People and practical help
Housing, food, care, transportation, and ongoing support
These listings connect the local community with housing, food, behavioral health, benefits, transit, survivor advocacy, disability support, peer support, and practical resources. Ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.
Role: clinical evaluation and outpatient mental health treatment; geography: Paterson; the provider lists clinics serving different age groups; cost/eligibility: confirm clinician experience, age and program fit, coverage, fees and openings; emergency limit: routine care is not 911 or verified hoarding-specialty treatment. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
St. Joseph’s Health: Outpatient Behavioral Health
Describe what is getting harder to do at home and ask if a clinician has experience with hoarding or can refer you.
Role: community health center and primary care entry point; geography: Paterson locations; check which site offers the service you need; cost/eligibility: services are not free; ask about income-based sliding fees, insurance and intake documents; emergency limit: not an emergency department or verified hoarding-specialty care. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Paterson Community Health Center
Ask a primary care provider about health concerns at home and whether a referral might help.
Role: hoarding education and a starting point for finding qualified care; geography: national resource; search New Jersey and confirm service at your location; cost/eligibility: free information; confirm each clinician’s license, experience, costs and openings; emergency limit: not clinical intake, endorsement or emergency response. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
International OCD Foundation: Hoarding Resources
Ask a prospective clinician how they work with hoarding and what a first appointment would involve.
Role: nonprofit hoarding education and group leads; geography: New Jersey; a current Paterson or Passaic County session was not confirmed; cost/eligibility: check eligibility, registration, format and fees; emergency limit: not emergency response or a promise of local treatment. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Mental Health Association in New Jersey: Hoarding Programs
Ask about current Buried in Treasures workshops or the Enough Stuff family group before making plans.
Role: peer support for adults supporting someone with a mental health condition; geography: Essex and Passaic County affiliate; confirm current meeting format; cost/eligibility: NAMI describes its family groups as free; check dates and registration; emergency limit: not hoarding-specific treatment, therapy or emergency response. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
NAMI Essex/Passaic: Family Support Group
If you are supporting someone else, you can ask for help for yourself without asking them to attend.
Role: county navigation for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers; geography: Passaic County, including Paterson; cost/eligibility: confirm age, disability or residency criteria and program-specific costs; emergency limit: not emergency response or guaranteed in-home help. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Passaic County Senior Services and Disability Resources
Explain which tasks are getting harder, such as preparing meals, getting to appointments or moving around at home.
Role: county nutrition programs including home-delivered meals; geography: Passaic County, including Paterson; verify the correct intake; cost/eligibility: confirm age, homebound status, assessment and any contributions or waitlist; emergency limit: not emergency food delivery or medical care. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Passaic County Nutrition Services
If shopping or preparing meals has become difficult, ask how to apply and what to use while waiting.
Role: county transportation for eligible nonemergency trips; geography: Passaic County; confirm the pickup and destination; cost/eligibility: verify rider eligibility, registration, reservation lead time and any trip costs; emergency limit: not an ambulance or emergency transport. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Passaic County Paratransit
Ask whether your planned appointment is a covered trip before scheduling it.
Role: nonprofit food distribution and basic-needs navigation; geography: Paterson; confirm current service area; cost/eligibility: the provider lists appointment-based food distribution; confirm registration and current capacity; emergency limit: not emergency dispatch or guaranteed same-day food delivery. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
CUMAC: Choice Marketplace
Ask about the current appointment process and a different food option if you cannot wait.
Role: public computer and internet access for service searches and paperwork; geography: Paterson library branches; check which location has the service you need; cost/eligibility: ask about card or guest access, available time and printing charges; emergency limit: not case management, private records storage or emergency support. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Paterson Public Library: Internet Access
Check branch access before traveling. If you use a public computer, sign out of any personal account before leaving.
Role: municipal contact for questions about recycling and collection; geography: City of Paterson, listed under Passaic County in the state directory; cost/eligibility: confirm the current pickup schedule, accepted items, special arrangements and any fees with the city; emergency limit: not emergency response, hazardous-waste removal or whole-home cleanup. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Paterson Municipal Recycling Coordinator
Find the Paterson entry in the state directory and ask about the specific item before taking it outside. Ask which city office handles it if the recycling program does not.
Role: county guidance for recycling and household hazardous waste collections; geography: Passaic County residents; check current event locations; cost/eligibility: confirm proof of residence, accepted materials, limits and dates before travel; emergency limit: not emergency spill response or routine curbside pickup. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
Passaic County Recycling and Solid Waste
Keep chemical products out of regular trash. Ask how to handle a leaking or unknown container before moving it.
Role: state directory for local LIHEAP and Universal Service Fund intake; geography: Passaic County; the state lists agencies in Paterson; cost/eligibility: income and program rules apply; confirm dates, documents and current office instructions; emergency limit: not emergency dispatch and applying does not stop a shutoff. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
New Jersey DCA: Passaic County Energy Assistance
If you have a shutoff notice, give the deadline to both the utility and the intake agency and ask about time-sensitive options.
Role: energy-efficiency and home weatherization screening for qualifying households; geography: New Jersey; use the state’s county listings for Passaic County; cost/eligibility: income and housing rules apply; ask about landlord permission, an assessment and wait times; emergency limit: not emergency repairs, hoarding cleanup or a promise of work. | Each listing identifies its role, service area, cost or eligibility to confirm, and emergency limits.
New Jersey Weatherization Assistance Program
If heating costs or drafts make it hard to stay safely at home, ask about screening and what a home visit would involve.