You aren’t alone; call 988 if you are in crisis.
Commercial fishing is a stressful and dangerous occupation. Injuries, chronic pain, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, and other stressors are common. Invest in your mental health as you invest in your gear.
We’ve gone trawling for resources, so you don’t have to. Below are some state-level and general resources that we think could be helpful, as well as a few facts, downloadable posters, and our team.
Reaching out for support does not need to wait until you or a loved one is in crisis. Support can come in many different forms and there are a lot of great organizations to offer support/help for those seeking it.
State Specific Resources
Fisheries Specific Resources
If you are aware of any fisheries specific mental health resources in Connecticut, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
Action Line, Crisis Services: 1-800-HOPE-135 or 211
Adult crisis telephone intervention and options network. Provides counseling services and referrals.
National Alliance on Mental Illness Connecticut is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families through support, education and advocacy.
Provides a list of Local Mental Health Authorities by region.
List of free resources that are confidential and available to all Connecticut residents.
Information of mental health resources, crisis hotline, addiction recovery resources, and advocacy/assistance.
Provides directory of family-endorsed providers along with other CT mental health resources.
The Town of East Lyme provides Connecticut specific as well as National resources.
Fisheries Specific Resources
If you are aware of any fisheries specific mental health resources in Delaware, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
Dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Over the years the organization has grown to provide a wide range of awareness, advocacy, support, education and housing to support those affected by mental illness in Delaware.
Services and Programs include: Delaware Psychiatric Center, Crisis Intervention Services, Prevention Services, Service Providers, Treatment Access Center, and Substance Abuse Help.
Phone services, Online Services, in person services, mobile bridge clinic, understanding addiction, overdose prevention, mental health, and health care providers
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- For anonymous conversation: Text DE to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. Call: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- For in-person evaluation: call: 1-800-652-2929 in New Castle 1-800-345-6785 in Kent/Sussex
Fisheries Specific Resources
The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association works to enhance the sustainability of Maine’s fisheries by advocating for the needs of community-based fishermen and the environmental restoration of the Gulf of Maine.
Rooted in a history of compassionate service and mutual trust, the Mission seeks to strengthen coastal and island communities by educating youth, supporting families, and promoting good health.
The Shaw fund is a private foundation is dedicated to supporting New England fishermen and others who work at sea. They provide financial assistance and resource and referral services to mariner families residing in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire for over 150 years.
Serving the psychiatric, mental health, and substance dependence treatment needs of Mariners.
If you are aware of any additional fisheries specific mental health resources in Maine, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
Maine Crisis Line: 1-888-568-1112
Call or text support for individuals or families experiencing a behavioral health crisis or having thoughts of suicide and/or self-harm. Free, confidential, 24/7 support for anyone needing support.
Through support, education, and advocacy, NAMI Maine is dedicated to building better lives for the 1 in 4 Mainers who are affected by mental illness.
If you need to apply for Medicaid, you can reach out to Oasis (207-721-9277). They offer free healthcare and mental health services in the interim period while the application process is happening
Fisheries Specific Resources
If you are aware of any fisheries specific mental health resources in Maryland, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
Maryland Crisis Line: 1-800-422-0009
Adult crisis telephone intervention and options network. Provides counseling services and referrals.
Call 211 for immediate support, for weekly health check-ins, for text message support, or to find behavioral health support.
The mission of NAMI Maryland is to improve the quality of life for individuals with mental illnesses and their families.
Resources for Behavioral Health Services throughout Maryland, including support groups, public mental health or disabilities services, a range of activities and services provided by local organizations, and substance use resources.
Community resources- lists of local organizations, descriptions of what they do, contact info, and links to their websites.
Maryland behavioral health resources and services directory by county or statewide.
Resources for finding treatment and/or support.
Behavioral health resources, including Maryland 211 service locator, Narcan training, behavioral health treatment locator, and harm reduction program.
Fisheries Specific Resources
Fishing Partnership is a non-profit support services organization dedicated to improving the health, safety and economic security of commercial fishermen and their families.
The Shaw fund is a private foundation is dedicated to supporting New England fishermen and others who work at sea. They provide financial assistance and resource and referral services to mariner families residing in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire for over 150 years.
Offers support services including on-site response, grief counseling, and referrals to help people after critical incidents. Extreme stress following a trauma can be overwhelming and cause lasting psychological effects. Riverside Trauma has a clinician who works with fishermen after traumatic events, as well as other mental health concerns.
If you are aware of any additional fisheries specific mental health resources in Massachusetts, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline: 1-833-773-3445 (call or text)
Call or text support for individuals or families experiencing a behavioral health crisis or having thoughts of suicide and/or self-harm. Free, confidential, 24/7 support for anyone needing support.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in MA seeks to improve the quality of life for people living with mental health conditions, their families, and their caregivers.
Fisheries Specific Resources
Goodwin Community Health is part of Greater Seacoast Community Health, which is a network of community health centers providing primary care, pediatrics, dental care, prenatal care, behavioral health counseling, substance use disorder treatment, mobile health services, WIC, social work services, a pharmacy, parenting classes, playgroups and home visiting.
Lamprey Health Care’s mission is to provide high-quality primary medical care and health-related services with an emphasis on prevention and lifestyle management to all individuals regardless of ability to pay. Recommended by organizations supporting fishermen.
The Shaw fund is a private foundation is dedicated to supporting New England fishermen and others who work at sea. They provide financial assistance and resource and referral services to mariner families residing in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire for over 150 years.
Equip seafarers, their families and community to make informed decisions about their lives and work, by connecting seafarers with a supporting network of human services; including retirement, financial, job training, translators and medical services.
If you are aware of any fisheries specific mental health resources in New Hampshire, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. You’ll be served by compassionate providers from mental health centers in your community who can help you access vital resources in an emergency.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) New Hampshire is a grassroots organization working to improve the quality of life for all by providing support, education and advocacy for people affected by mental illness and suicide.
Serve individuals in NH who are living with – and recovering from – mental illness and emotional disorders.
Seacoast Mental Health Center strives to provide a broad, comprehensive array of high quality, effective and accessible mental health services to residents of the eastern half of Rockingham County.
Connections to local community mental health centers, NH National Alliance on Mental Illness, NH Service Providers by Mental Health Region.
Provides flexible and accessible mental health counseling to help you gain the skills necessary to better cope with difficult situations, become more resilient in the face of life’s daily challenges and improve your overall quality of life.
Fisheries Specific Resources
If you are aware of any fisheries specific mental health resources in New Jersey, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
NJ Hopeline: 1-855-654-6735
Their Mission is to provide support, assessment and, if needed, intervention in the most cooperative and least restrictive manner to NJ residents in emotional distress and suicidal distress.
NAMI New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.
Offers resources for hotlines, evaluation and intake, treatment and counseling, psychiatric services, education and support, and support groups.
40 Programs for Treatment and Counseling. Provides description of program, location, hours, contact phone number, languages offered, and coverage area.
NJ Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Fisheries Specific Resources
If you are aware of any fisheries specific mental health resources in New York, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
The Office of Mental Health strives to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a particular focus on providing hope and recovery for adults with mental illness.
A full directory allowing users to search mental health programs by county, city, program category and program subcategory.
MHANYS is on a mission to improve the lives of individuals, families, and all communities in New York State by raising mental health awareness, ending stigma and discrimination, and promoting wellness and recovery.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness NYS provides advocacy, support, and public awareness so that individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
Fisheries Specific Resources
Land & Sea Together is building a network of services and opportunities to reduce stress for fisheries, forestry, and farming enterprises, workers, and their families in Rhode Island. They have pulled together over 25 different organizational partners across the state to build a network of support for the health and well-being of the Farming, Fisheries, and Forestry communities in Rhode Island.
If you are aware of any fisheries specific mental health resources in Rhode Island, please contact Mandy or call 607-547-6023.
General Mental Health
BH Link Rhode Island Crisis Hotline: 401-414-5465
BH Link provides immediate access to behavioral healthcare in a community-based, 24/7 facility.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Rhode Island is a grassroots volunteer organization that is dedicated to improving services for persons who are diagnosed with mental illness.
Mental Health Association of Rhode Island’s mission is to promote and nourish mental health through advocacy, education, and policy development.
Resources for individuals seeking support &/or treatment.
National Fisheries Specific Resources
Alaska Marine Safety Education Association
Info on fishermen’s mental health and wellness, what to do in a crisis, resources for substance abuse, managing stress, and when to get help.
AgriStress Response Network
Protect the people who feed the world, and seek to eliminate the stigma around accessing support for mental health including stress, depression, anxiety and suicide.
The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety
Jobs in agriculture, forestry and fishing share a few challenges. They’re all labor intensive, weather dependent and risky. That last common denominator—risk—is what the Northeast Center is dedicated to reducing. We work to understand the safety and health challenges and to identify actionable solutions so that workers in these three essential industries can thrive and survive on the job, whether that work is a passion, a paycheck or a combination of both.
National Mental Health Resources
Start Your Recovery
StartYourRecovery.org provides helpful information for people who are dealing with substance use issues — and their family members, friends, and co-workers, too. They know that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges faced by those who misuse alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs, or other substances, and they aim to break through the clutter to help people at any stage of recovery.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.
Man Therapy
Created to make mental health approachable by using humor to break stigma and help men take action with tools and resources.
A recent NEC study shows that PTSD rates in commercial fishermen are
3X
higher than the national average for men.
Men are less likely to go to therapy than women and more likely to die by suicide. Getting support won’t bring home more fish, but it will help you bring home less baggage.
The commercial fishing industry is among the occupations with the highest suicide rates for males in the US with rates
56%
higher than males in the general working population.
Project Description
About Man Therapy
Fishermen across the US are dealing with changes in weather, environmental changes, regulation changes, the increasing cost of doing business, coastal development displacing working waterfronts, offshore businesses potentially displacing fishing grounds, negative attention from the media, and are often very underappreciated for the work that they do and the sacrifices that they make. Commercial fishing has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, with an average of 80 deaths per 100,000 individuals. Experts believe that the lack of access to mental health resources is a major contributor.
The Northeast Center, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, and Man Therapy have teamed up to launch a campaign to benefit commercial fishermen. Man Therapy uses an innovative approach that uses humor and relatable content to raise awareness about mental healthcare, destigmatize seeking help, and provide resources for fishermen.
Posters
Click each thumbnail to open a printable PDF copy of each poster
Meet our Team
