that have been through similar experiences as consumers of mental health services.  They can offer mentoring, advocacy and linkage to other services.  Most importantly, they offer you support and help on an individual basis.  The goal of the program is to promote independence by linking consumers to existing mental health, medical, housing, employment, and self-help groups in the community.  We develop a supportive relationship with clients while encouraging participation in social, educational, spiritual, recreational and cultural activities.  We also accompany clients to appointments (e.g., social security, etc.) and self-help functions (e.g., drop-in centers, substance abuse meetings, etc.), providing transportation as needed.  Support is also provided in teaching and modeling activities of daily living (ADL) skills and social support.  We work either on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting to provide support for successful integration into the community.

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Double Trouble in Recovery (DTR) is a twelve-step fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problems and help others recover from their particular addiction(s) and mental disorder(s).  DTR is designed to meet the needs of the dually diagnosed and is clearly for those having addictive substance problems as well as having been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.  We band together to help ourselves recover from our addictions and mental problems.  We share our experiences to help ourselves become honest, open-minded, and willing.  There is no enrollment or pre- registration required.  Contact person:  Jeanne Metzger at 973-478-4444 ext. 60

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The Arab American Counseling Services provides confidential mental health services to New Jersey residents of Arab American descent.  All services provided are culturally sensitive and free of charge.  Services include individual counseling, family counseling, couple counseling, group therapy, youth counseling, parenting groups, and information and referral.  In addition the program offers cultural competency trainings for socail service professionals on "Working with Arab Americans" free of charge.  For further information contact Raja Salloum at (973) 478-4444 ext. 12.

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Family Advocates are now working at the St. Mary’s Psychiatric Screening Center located in the city of Passaic. St. Mary’s Psychiatric Screening Center operates the Involuntary Unit for Passaic County and conducts the largest number of screening in the county.  Family Advocates are working directly with St. Mary’s staff in order to provide support for family members.  All Family Advocates are trained to listen, provide support and act as mentors.  Family Advocates have experience as a caregiver of an adult with a mental illness.  The role of the Family Advocate is to provide support for families whose loved one is in the psychiatric emergency room.  Family Advocates use “active lurking” a casual, friendly, non-pressured approach to strike up conversation with family members waiting for their loved one.  Support includes providing a listening ear and information regarding the screening process.  The Family Advocates also provide information on resources and services in the community as well as basic information about different mental illnesses.  Family Advocates are also expected to familiarize families with the location of the emergency room restrooms, cafeteria, public phones, and family lounge.  Family Advocates report to screening center staff every half hour in order to check on the status of the ill family member and report back to the family. Often times family members are frustrated because the screening process is taking so long and they have not been provided with any information.  Family Advocates are equipped to explain all steps in the screening process as well as patient confidentiality.  Our goal is to reduce the stress of families waiting in the emergency room of the screening center at St. Mary’s Hospital.  We would also like to increase accessibility to ongoing support services for families.  Through this new program more families will be linked to services in Passaic County and will receive much needed support.  Currently we have five Family Advocates working in the screening center six days a week.  Advocates work shifts from 4-8PM during the week and from 12-4PM on Saturday.  We are hoping to reach out to fifty families a month.

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The Association is a force for social change, spearheading reform and striving for freedom from stigma and prejudice on behalf of the mentally ill.  The legislative network is made up of volunteers who inform local elected officials about the impact of legislation on the mental health system.

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