SAPAC crisis line remains on campus

Updated 10:00 AM July 6, 2004

SAPAC crisis line remains on campus

By Laurel Thomas Gnagey

In response to concerns from many members of the campus community, particularly students, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) crisis line remains on campus with the same number—(734) 936-3333—but the service that offers 24-hour assistance to survivors of sexual violence has undergone some changes to serve the community better, says SAPAC director Kelly Cichy.

The campus crisis line was to be turned over to Safe House, a community organization that offers similar services. But the Division of Student Affairs received considerable feedback from campus community members who felt the service should continue to be administered by the University, so that it could remain student-centered.

"We have listened carefully to these concerns, and we have considered the circumstances faced by Safe House as well as other potential models for operating the crisis line," Cichy says. "After much thought and discussion, we have made the decision to continue to run the crisis line out of SAPAC, but to do so with professional staff."

Since July 1, the crisis line has been staffed by full-time professionals who are available directly to callers in need of immediate crisis intervention and support related to sexual violence.

"The staff responding to the crisis line have a higher level of training and expertise than what we have been able to provide with a volunteer system," Cichy says. "Current callers receive a consistent response based upon professional counseling theory and practice."

She says callers immediately are in touch with a staff member, rather than reaching an answering service and having to wait for a callback, which was the case with the previous system. The previous crisis line relied on student volunteers and a pager-and-callback system.

Cichy says another advantage to using professionals is that callers don't have to worry about reaching fellow students who may know them from class, residence halls or social activities.

"Those who volunteered to serve on the crisis line are an extremely dedicated group of students who have given an enormous amount of time and made a huge personal commitment in order to be available to help survivors in this way," Cichy says. "We thank them for their unselfish service and encourage them to stay involved in other SAPAC volunteer activities."

Other changes to SAPAC services continue to move forward, including the expansion of education and advocacy activities and the coordination and expansion of counseling through Counseling and Psychological Services.

TTY services for the hearing impaired, as well as Language Line translation services for the crisis line, are planned in the near future.

SAPAC crisis line remains on campus

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