Founded in 1975 by the Willow Grove Presbyterian Church in Scotch Plains, Caring Contact has been promoting emotional wellbeing and preventing emotional crises by providing opportunities for people to express themselves to compassionate listeners in a safe environment for over 45 years. In addition to our non-emergency “warm line,” we have been the primary responder to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for residents of Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union counties since 2005. Our crisis lines are staffed by highly trained volunteers who undergo rigorous classroom and phone training before they can answer crisis calls. Starting in 2012, we expanded our activities to include the Save Our Youth Campaign, a multi-faceted community education and training program for both youth and adults focusing on the basics of suicide awareness and intervention with the goal of reducing youth suicide in our communities. Over the years we have trained or educated thousands of individuals including members of faith communities, first responders, parents, teachers, and many others. More recently we have expanded our focus to include adults with the Suicide Safe Communities Initiative.
