“When you need someone to talk to–any time, day or night–someone who will listen and take you seriously, Samaritans is there!”
This is how Samaritans, the oldest and largest suicide prevention, crisis response network in the world, is known by people who experience distress, depression and suicidal feelings as well as those who care for, respond to and treat them.
Samaritans’ over 100 caring volunteers and professional staff–working in our hotlines, crisis centers, suicide survivor support groups, public education, awareness and community outreach programs–have one primary goal, helping people get through their most difficult times and preventing suicide.
About Samaritans
The Samaritans of New York, a member of the highly respected international humanitarian network, is the only community-based organization devoted to suicide prevention in the NYC-Metropolitan area. Samaritans has been providing crisis response, prevention planning, professional development and training, suicide survivor support groups and related services to the people of the region for over 30 years.
To learn more about NYC’s Suicide Prevention Center, click here.
Our Mission
Samaritans mission–achieved through our 24-hour crisis hotline, public education and suicide survivor programs–is to reduce violent, self-destructive and suicidal behavior by providing support to people in distress and educating caregivers and health providers about how they can be most effective in responding to people in crisis.
For our full mission statement, click here.
Samaritans History
When an Episcopalian minister, who was also a practicing psychotherapist, saw with his own eyes the tragic results of the stigma tied to suicide, an ironic twist of fate forced him to face his own limitations and led him to found the highly respected non-religious humanitarian movement that would be credited with advancing suicide prevention throughout the world.
For a full history of Samaritans, click here.
Samaritans Highlights
Advocating for veterans, at-risk youth and the mentally ill; working to destigmatize suicide; participating in the development of city, state and federal suicide prevention policy; developing needed crisis response tools and resources; building community coalitions and helping networks–Samaritans is constantly engaged in projects to improve how we respond to people in distress and save lives.
For a complete overview of our organization highlights, click here.
Journal Articles
Samaritans contributes to projects, initiatives and policy development on an international (World Health Organization), national (SAMHSA), statewide (NYS Office of Mental Health) and local level (New York City Council). Several scholarly journal articles document the effectiveness and importance of the Samaritans of New York’s suicide prevention hotline and public education programs.
To see a list of all the journal articles, click here.
