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What CRISISline has meant to me…. by Emily Ammann
“I decided to volunteer at CRISISline because I wanted to be a counselor, and I thought it would be great practice... and I was right. However, I didn’t get practice just in counseling but in so much more. I learned so much about people in general…. how to offer my talents; opening a door to different kinds of people, with different kinds of needs. I’ve learned that counseling is much MUCH more than simply giving advice, but it’s about flexibility. I’ve realized that the true way to help people is to help them help themselves. I am no longer trying to be responsible for others, but I am now rather lending an ear to people who are trying to find their own ways. My time here has been priceless. I have met so many generous people who share their time, knowledge, and peace of mind on a daily basis. I have also gained a new respect for myself and what I can do as a listener, counselor, and caregiver. And it all seems to start by just being here when the phone rings.”(From the July/August 2005 Mental Health Association Newsletter)
Words From Jennifer Self, Former Volunteer
“After graduating from Furman with a psychology degree, I did not know what I was going to do. I wanted to go to graduate school for clinical psychology, but needed more experience first. When graduation was nearing, I was lucky enough to hear about some overnight positions opening up on the CRISISline, through a friend. I was worried that I would not know enough about interventions to be of any use on a CRISISline, but my friend assured me that the training was quite extensive and encouraged me to apply. I applied for the position, and much to my joy and terror, I got one of the positions. I arrived at training hoping to learn enough to be able to help people in crisis, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed! Not only did I learn how to help in a crisis situation, but I learned an amazing amount of basic clinical skills for dealing with all types of situations (not just crises). After a year of working overnights (which was a blast), I was accepted into a PhD program in clinical psychology at Washington State University. Although I was sad to leave the wonderful friends that I had made at the Mental Health Association of Greenville County, I packed my things and headed to Washington. Although I love my program at WSU, there was honestly not a lot of basic training before we were sent in to see clients. I was so glad that I received such extensive training and experience in active listening, brainstorming and crisis intervention skills on the CRISISline to fall back on! I would highly recommend the CRISISline to anyone who is interested in getting some fantastic experience with clinical work, or anyone who is just looking for a great volunteer activity and a way to do something extremely important in the community.”
As a volunteer of Crisis Intervention Services, and the Mental Health Association in general, you can gain as much as you give. The Mental Health Association is committed to providing the best services possible, and our volunteers help us achieve this on a consistent basis. We appreciate our volunteers and the exemplary services they help us provide. Together, we are truly promoting positive mental health for all persons in our community! CRISISline and the opportunity to volunteer:
I was a teacher in the Greenville County System for many years. The last 10 years I had the opportunity to work with the Service Learning Program at a high school. Part of the learning area was to bring in speakers from various organizations in the Greenville area that had need for volunteers and also offered a service that the students might need to know about. One of the organizations that spoke that first year was the Mental Health Association. They were in the process of setting up a Teen Crisis Line. That first class got involved in that program and one student volunteered to work the line.
I thought about it for several years, realizing the time commitment involved and finally decided to do the training to work the line. It was one of the most interesting things I was ever involved in as a volunteer. After the training I decided to volunteer one evening a week on the line. It involved 3 to 4 hours every week but it was so worth the time involved. I never worked one time that I did not leave feeling I had made a difference in the life of a client or caller.
I encourage anyone interested in volunteering that they investigate this opportunity to serve. I do realize how strapped we all are for time but after a few months you develop a pattern of saving that time. It becomes very important to each volunteer to be there each week to answer the telephone.
I worked the line for approximately 5 years and treasure that opportunity. I feel it opened my eyes to the needs of the community in a way I never thought possible. The other people on the line become good friends as well as co workers. They are a dedicated group of professionals who have the best interest of the community at heart.
I do feel that at the end of a shift each worker leaves with a sense of the importance of commitment to community.
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