Community and Pastoral Care

Call 911 for medical emergencies, or if your life or someone else’s is in danger. 

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call 988 if youare in crisis and need help.

Crisis Text Line
An anonymous texting service is available 24/7 by texting HOME to 741741. 

The Trevor Project
A national 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ young people; call 1-866-488-7386 or text 678-678. 

National Domestic Violence Hotline 
Call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 

National Sexual Assault Hotline 
800-656-HOPE 

NY State Substance Abuse HOPEline:  
This is a 24/7 substance abuse and problem gambling hotline. Call 1-877-8-HOPENY or send a text to HOPENY (467369). 

Never Use Alone Hotline 
Before drug use, call 877-696-1996 anonymously to prevent overdose if you are using drugs alone.  

Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons and Significant Others (JACs) has a warm line operated by volunteers, all of whom are Jewish 12-Steppers: 212-632-4600. If you need support outside of business hours, after 8 pm, or on weekends, call 646-573-7420. 

Amudim is a confidential resource center providing support and direct referrals for individuals, families, and communities impacted by sexual abuse, family violence, substance abuse, mental illness, and other crisis-related matters. Call 646-517-0222. 

• Alzheimer’s Association offers many educational resources, support, and advocacy.  There are in-person and virtual support groups for people experiencing memory loss in early stages (requires a two- to three-week screening process) as well as caregiver support groups. Call 800-272-3900.

• Caring Kind offers caregiver support groups in the five boroughs and nearly 100 general and specialized groups. See the brochure. Call 646-744-2900. 

• National Council of Jewish Women New York holds in-person caregiver support groups each week. Contact Letitia Maun at 646-884-9471 or [email protected]. 

• NYU Langone Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Family Support Program offers a wide range of activities for people with memory loss, their families, and caregivers, including support groups. Call 646-754-2277 or email [email protected]. 

• National Council of Jewish Women offers the Helen Bloom LINC (Lunch, Interaction, Nurturing, & Companionship) Program that engages adults with memory loss through art, music, dance, recreational activities, and pet therapy. It operates three times a week. Contact Letitia Maun at 646-884-9471 or [email protected]. 

• ALZConnected is an online discussion forum for caregivers and individuals experiencing memory loss. 

• Lewy Body Dementia Association offers local support groups, educational materials, and clinical trial information. Call the helpline at 800-539-9767.

• Lewy Body Resource Center offers support groups and educational materials. Call the helpline at 516-218-2026 or [email protected]. 

• 92NY Program for Cognitive Strength and Ability offers a Family and Friends Support Series web page with recordings from expert presenters.

• 92NY’s Himan Brown Program offers an in-person bereavement group, “Living After Loss, a Bereavement Group for Those Who Have Lost a Loved One” facilitated by Dr. Carole Brafman on Tuesdays from 1:00–2:00 pm. Call 212-699-7261. 
  
  
• Calvary Hospital offers groups at no charge. Bereavement support groups are open to New York State residents up to 18 months after the death. Groups run in six-week cycles and meet once a week for 90 minutes. Email [email protected] or call 718-518-2281.  
  
  
• Service Program for Older People (SPOP) offers online groups. Call 212-787-7120 x514.  
  
  
• Jewish Board Community Services offers 12-week online groups. Email [email protected] or call 212-632-4608. 
  
  
• Plaza Jewish Community Chapel offers online groups on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. Led by Rabbi Amy Bolton, BCC, and Amber Keinan, LMSW, the group integrates psycho-emotional and spiritual perspectives and tools for coping. Email [email protected] or call 917-833-8081.  
  
  
• Metropolitan Hospice and Jewish Hospice Bereavement Program offers online groups and specialized groups for loss of a spouse, child and parent as well as first-year groups. Call 212-844-5754. 
  
  
• Caring Kind offers specialized bereavement groups related to Alzheimer’s and memory loss. Call 646-744-2900. 
  
  
• The Compassionate Friends offers bereavement groups after the death of a child. 

• Sharsheret, the Jewish Breast & Ovarian Cancer Community, has support groups, treatment help, caregiver groups, and resources for men with breast cancer.  
  
  
• Jewish Community Services offers an open group for Jewish women impacted by breast cancer.  The group meets on Wednesdays at 3:00 pm every two weeks over Zoom. Email [email protected] or call 212-632-4790. 
  
  
• New York-Presbyterian offers support groups and a peer mentor program which connect gynecologic cancer patients with trained survivor volunteers. Email [email protected] or call 212-305-9066.
  
  
• SHARE offers regular guided cancer support groups for women.

• The Jewish Board offers free, online support groups for caregivers. Email [email protected] or call 212-632-4790. *Begins Fall 2024.
  
  
• Hamilton Madison House offers online support groups on Tuesdays from 5:00–6:00 pm and Wednesdays from 1:00–2:00 pm. The virtual groups are for people living in Manhattan Community Districts 1-7 (UWS, Midtown, and Lower Manhattan). Call 646-265-0351 or email [email protected]. 
  
  
• Service Program for Older People (SPOP) offers online groups. Call 212-787-7120, x514.  
  
  
• Northwell Health offers caregiver support groups at Lenox Hill Hospital the second Wednesday of each month from 4-5pm. Call 212-434-3060 to confirm dates.
  
  
• 92NY Program for Cognitive Strength and Ability offers a Family and Friends Support Series web page with recordings from expert presenters.

Shomer Collective offers programs on advanced care planning, living wills and resources for Jewish End-of-Life Doulas. 

Jewish Community Services (through The Jewish Board) has a cash-assistance program that can provide one-time help with rent and electric bills. Contact Karen Norden, program manager of Homelessness Prevention Services, at [email protected] or 212-632-4707. 

• The Lev Initiative provides mental health support to those impacted by intimate-partner violence, their families, and children. Services include crisis and individual support sessions, support groups, psychotherapy, emergency housing (emergency shelters), and a cash-assistance program. Email [email protected] or call 646-273-1800 confidentially. 
  
  
• Makom Shalom is a UJA-sponsored network of support for those facing intimate-partner violence.  

• Keshet has a breadth of resources, activism opportunities, and events with the goal of accomplishing LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life.

• Sage supports LGBTQ+ elders across New York State. Call 212-741-2247. 

• JQY (Jewish Queer Youth) has an NYC drop-in center and other resources. To speak with a licensed mental health professional, call the non-emergency line, 551-JQY-HOPE (551-579-4673). 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 20% of New Yorkers will be diagnosed with a mental illness, and 100% of the population will experience mental health issues at different points in their lives. For support, contact Suzanne Redlich at [email protected] or 212-369-2600, x105.  

• The Blue Dove Foundation offers mental health and addiction information and resources for the Jewish community. 

• National Alliance on Mental Illness New York Metro provides support, education, and advocacy for people living with mental illness. Call 212-684-3264. 

• Jewish Community Services The Jewish Board offers a variety of mental health services for families and individuals. Call 212-632-4790 or [email protected]. 

• United Hearts for Israel offers a support group, mental health services and a community of healing to support people who have been affected by the crisis in Israel and the rise in antisemitism in New York City and around the world. Call 646-766-6875 or email [email protected].  

• OKclarity offers a directory of psychotherapists who specialize in working with the Jewish community. 

• Psychology Today is a directory of psychotherapy and psychiatric prescribers, filterable by cost, insurance, ZIP Code, and other keywords.  

• DOROT, a PAS partner serving older adults in NYC, offers wellness classes, onsite and virtual programming, friendly visitor relationships, holiday package deliveries, kosher meals, intergenerational programs, and referrals to community services. Contact Hilary Forrest, who is PAS’s social work partner, at [email protected], or call 917-441-3747 for more information.  
  
  
• Selfhelp Community Services offers support for older adults and Holocaust survivors and many services such as older-adult centers, a virtual senior center, case management, and an Alzheimer’s resource program. Call 212-971-7600. 
  
  
• JASA offers home care, case management, meal delivery, social work services, and an adult-center at 120 West 76th St, New York, NY 10023. Call 212-273-5200 or email [email protected].  
  
  
• Weill Cornell Center on Aging offers comprehensive primary outpatient medical care. Call 212-746-7000.
  
  
• Martha Stewart Centers for Living through Mount Sinai offers comprehensive primary care as well as caregiver support. For Upper East Side location, call 212-659-8552. For Union Square location, call 212-463-0101.

• Parkinson’s Foundation NY and NJ Chapter offers events, education, and connection to  resources. 
  
  
• Mount Sinai Movement Disorders has two support groups: one for people with Parkinson’s disease and another for their caregivers. Contact Julie Safar, LCSW, at [email protected] or 212-241-6393. 
  
  
• NYU Langone Fresco Institute has two support groups: one for people with Parkinson’s disease and another for their caregivers. Call 212-263-4838.  
  
  
• NYP Brooklyn Methodist offers group programs for people with Parkinson’s as well as their caregivers. For any of the groups, call 646-704-1792. 
  
  
• Marlene Meyerson JCC Parkinson’s Program offers in-person and virtual activities and groups. Fill out the intake form here or call 646-505-4383.  

• Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities has advocacy groups and resources, including disability-specific resources. 
  
  
• Jewish Braille Institute (JBI) seeks to empower blind, visually impaired and reading-disabled individuals to participate fully in educational, cultural and communal Jewish life by providing free access to its Braille, large-print, and audio libraries. 
  
  
• Jewish Deaf Resource Center provides support, resources, and advocacy for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  
  
  
• The Jewish Board offers support for people with intellectual disabilities, including residential, home-based care, and respite care. Call 212-582-9100.  
  
  
• Jewish Autism Network is a parent-driven organization for individuals with autism.   
  
  
• JCCA Compass Project helps teens and young adults with learning differences, executive functioning and social communication challenges, Autism Spectrum disorders, and related disabilities. It offers counseling, social and recreational programs, and career and internship opportunities. 
  
  
• The Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Special Needs at Marlene Meyerson JCC builds and nurtures an inclusive and accepting community for individuals with disabilities and their families. Contact program director Caitlin McInerney at [email protected].  

• Mount Sinai SAVI Program (Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program) offers psychotherapy, referrals, and emergency room advocacy. Call 212-423-2140.  
  
  
• RAINN is a national anti-sexual-violence organization offering resources and advocacy. 

• Selah is a recovery-based community grounded in Jewish tradition that offers individual spiritual support as well as in-person and online groups.  

• JCS Recovery serves individuals and families seeking recovery from addiction and offers tailored recovery services. 

• Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons and Significant Others (JACS), a program of The Jewish Board, is a volunteer, mutual-help organization. Call 347-735-0583 or email [email protected]. Its call line is operated by volunteers, all of whom are Jewish 12-Steppers. For support outside of business hours, after 8:00 pm, or on weekends, call 646-573-7420. 

• Jewish Addiction Awareness Network (JAAN) offer programs and resources from a Jewish perspective.  

• Our Jewish Recovery offers recovery meetings for people in recovery and their loved ones. 

• Alcoholics Anonymous offers free in-person and online meetings.  

• Northwell Health offers a wide variety of support groups, including more specific caregiving groups. 
  
  
• Child loss: Jewish Community Services is offering a child loss support group for anyone who has suffered the loss of a child. The group begins Fall 2024 and runs virtually for 12 weeks. Email [email protected] or call 212-632-4790. 
  
  
• Divorce: Jewish Community Services is offering a support group for anyone going through divorce, or anyone who has already gone through divorce. The group begins Fall 2024 and runs virtually for 12 weeks. Email [email protected] or call 212-632-4790. 

In addition to the disease-specific support groups listed above, there are groups for many other topics, including infertility, chronic illness, coping with stress, hoarding, and single motherhood. Contact Suzanne Redlich at [email protected] or call 212-369-2600, x105.