# Mental Health Care in Metuchen, NJ: A Local Guide > Metuchen mental health care that fits a commute: Rutgers' evening walk-in crisis program, clinics with late hours nearby, and how to use an EAP. Source page: https://psychmentalhealth.com/articles/mental-health-metuchen-nj/ Published: 2026-10-14 · Last fact-checked: 2026-10-14 If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health crisis in the U.S., call or text 988. > **Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger.** For thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text **988** at any hour. For an adult, Middlesex County's 24-hour psychiatric emergency screening line, run by Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, is **732-235-5700**. For a child or teen, call PerformCare at **1-877-652-7624**. The county's second screening service, at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, sees adults and children: **732-324-5289**. More numbers are on our [crisis page](/crisis/). The borough describes itself as a "donut-hole town" surrounded by Edison, built around its downtown and its train station. NJ TRANSIT's Northeast Corridor timetable lists Metuchen between Edison and Metropark, and the borough's own description points to its direct rail access to New York. For a household that runs on a train schedule, the hard part of getting mental health care is usually the clock. Every clinic in this guide is a few miles outside borough lines, and most outpatient offices keep business hours, which are the same hours a commuter is away. This guide covers the crisis lines, a Rutgers walk-in program whose Middlesex brochure lists hours until 8 p.m. four nights a week, a work benefit many adults never use, and nearby clinics with early, late or Saturday hours. **Quick answer:** Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger. For thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 at any hour. For an adult who may need a hospital evaluation, call Rutgers' 24-hour Middlesex screening line at 732-235-5700. For a child or teen, call PerformCare at 1-877-652-7624, and dial 911 if the situation is life-threatening. For an adult in acute distress who can safely stay home, Rutgers' Early Intervention Support Services at 667 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, 732-235-4422, lists walk-in hours until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; call before an evening visit. For regular therapy, check your Employee Assistance Program first, then call a clinic with evening hours, such as the JFK outpatient clinic on James Street in Edison, 732-321-7189. ## When it cannot wait for the weekend If someone has taken an overdose, is attempting suicide, has a weapon, or cannot be woken, call 911. Do not drive them anywhere yourself. When no one is in immediate danger but an adult may need a hospital evaluation, the state's list of designated screening services, updated October 8, 2026, gives two for Middlesex County. Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care runs the primary service from 671 Hoes Lane in Piscataway, **732-235-5700**, 24 hours a day, and its page presents that service as one for adults. The other is at Raritan Bay Medical Center, 530 New Brunswick Avenue, Perth Amboy, where the state lists an Affiliated Emergency Service at **732-324-5289**. Hackensack Meridian Health says its crisis counselors and psychiatric nurses there evaluate adults and children having a psychiatric emergency, 24 hours a day. For a child or teen, PerformCare is New Jersey's children's behavioral health line, **1-877-652-7624**. PerformCare's own page puts it plainly: "For a life-threatening emergency, always dial 911." If the situation is urgent but not life-threatening, PerformCare can send a mobile response team, which it says may reach your home within one hour, any day and any hour. ## A walk-in option that stays open after work Rutgers runs **Early Intervention Support Services (EISS)** at **667 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway**, on the same road as the screening service. Call **732-235-4422**. It is for adults with acute mental health symptoms who can be safely treated as outpatients, and Rutgers presents it as an alternative to an emergency room visit or a hospital stay. Rutgers' Middlesex brochure lists walk-in hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Its Spanish-language brochure lists shorter hours, so call 732-235-4422 before an evening visit. You can also call to schedule. The brochure says EISS serves Middlesex County residents 18 and older, for up to 30 days. It is funded by a state grant, and services are provided regardless of a person's ability to pay or insurance. Anyone already in PACT or RIST cannot enroll. EISS fits a weeknight when a partner or adult child is panicking or not sleeping but is safe at home. If you cannot tell whether a situation calls for EISS or for the screening line, our [Piscataway guide](/articles/mental-health-piscataway-nj/) walks through the difference. ## Have you checked your Employee Assistance Program? Many people with a job already have a way into counseling and do not know it. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management describes an Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, as a voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals and follow-up services to employees with personal or work-related problems. Details depend on your employer's contract, so ask before you assume: - **Do you have one?** Check your benefits portal or ask HR. You do not have to say why. - **How many sessions does it cover?** EAP counseling is short-term. Ask what happens after the last covered session. - **Who provides it?** Some EAPs are run by the same companies that manage health insurance, and some are run by local organizations. If your benefits papers name Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care's EAP, its line is **800-327-3678**. Rutgers says its EAP serves organizations, employees and eligible family members throughout New Jersey. EAP counseling is short by design. If you need ongoing therapy or medication, ask the EAP counselor for a referral. Ask for names of clinicians with early or late hours, and ask whether they take your health plan. Our guide on [whether insurance will cover mental health treatment](/articles/will-insurance-cover-mental-health-treatment/) covers what to ask your plan. ## Clinics that publish hours outside nine to five None of these is inside Metuchen. Each is a short drive, and each publishes its hours on its own website. **JFK Center for Behavioral Health Outpatient Services**, 65 James Street, Edison, **732-321-7189**. Hackensack Meridian Health lists hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. It is closed on weekends. It treats adults and teens, with therapy, psychiatric evaluations and medication support. Hackensack Meridian's page names no insurance plans, so raise yours on the first call. **Ellie Mental Health, Piscataway-Towne Center**, 242 Old New Brunswick Road, Suite 150, Piscataway, **908-336-5158**. This is the late option: the location page lists weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturdays by appointment from 8 a.m. to noon. Ellie says all of its locations offer telehealth as well as in-person sessions. This page lists several EAPs among accepted payment, including plans from Aetna, Cigna/Evernorth, ComPsych, Magellan and Optum, so it is worth asking whether yours is one. It also lists commercial plans, Medicare and Medicaid plans including Horizon New Jersey Health, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and Amerigroup. NJ FamilyCare says Amerigroup is now called Wellpoint. If your card says Wellpoint or Fidelis Care, ask Ellie whether it takes your plan. **Ellie Mental Health, Woodbridge-9N**, 1000 9N, Suite 204, Woodbridge, **848-279-8031**. This one suits early risers. Its page lists hours of 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Its accepted payment includes several EAPs, commercial plans, Medicare, self-pay and a sliding scale fee. It does not list Medicaid plans. **Rutgers outpatient care.** Rutgers lists its Edison site as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. Its outpatient page gives no street address or hours. Call the Access Center at **1-800-969-5300** and ask which site can see you at the hour you need. Our [Edison guide](/articles/mental-health-edison-nj/) has more on that clinic. For how weekly therapy differs from day programs, see [levels of mental health care](/articles/levels-of-mental-health-care-explained/). For other ways to pay, see [therapy without insurance in NJ](/articles/therapy-without-insurance-low-cost-options-nj/). ## If it is your teenager The school is often the fastest route, because the counselor sees your child every day and you do not have to take a day off to start. The Metuchen School District's tiered-supports sheet, dated March 2024, says families reach mental health support through the school counselor, case manager or building administrator. The same sheet describes clinical partnerships: Effective School Solutions at Metuchen High School, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care's School Based Programs at Campbell and Edgar, and a Student Assistance Program with Wellspring at the high school. Call the district at **732-321-8700** and ask for your child's counselor. Outside school hours, PerformCare at **1-877-652-7624** is the line for a child or teen. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911 first. What to watch for, and what happens after the school gets involved, is in our guide to [child and teen mental health help in NJ](/articles/teen-child-mental-health-help-nj/). ## What the borough runs On the borough's website, mental health work sits with a volunteer committee. **Metuchen CARES** (Community Action for Recovery, Education, and Support), formerly the Municipal Alliance, says it promotes mental wellness for children, teens, adults and seniors and runs programs on substance use. It meets at 7:15 p.m. on the second Thursday of January, March, May, July, September and November, on the second floor of Borough Hall, 500 Main Street. For a non-emergency police matter, the department's main number is **732-632-8500**. For an emergency, call 911. For help finding the right kind of care when no one is in danger, NJMentalHealthCares, **1-866-202-4357**, offers free, confidential support and referrals every day of the week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is not a crisis line. Our [Middlesex County page](/middlesex-county/) lists more county services. ## Fitting care around a work week When you call a clinic, ask directly for the first appointment of the morning or the last one of the evening, and ask to be put on the cancellation list for those slots. A standing 8 a.m. or 7 p.m. slot is easier to protect than a midday one. Telehealth works only from somewhere private with a steady connection. A train car, an open-plan office or a parked car outside the station rarely gives you both. If you take a session from work, book a small room with a door. If you sometimes work outside New Jersey, ask the practice before you book whether the clinician can see you when you are physically in another state. Our guide to [online therapy in NJ](/articles/online-therapy-telehealth-nj/) has more on getting set up. Some people need more than a protected time slot. They need time off. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, under the Family and Medical Leave Act, an eligible employee can take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for a serious health condition, or to care for a child, spouse or parent with one. Employers must keep group health coverage going during the leave. To be eligible, you generally need 12 months with the employer, at least 1,250 hours in the past year, and a worksite where the employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Private employers are covered if they had 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks. The department's separate fact sheet on mental health is more specific: - **Mental health conditions can count.** It says mental and physical health conditions are both serious health conditions under the FMLA when they require inpatient care or continuing treatment by a health care provider, and it names anxiety, depression and dissociative disorders as examples of chronic conditions that can qualify. - **Leave does not have to be taken all at once.** The department's general FMLA fact sheet says that when medically necessary, leave can be taken in separate blocks of time or by working a reduced schedule. The mental health fact sheet gives the example of an employee who uses leave for regularly scheduled appointments during her shift. - **Your diagnosis can stay private.** An employer may ask for a certification from your health care provider, but the fact sheet says a diagnosis is not required. Employers must keep medical records confidential and separate from regular personnel files. If you think you may need leave, ask HR for the FMLA paperwork before you need it, and bring it to your first appointment. ## Sources - [About Metuchen](https://www.metuchennj.org/government/about-metuchen) — Borough of Metuchen - [Northeast Corridor timetable (as of 3/15/26)](https://content.njtransit.com/sites/default/files/2026-03/nec.pdf) — NJ TRANSIT - [Designated Screening Services in New Jersey (updated October 8, 2026)](https://nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/documents/pdf/MH_Screening_Centers.pdf) — NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services - [Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS)](https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/pess/) — Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care - [Emergency services](https://www.performcarenj.org/families/emergency-services.aspx) — PerformCare New Jersey - [Carrier Behavioral Health at Raritan Bay Medical Center](https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/locations/carrier-behavioral-health-at-raritan-bay-medical-center) — Hackensack Meridian Health - [Early Intervention Support Services (EISS)](https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/eiss/) — Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care - [Early Intervention Support Services, Middlesex County (brochure)](https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/EISS-Middlesex-brochure.pdf) — Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care - [What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?](https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/work-life-faq/employee-assistance-program-eap/what-is-an-employee-assistance-program-eap/) — U.S. Office of Personnel Management - [Employee Assistance Program](https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/eap/) — Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care - [JFK Center for Behavioral Health Outpatient Services](https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/locations/center-for-behavioral-health-jfk) — Hackensack Meridian Health - [Piscataway-Towne Center, NJ Mental Health Clinic](https://elliementalhealth.com/locations/piscataway-towne-center-nj/) — Ellie Mental Health - [Woodbridge - 9N, NJ Mental Health Clinic](https://elliementalhealth.com/locations/woodbridge-9n-nj/) — Ellie Mental Health - [Choosing a Health Plan](https://njfamilycare.dhs.state.nj.us/choos.aspx) — NJ FamilyCare, NJ Department of Human Services - [Adult Outpatient Services](https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/ops/) — Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care - [Mental Health Initiatives](https://www.metuchenschools.org/page/mental-health-initiatives) — Metuchen School District - [Metuchen School District's Tiered Mental Health Supports (March 2024)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19lAegy-LGO-2WME14nBCU89yqSbayePnFE-dUUNoS7g/edit) — Metuchen School District - [CARES (Community Action for Recovery, Education, and Support)](https://www.metuchennj.org/boards/cares) — Borough of Metuchen - [Police Department](https://www.metuchennj.org/departments/police) — Borough of Metuchen - [Hotlines and Helplines](https://nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/help/hotlines/) — NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services - [Fact Sheet #28: The Family and Medical Leave Act](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/28-fmla) — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division - [Fact Sheet #28O: Mental Health Conditions and the FMLA](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/28o-mental-health) — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division - [EISS brochure in Spanish (all counties)](https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/EISS-All-Counties-brochure-Spanish.pdf) — Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care --- General educational information, not medical advice. Fact-checked against the cited sources, not clinically reviewed. Ownership: PsychMentalHealth is published by an operator with a working relationship with Periscope Behavioral Health, which runs outpatient behavioral health programs in Middlesex and Camden counties, including Emerald Wellness in Kendall Park and South Jersey Recovery Program in Berlin. Those programs are not included in this site's county guides or articles, but a message sent through our contact form may be passed to one of them if you ask us to. Contact-form messages are passed to a Periscope program only when the sender ticks the opt-in box on the form.