The following is a list of Jewish mental health organizations listed in alphabetical order.
Amudim Amudim is a New York based organization that functions as a “confidential resource center that provides meaningful assistance, enduring support, and direct referrals for individuals and families impacted by sexual abuse, neglect, and addiction and other crisis-related matters.”
BBYO Center for Adolescent Wellness The BBYO Center for Adolescent Wellness works with youth-serving organizations to “evaluate how their current policies, procedures, and training align to create and ensure safe environments for adolescents.” They offer consulting services and trainings (including but not limited to mental health trainings and Youth Mental Health First Aid).
Elijah’s Journey Elijah’s Journey is focused on offering a Jewish response to issues of suicide awareness and prevention.
Gelt Charitable Foundation Gelt Charitable Foundation is “is a not-for-profit organization that raises awareness and provides support for those who feel alone.” Specifically, they run subsidized programs on mental health and suicide prevention.
Jewish Addiction Awareness Network (JAAN) JAAN is focused on promoting “understanding of the disease of addiction and decreas[ing] stigma by connecting individuals, families, and professionals across the Jewish spectrum in order to explore the intersection of Judaism and recovery, exchange resources, and support those in crisis.”
Jewish Communities Confronting Addiction (CCSA) CCSA is focused on “providing support and educational programming for Jewish communities, families, students and faculty on the topic of addiction and substance use” in an effort to break the cycle of addiction and save lives. They offer community programming and school programming.
Jewish Sacred Spaces Jewish Sacred Spaces “provides Jewish institutions with the professional services necessary to develop robust policies and training to prevent opportunities for abuse and guide them responsibly should abuse occur.” Services include assisting Jewish organizations with crafting policies, providing training and offering consultations.
JQY (Jewish Queer Youth) JQY is a nonprofit orrganization “that supports and empowers LGBTQ Jewish youth with a special focus on teens and young adults from Orthodox, Chassidic, and Sephardi/Mizrahi communities. JQY fights to ensure the emotional and physical health and safety of this population. Our goal is for all these individuals to know: You are a valued member of the Jewish community and you are not alone.” JQY offers community programming and school programming.
Keshet Keshet is an organization focused on “equip[ping] Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge to build LGBTQ-affirming communities, create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued, and advance LGBTQ rights nationwide.” Keshet offers community programming and school programming.
Maaglei Nefesh: The Center for Mental Health, Community and Halacha Maaglei Nefesh is an organization founded by Rav Yoni Rosensweig, who is based in Israel. Rav Rosensweig is particularly adept at reaching Orthodox populations and helping them navigate the challenges of living with a mental illness while navigating observance (specifically halacha, Jewish law).
MASK (Mothers and Fathers Aligned Saving Kids) MASK Parents aims to help Jewish families raise emotionally healthy children, a service they provide via “a CONFIDENTIAL helpline, support groups, prevention and awareness programs in the community and in schools.”
Neshamos Neshamos is a Lubavitch organization on “a mission to promote mental and emotional health within our community. Underscoring the importance of good emotional health in our lives by assisting and educating – from answering the phone call of an individual, all the way to creating a curriculum on good emotional health for schools and parents.”
No Shame on U No Shame on U is “dedicated to breaking the stigma associated with mental health so the people who need the help will seek it, family members and friends will know how to provide proper support, and to save lives.” They do this through providing community outreach programs, classes, workshops, a robust online presence, a weekly blog, podcast, fact sheets, crisis information magnets and videos and educational presentations.
OK Clarity OK Clarity is the “online wellness platform for the Jewish community.” It connects its “community members with professionals and other supportive individuals” and takes a holistic approach towards health and mental wellness.
Relief Relief is “an international nonprofit organization that provides mental health guidance, education, and treatment recommendations for individuals.” It serves as a bridge between the client and providing clarity “about what kind of professional would be helpful for their situation. We operate an extensive database and make specific referrals based on each client’s unique circumstances.”
Refuat HaNefesh Refuat HaNefesh aims to “create a Jewish community that is more aware, respectful, and empathetic to people living with mental illness.” It does this through providing personal accounts and articles, Instagram lives with individuals with lived experience, art and writing contests on the topic of mental health, and offering a yearly conference on mental health and the gap year experience in Israel.
The Bayar Group The Bayar Group provides “sexual abuse and harassment prevention training for schools, camps and organizations (faith based and corporate) that create lasting change.”
The Blue Dove Foundation The Blue Dove Foundation works to “address mental illness and addiction in the Jewish community and beyond. We work with organizations and communities -- both Jewish and interfaith -- across the country and around the world.” They offer a number of resources about the connection between mental wellness and Judaism, and also spearhead replicable programs like mental health Shabbat dinners.
The Wellness Institute The Wellness Institute is a nonprofit subsidiary of The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute committed to providing mental health education to youth and their caretakers. It produces online and in-person training, events, and publications to educate youth-serving adults to support the youth in their care and keep them safe and creates curricula to teach middle school and high school youth resilience skills to provide them with the core competencies they need to navigate crises.
Upward Community Upward Community is a Chicago based organization that seeks to “support the emotional, social and spiritual health of adolescents, young adults and their families with an array of innovative prevention and intervention programs and services.” Their focus is on both prevention and responsive crisis intervention.
Za’akah Za’akah is “dedicated to advocating for survivors of child sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community.” Additionally, Za’akah “has established a regular Shabbos and Yom Tov Peer Support Hotline, going live for Pesach 2021 which will have a rotation of volunteers available at all hours of Shabbos and Yom Tov to provide support to those who feel they need it.”
Important crisis hotlines
Crisis Text Line Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.
Suicide Hotline 800-273-8255
Teen Lifeline 800-248-8336