The Samaritans of New York

Samaritans' core program is The 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. The hotline is The only nyc service offering completely confidential and anonymous crisis support. The hotline acts as a safe point of entry for callers, which makes it The go-to service for underserved and untreated populations, most impacted by The stigma. In fy22, The hotline responded to over 70,000 contacts, 57,808 of them calls from people in distress or crisis, those concerned about someone in crisis, or seeking information and resources. This free service was staffed by approximately 80 volunteers who donated over 20,000 hours of their time valued at 800,000 in donated labor. In contract with The nyc department of health for over 30 years, The program continues to meet all contact compliance requirements.

Samaritans' suicide loss bereavement support services provide a safe and supportive environment to help survivors cope with their loss in The company of others who have had The same experience. The groups help to alleviate The isolation and reduce The impact of stigma that so often compunds The trauma of a survivor's experience. Last year, Samaritans' expanded its focus by developing an interactive suicide loss bereavement webpage in addition to continuing to host virtual support groups. In fy 2022, Samaritans' served 432 survivors of suicide loss.

This year Samaritans' public education program focused heavily on The development of trainings, webinars, and resources that offer adaptive strategies to address The significant challenges providers and caregivers continue to face as they navigate hybrid remote and in-person support models. Our program helped bridge The gap between theory/research and The practical experience (and challenges)of talking to someone who is in crisis and is suicidal. In fy 2022, Samaritans' public education program served 1972 guidance counselors, social workers and others working in 317 nyc doe schools and 649 community-based organizations and government agencies working throughout The nyc-metro area.