Contact+Cape+Atlantic

__ Name: __ Contact Cape-Atlantic was established in 1973, having a mission to provide assistance to the crisis intervention through active listening, information, and referral services. __ Location: __ Contact Cape-Atlantic is available by telephone in Atlantic and Cape May counties. Contact Cape-Atlantic is located at Somers Point, telephone number is (609) 823-1850, P.O. Box 296, NJ 08244 and fax number is (609) 823-1938. This agency also has partner agencies known as the United Way of Atlantic and Cape May Counties. __ Services Provided: __ The services of this agency are the Gatekeeper Program which trains individuals out in the community to notice if an elderly person is in need of help or assistance. Training has been provided to cable company employees, public utility employees, mailmen, bank tellers, and others who have contact and see local residents. Anyone can be a gate keeper. These people are trained to recognize signs and symptoms that indicate if an elderly person is in need of help or at risk. An anonymous call can be made to the office and the person will be connected to the social service agency. Another program that the Contact Cape Atlantic offers is the Telephone Reassurance Program which started in 1987 that provides daily telephone calls which are made from 8:30a.m. to 3:30p.m. for the elderly/disabled living in Atlantic and Cape May counties. These calls consist of friendly hellos and a check to see if the client is okay. There are about 60,000 calls a year that are being answered by volunteers. __ Services Obtained by Families: __ This is non profit agency community service that serves the elderly/disabled people in the Atlantic and Cape May counties. In 1973, this organization trained volunteers to specialize in listening by helping the elderly and disabled. Our volunteers are trained to detect specific needs including social emergencies, medical problems, or if there is a need for food or fuel. The crisis hotline helps people who are living with mental health issues and who are lonely or suicidal. Referrals are also offered to other social services. This is a service that is twenty-four hours a day. In 2005, the crisis line was discontinued due to the low staff on the phone lines. There was many tries to correct the staff problem but the board voted to discontinue the crisis line. They even tried to shorten the training, change the schedule, and open a second phone center but that all did not work out either. Also in July 2005, the Gatekeeper Program began. __ Assessment of Effectiveness: __ The intervention helps the elderly who are living alone and have an isolated life to continue their time happy and healthy. Contact Cape Atlantic keeps in touch with senior citizens living alone and to know somebody is thinking about them. This successful program has grown to help anyone, regardless of age, have contact with another friendly person. A person can visit the website at []. There is a you tube video on the partner agency of Contact Cape Atlantic of United Way of Cape May County. []