If you have not arrived in Japan and have struggled with serious mental health issues in the past, it may be in your best interest to have a plan in place for when you do arrive. Research options for therapy and begin to connect with the people in your prefecture to build yourself a support system.
We at National AJET want to encourage you to seek out help if you need it. Requiring professional help is not something you should feel afraid or ashamed to do and we hope that if the need should arise, you feel safe and comfortable enough to get help.
If you or someone’s life is in danger, please do not hesitate to call 110 or the TELL Lifeline at 03-5774-0992.
JET Mental Health Counseling Service
Free professional counseling service through webmail or Skype established through CLAIR’s JET Online Counselling Service. An appointment must be set, so this is not an emergency service. Each JET may use up to 7 appointments per year (April 1 – March 31) of the call service and sessions are 20 or 40 minutes.
JET Mental Health Counseling Assistance Program
This stipend will cover 50% of counseling service fees (up to 30,000 yen/year, April 1 – March 31) that are not covered by health insurance. This covers mental health treatment in Japan and abroad.
CLAIR dispenses this stipend and it must be applied for through your contracting organization. Although your CO will not receive any details of your treatment, they are required to track the number of employees needing support. This way, they can implement workplace changes if a large number of employees are seeking assistance.
AJET Peer Support Group
The AJET Peer Support Group (PSG) is a confidential listening and resource line for JET participants. Staffed by trained volunteers, a member of the PSG is available at night from 20:00 to 07:00, 365 days a year via telephone or Skype. All calls are confidential and callers can remain anonymous. The phone number is 050-5534-5566. You may also contact AJET PSG by Skype at username “AJETPSG” (operating hours same as telephone service).
TELL Counseling Services
TELL operates a Japan-wide, free phone counseling hotline at 03-5774-0992 (9:00 – 23:00). They also offer a chat service and lots of resources about mental health via their website: www.TELLjp.com.
Not only are they a good resource for counseling, but they also offer information on how to support others, how to spot warning signs in friends in colleagues, etc. on their website.
International Mental Health Professionals Japan
https://www.imhpj.org/ offers a database of licensed, practicing mental health professionals in Japan who focus on the international community. You can search by area, specialty, or language.
