The Listening Ear Crisis Intervention Center is looking for new volunteers to help operate its crisis phone lines and run the center.
"We have an extensive training program," said Patricia Bayer, Listening Ear publicity coordinator. "We don't just put somebody on the phones."
The Listening Ear, 313 W. Grand River Ave., is a nonprofit organization that provides crisis counseling one-on-one and by phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Bayer said.
The center also provides referrals, sexual assault counseling, advocacy and community education, Lauren Drolet, sexual assault counseling staff coordinator and an MSU graduate student said.
Orientation sessions are from 7-9:30 p.m. on September 19, 21, 22 and also on September 24 from 1-3:30 p.m., all in Wells Hall.
"We break down into small groups so people can get a feel of what we do," Bayer said. "Also, it gives us an idea of a person's capacity."
During the session, applications to volunteer at the center are also given out. Although no experience is necessary to become a volunteer, there is a background check said Nan Denny, training coordinator for the Listening Ear.
Denny said the center takes as many new volunteers as they have room for, and look for applicants who have time to make a commitment to the program, have a value for community service and get something out of giving to people. Once their application is reviewed, qualified applicants are asked to come to training sessions, which Drolet said are not easy.
"It is intense, it is powerful, it is inspiring. It is hard work," Drolet said. "You come very close with the people who you go through training with."
The training sessions are all day on Thursday through Sunday for two weeks, Bayer said. On Saturday and Sunday the sessions are all day, while the Thursday and Friday sessions are in the evenings, after class and work, she said. The next set of training sessions starts on October 6.
"The training is intense," Bayer said. "Particularly because you want to invest in somebody in the training that will actually go through the training, not just do it on a whim."
After going through the training, which must add up to at least 60 hours, the volunteer can start answering the phones, Bayer said. Those interested in doing sexual assault counseling will then go through even more training to be qualified in that area, Drolet said. The training is extensive in order to prepare the volunteers for difficult situations they may encounter.
"The calls we get are intense and serious," Bayer said. "Even for the most giving person they may be difficult to take."
If counseling is too big of a commitment, Bayer also said they need volunteers to do office work and money donations are also helpful since the center is a non-profit organization.
In order to offer help 24 hours a day and 365 days per year, volunteers are asked to commit to a four-hour shift once a week and one overnight shift once a month, Bayer said.
The Listening Ear receives 1,000 phone calls each year, Bayer said, and because they receive so many calls they try to have two people working the phones at any given time. Their goal is to always have 75 volunteers, so having new volunteers is important, Bayer said.
"Our goal is to grow and gain new volunteers," Denny said. "We are very accepting of new volunteers, we want people to join us."
