Services Resources News About Contact Us DONATE About Contact Community Services Home•About Contact Community Services What is Contact Community Services? Contact Community Services, Inc. is a multi-faceted organization that supports the social, emotional, behavioral and mental health of children, youth, and adults. We deliver this support through three broad program areas: Crisis and Suicide Prevention School Support Services Training and Education Our Mission Our Vision Our Philosophy Our History Contact began in 1971 as a volunteer-based telephone counseling service for Central New York. Since then, our scope of services and staff has steadily expanded. In the early 1980s, we began offering classroom programs focusing on social and emotional learning, including interpersonal skills and managing emotions. We continued to expand our children and youth development programming into community settings. We also began collaborating with educators, mental health professionals and other community members to improve learning environments through school and district-wide training and consultation addressing nonacademic barriers to learning. In 2009, Contact affiliated with the Mental Health Association of Onondaga County (MHA), bringing an expansion of services that included mental health workshops for adults. During these decades, telephone services has steadily grown to include the 24-hour telephone counseling, suicide and crisis line; staffing of Helpline; the Onondaga County telephone and web-based information and referral service; mental health information and referral; hotline coverage for a nearby county, and other special lines. Today, Contact operates: 1) student support services in elementary through high school in five school districts throughout Central New York; 2) community mental health support services, including a 24-hour telephone counseling, crisis hotline and a health and human services information and referral service; and 3) mental health training and consultation for community organizations, businesses, school districts all free of charge throughout Central New York. Affiliations and Certifications The Contact Hotline is one of about 80 centers nationally that meets the strict standards and criteria required to be certified by The American Association of Suicidology (AAS). AAS accreditation validates service delivery programs that are performing according to nationally recognized standards and best practices. Contact has been certified since 1991 and undergoes re-certification every five years, most recently in 2021. Additionally, Contact has been certified to provide Crisis Chat since 2016. Our program is also a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a nationwide network of crisis centers. Calls originating from anywhere in the country are routed, 24 hours a day, to the nearest available crisis center. The Contact Hotline is the call center for nine counties in central and northern New York State. Contact is also a member of the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) which sets standards for information and referral services, most recently accredited in 2021. We also hold an operating certificate from the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services. This certificate is required so that we may provide prevention services through our Student Assistance Program. Seven staff members are certified instructors of Mental Health First Aid. Certified instructors may teach the 8-hour Mental Health First Aid to any interested audiences in their communities. Instructors undergo tight credentialing by the national authorities to guarantee strict fidelity to the core Mental Health First Aid USA program model, while also maintaining the flexibility necessary to reach their unique audience needs and direct them to local resources for help. Contact Community Services coordinates Primary Project for East Syracuse Minoa Central School District, Liverpool Central School District and Syracuse City School District. Primary Project developed by the Children’s Institute is recognized by the U.S. and New York State Departments of Education as an exemplary prevention program. Staff members also participate in a wide range of community task forces and initiatives. Our Administrative Office and Training Center For the first time in its history, Contact owns its own administrative office and training center. We purchased and renovated 6311 Court Street Road, East Syracuse for occupancy in summer of 2012. A large training center for school and community workshops was furnished and equipped in part by a grant from the Central New York Community Foundation. This space has allowed us to expand capacity, improve comfort, and increase effectiveness of our educational services. Many of our programs operate off-site at area schools and staff members maintain offices at those locations as well as at our administrative office. Make a Donation Save lives with your gift. Donate today and help those in need in our community. MAKE A DONATION 6311 Court Street Road East Syracuse, NY 13057 Phone: 315-251-1400 Fax: 315-251-2218 contact@contactsyracuse.org Contact Community Services is proudly funded by About Us News Resources Contact Us Crisis & Suicide Prevention School Services Training & Education TeleCare 211CNY Community Resources Leadership Financials Employment Internships Volunteering © 2019 Contact Community Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Facebook Twitter Instagram