THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014
PAGE 5
COMMUNITY
Hotline volunteers connect with callers
AMELIA ARVESEN/KANSAN
Volunteers at Headquarters Counseling Center like Kelsey McGonigle, a student from Leawood, are available to answer the suicide prevention lifeline 24 hours each day. The Center receives the majority of its high-risk calls between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m.
AMELIA ARVESEN
news@kansan.com
It's the short sentences from callers that crisis counselors at Headquarters Counseling Center remember most.
"I want to die."
The counselors are trained to respond calmly and empathetically, but it doesn't mean their heartbeat doesn't speed up.
"Even on crisis calls it can be really nerve-wracking, but by the end of it, if you know everything turned out okay or you at least got them to be okay for that night, it's a really great feeling," said Zoe Morton, a recent graduate from Wichita.
The line enables callers experiencing a psychological crisis or contemplating suicide from around Kansas and the nation to speak with someone any time of day.
"Even just being here to listen to people in general is nice because I know that there are some people who don't have that," Morton said.
Headquarters restored its 24/7 service hours earlier this month, which means a volunteer is prepared to listen between 12 and 8 a.m., which Director Andy Brown said are the highest risk hours. The center will also begin offering support through an instant messaging service on June 25.
"There's no doubt in my mind more call volume means more saving lives," Brown said.
Brown said the center receives 25,000 calls per year. Though when callers hang up, volunteers at Headquarters Counseling Center generally don't know what happens next to the individual.
However, Amy, a 2013 graduate from Lenexa, has been on both sides of the hotline.
"I think it's better to not know what happens," Amy said. "If you don't know you can choose the better reality, instead of having to know for sure."
Nearly three years ago, Amy said she attempted suicide. She was sent to Osawatamie State Hospital for recovery, but called the suicide prevention lifeline during a night of depression
after she was released.
"I basically just ranted about stuff for an hour, but the counselor listened and I was able to go to bed that night," she said.
She decided to volunteer because she knew she could offer a different level of empathy having experienced the same feelings as many callers who have wanted to end their lives.
Brown said compassion and empathy are important qualities in volunteers, but just listening is about 80 percent of most phone calls.
"Having people to talk to makes it a lot better." Amy said. "It's scary feeling [being] isolated and not feeling like you have anyone you can talk to or relate to."
Volunteers said answering calls during four-hour shifts becomes emotionally draining, but Headquarters offers its own inner support system.
"It's intimate because we're all going through the same kind of things," said Matt Kostroske, a senior from Lenexa. "We know what it's like so it's easier to be supportive of that."
Brown said he wants to double the staff of 40 because volunteers are the lifeblood of the agency and more help means less emotional strain on the current staff.
There are some shifts with a high number of calls and other shifts volunteers say are slow, but every shift is guaranteed a call from a regular.
There are some regular callers who have been using Headquarters' services for years, Morton said, and they might just be feeling lonely or bored. On her Wednesday night shift, she spoke to one regular about her favorite foods, how to make guacamole and the individual's weekend plans.
"It's nice because you get to build a repertoire with them so you know a lot more about them," Amy said. "You know what you're getting into when you pick up the phone which is nice."
Counselors log every phone number and take notes of the conversations for safety's sake, but the database is kept confidential.
Some crisis phone calls end with the launch of emergency dispatch to the
caller based on phone number area code, but others end with a "thank you for listening"
"It gives you that feeling like we're actually making a difference and we're actually helping people so it's nice to hear that," Kotroske said.
Edited by Emma LeGault
For more information about volunteering or the services at Headquarters Counseling Center, visit Headquarterscounselingcenter.org.
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