Non-suicide crisis? ‘Warmline’ in New Jersey is here to listen

Not everyone who's struggling needs a suicide hotline.

Sometimes, an individual just needs a listening ear.

For folks who aren't in a great place but are in no imminent risk of hurting themselves or others, CONTACT of Mercer County, NJ continues to run its "warmline" that connects callers with experts who are trained to be active listeners for both individuals in crisis and those who just want to be heard.

"We try to catch folks upstream ... before they have suicidal ideations," said Tony Ciavolella, associate executive director.

The warmline service has been offered by CONTACT for decades, but the organization is making a concerted effort in 2024 to promote the option and get more folks to dial in.

General call-in lines for folks who aren't in crisis are few and far between. These types of lines are generally tied to certain demographics, such as law enforcement or recovering substance abusers.

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From December 2023 to July 2024, CONTACT recorded a 120% increase in calls to the free warmline, aka the listening line, Ciavolella said.

"Warmlines are extremely important in the mental health crisis care continuum," Ciavolella said.

CONTACT is working to expand the listening line's coverage. For now, a warmline voice is reachable Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The line can be reached at 609-737-3300.

In 2022, the three-digital dialing code 988 was launched nationwide for folks looking to reach a suicide/crisis lifeline.

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