4E
Monday, August 19, 1996
FYI
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Crisis counselors offer hotline
Headquarters serves students 24 hours a day
By Paul Eakins
Kansan staff writer
When residents of Douglas County experience personal problems of any kind and want someone to talk to for support, they have a place to call: Headquarters.
Headquarters counselors take calls 24 hours a day. But the volunteer counselors aren't there to give advice, said Lisa Rasor, assistant director of training.
"We can't tell them the best thing to do," she said. "We're there to be supportive."
Headquarters, 1419 Massachusetts St., uses the Rogerman system, a form of reflective listening that does not force opinion or advice on
the person seeking counseling, she said. If someone calls because they are thinking about using cocaine, she cannot tell them not to use it, no matter what her opinion is.
"We will give them information on the effects of it, and they can make the decision themselves. Sometimes that's the best way for people to learn." Rasor said.
Headquarters counselors may only get involved when there is an immediate danger of someone getting hurt, such as the person calling or their child, she said. She tries to sway suicidal callers from committing suicide.
"A part of them probably wants to live — the part that called Headquarters." Rasor said.
If a person already has attempted suicide by taking pills or using another means, Rasor said she would try to get the caller's location so that an ambulance could be sent.
Also, a call might be traced if someone has attempted suicide and then passes out on the phone, Rasor said, but only after consulting one of the four paid staff members.
These things rarely have happened in Rasor's 10 years with Headquarters, she said. Usually people call to talk about their problems with relationships, depression, major traumas in their lives, or just school stress, Rasor said. Calls always are anonymous.
"Headquarters is a safe place to call," she said.
During the summer session, which ended in July, volunteers took two classes a week and observed the regular counselors in action once a week, said Jennifer, a trainee counselor and KU student. As a counselor, her last name must be kept anonymous.
Each year, 50 to 80 volunteer counselors are given more than 100 hours of training. Rasor said.
"At our training sessions we do role playing, where one person is the caller and the other is the counselor." she said.
In some classes, guest speakers talk about issues that trainees will
have to deal with, such as sexual and drug abuse. Jennifer said.
Jennifer said it was not hard to learn the counseling methods. But some found it difficult to use a non-directive approach.
"They wonder 'How am I supposed to counsel people when I can't really say anything?'" Jennifer said.
Rasor said it was emotionally demanding to talk to someone with a problem and never find out whether they have resolved it. However, some people do call to thank the counselors.
"I get caught up in the good feeling of helping somebody. We do make a difference." Rasor said.
In 1995, Headquarters received 14,621 contacts by phone and walk-in visit, an increase of 1,785 from 1994, reported Headquarters.
Training sessions for volunteer counselors are scheduled for fall and spring. For information or counseling, Headquarters can be reached in Lawrence at 841-2345 or in Baldwin City at 594-6490.
Balloons for the boy
Pam Dishman/KANSAN
Jacob Vogts, Lawrence, 3,
receives a balloon "train" from Bill
Wachspress, a professional baloonist. Wachspress is at the
Riverfront Outlet Mall every Saturday,
and will also be performing at the
Kansas Union on August 22
and 23, for UnionFest.
University could share resources and the study abroad program
Big 12 schools may collaborate
Kansas State University is not actively pursuing collaboration with other schools in the new conference but has had a long practice of exchanging students with other Big Eight schools in certain programs, said Suzy Auton, administrative assistant to the provost at Kansas State.
LAWRENCE — The new Big 12 Conference means more competition on the playing field but could lead to more sharing in the classroom.
Study abroad has been a priority of Chancellor Robert Hemenway, and the University is actively seeking to expand the program with the Big 12 schools. Provost David Shulenburger said the University was selected to recommend by Dec. 1 options for collaboration.
The Associated Press
Some academic officials hope that the newly formed conference will allow greater sharing of resources and prevent duplication.
Mary Debicki, director of the KU Office of Study Abroad, said, "There is no sense in us doing the same program in the same place at the same time."
Kansas State has shared students with the University of Missouri, the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska while accepting students into its architecture program, Auton said.
She noted, however, that attempts to set up a more formal arrangement among all Big Eight schools were unsuccessful.
Shulenburger said he hoped that creation of the Big 12 — formed by adding the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor University and Texas Tech to the former Big Eight — would be a catalyst to get those efforts started again.
Collaboration could also take other forms, such as the sharing of library resources, including the 6-million-volume collection at Texas. Shulenburger said.
He said faculty exchanges would be explored.
Graduate students may be able to spend a semester working under a researcher at another conference school, he said.
"It's got great potential," Shulenburger said. "If we can find what things compliment each other, each school can be more successful."
CLINTON LAKE
16 bands 3 stages 11am gates
TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SUA BOX OFFICE THE BOTTLENECK AND THE GRANADA
STATE PARK