New Jersey Self-Help Clearinghouse

The New Jersey Self-Help Clearinghouse is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals locate and form mutual aid self-help groups for a wide variety of illnesses, disorders, disabilities, bereavement situations, and other stressful life problems. Established in 1980, the New Jersey Self-Help Clearinghouse was the first statewide, computerized self-help clearinghouse in the United States. The clearinghouse offers information about and referrals to thousands of self-help group meetings throughout New Jersey as well as to hundreds of individuals who are interested in starting new groups in their communities. Through its consultants, the clearinghouse also assists in the creation of new self-help groups. In addition, the New Jersey Self-Help Clearinghouse offers free consultations to existing self-help groups; sponsors conferences as well as problem-focused and regional training workshops; and offers graduate and undergraduate placements for students and interns as well as volunteer positions for people of all levels of education and experience. The Clearinghouse also provides a variety of informational materials including brochures; specialized manuals on self-help; various how-to materials on starting different self-help groups; a 600-page state directory of groups; and a semi-annual newsletter that includes articles of interest to the self-help and human service communities.