Crisis Center chief charts new course
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By |im Moore
Of thr Emerald
A crisis doesn't have to reach
epic proportions before the Crisis
Center can help, says Laurel
Singer, new director of the Crisis
Center.
Many people try to work things
out on their own because they
don't think their problems are
serious enough to warrant profes
sional help or because they don't
want other people to know
they're having trouble coping, she
says.
"A lot of people hear the words
'crisis line' and think the people
who call must really have to have
serious problems," says Singer,
who has been working on a
master's in counseling at the
University since the fall of 1982.
But everyone faces situations
they have trouble solving, she
says.
"Most of the people in crises are
normal people who just need a lit
tle bit of help. And with that help
they can produce a lot of good,"
she says.
While some people wear casts
and scars and other signs of
physical damage like badges of
courage, nobody likes to reveal
the scars of the psyche, according
to Singer, who received a
bachelor's degree in psychology
from Michigan State University in
1980.
"In our culture it's OK to be
physically hurt but it's not OK to
have psychological problems,"
she says.
Another reason people hide
emotional problems is society's
tendency to view such problems
as weaknesses. But Singer
disagrees with that conception.
"It takes a lot more strength to
cry than hold it all in, dealing with
emotions takes tremendous
strength," according to Singer.
Changing students' attitudes
about who should use the Center
and why is Singer's primary goal
in her new job. The Center is now
proficient at helping those who
have experienced a crisis or are in
the midst of one. The next logical
step is to help prevent crises
altogether, she says.
“Once you have the organiza
tion structured so that you're
helping the people who have
been through a crisis, you can
start moving to the next phase,”
says Singer, who worked at a crisis
line in Muskegon, Mich.
She plans to accomplish this
goal by increasing student
awareness about who uses the
crisis line and educating them in
ways to prevent crises.
"You don't have to be suicidal,
you don't have to be totally down
on your luck, (but rather) just in a
state of discomfort," to find help
at the Crisis Center, she says.
Awareness can be increased by
becoming more visible, Singer
says.The Center will have a booth
in the Street Faire. She also wants
more flyers around campus.
Education for prevention is
another story.
A crisis prevention conference,
says Singer, would be perfect. She
envisions coordinating with other
centers in town, perhaps offering
credit to attract students and
presenting expert speakers.
But all this would take money —
so another of Singer's goals is to
raise funds.
She admits she isn't sure where
the money will come from, but
she says she has ^ome new ideas
to increase the Center's coffers
that she doesn't yet want to
discuss.
Other goals Singer has for the
Center include increasing the
both the training and education
for people working there and
research work in crisis areas.
If these objectives seem like a
large task to tackle in one year,
that's because they are. But unlike
many University programs the
Crisis Center has few personnel
changes each year.
Singer plans to keep her posi
tion for at least two years. Her
predecessor. Candy Reynolds,
who will begin working at the
Counseling Center as part of her
doctorate program, held the job
for three and one-half years.
Such continuity, especially in
the director's position, has ac
counted for the Crisis Center's
success and longevity.
Started in 1969, the Crisis Center
preceded such other crisis in
tervention programs as the Drug
Information Center and Rape
Crisis Network and still receives
r
calls on those subjects. Most in
quiries, though, are now of an in
terpersonal nature, according to
Singer.
The Center's staff is trained to
respond to all types of crises and a
call to the 686-4488 hotline will be
answered seven days a week, 24
hours a day. If necessary, a staff
member will make a house call or
refer the caller to a particular
agency.
While Eugene is rich in crisis in
tervention programs. Singer says
there is a need for all of them. In
fact, she wishes to increase
cooperation between the many
centers.
"I'd like to network with some
of the other agencies in town to
avoid overlap and increase com
munication between the agen
cies," she says.
Singer stresses the point that
her many goals only reflect what
she feels is the next phase in the
growth of the Center, not dif
ferences with its past direction.
She credits her success to the
hard work of her predecessor.
"I'm not going to make changes
as much as I'm going to expand
what's already being done. Candy
has done an excellent job," Singer
says.
She finds personal rewards in
working for the Crisis Center.
"You see people make really big
improvements in their lives,
they're not perfect, but they've
made a lot of changes and a lot of
growth. It's real exciting and
rewarding, it makes me say 'Ah,
you certainly are glad you didn't
go into engineering'," Singer says.
No doubt everyone connected
with the Crisis Center is glad she
didn't go into engineering, too.
When you’re in a tight spot,
good friends will help you out.
When you pulled in two hours ago, you didn’t
have this problem. And with a party just starting,
the last thing you wanted to do was
wait around another two hours.
Neither did the rest of the guys.
So when they offered to give you
a lift, that’s exactly what they did,
proving not only that they were
in good shape, but that they
were good friends.
So show them what apprecia
tion is all about. Tonight, let it.
be Lowenbrau.
Lowenbrau. Here’s to good friends.
© 1983 Beer Brewed in U S A. by Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wl