Intensive Family Support Services
Intensive Family Support Services (IFSS) provides support for individuals who have an adult loved one with mental illness. Caring for someone who has a mental illness may be physically and emotionally stressful, stigmatizing, and isolating.
These stressors could cause feelings of frustration, embarrassment, resentment, grief, and anger. IFSS provides supportive counseling, family support groups, psychoeducational workshops, advocacy, and linkage on behalf of family members.
Specialized Services:
Individual family consultations available in choice of locations
Support groups for family members who are 18+ years old
Transportation
Community Resources
Respite Care
Strategies for coping
Mental health referrals
On-site support at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center emergency room***
***IFSS’ Early Intervention Program aims to ease the anxiety and stress that families may experience when they accompany a loved one to the psychiatric emergency room at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (BNBMC).
Our IFSS Early Intervention Specialist is available on-site at BNBMC to support families by:
explaining hospital procedures
listening to concerns and answering questions
providing supportive counseling during and after the emergency room evaluation
advocating for the family and their loved one
offering referrals to community resources and educational materials
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Early Intervention Specialist can be reached anytime at 201-707-0647
Educational Workshops
Problem-solving skills
IFSS Services are free of charge excluding overnight respite care.
To contact IFSS call: 201-646-0333 and ask to be connected to Intensive Family Support Services (IFSS)
Hours of operation
Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.