Author: Cordelia Kenney
Emmons Student Wellness Center launched the new 24/7 Confidential Hotline on Aug. 23 and is intended to expand Emmons’ services to all Occidental students in need of any psychological support, whether they face finals period stress or more serious conditions. Through the hotline, students have direct access to clinicians at any hour who can counsel them, refer students to therapists and other professionals at Emmons and connect them with resources near Occidental.
Before the introduction of the new hotline, L.A.’s Rape and Battery Hotline served as the main avenue for survivors looking for help, according to Project S.A.F.E. Coordinator and Sexual Assault Advocate Naddia Palacios.
Previously, students could only reach a therapist at Emmons at any time of the day through contacting their residential adviser (RA) first, outside of scheduling an appointment. The process may have deterred anxious, depressedor otherwise emotionally distraught students in the past who did not feel comfortable going through someone else.
“The consensus was that we wanted a hotline that was more Oxy focused and open to more than just sexual assault,” Palacios said.
ProtoCall Services, based in Portland, Ore., facilitates the newly available hotline at Occidental. Although they have nationwide offices, the office that operates Occidental’s hotline is contracted by 65 other colleges. According to Director of Student Wellness Services Robin Davidson, ProtoCall Services was carefully selected after talking to peer institutions, hosting interviews and doing ample research.
“It just felt right,” Davidson said.
Every clinician who the students will be connected to through the hotline has a master’s or doctorate degree and can connect callers to resources depending on their specific needs. ProtoCall Services also knows how to direct Occidental students to resources closer to home.
“We give this agency exactly what our resources are both on campus and off campus,” Davidson said. “We advise the clinicians how to direct students, and we provide them with advice for specific scenarios. Whatever the psychological need, we provide [ProtoCall] with very specific instructions and lists of resources.”
Davidson emphasized the expectation that ProtoCall will provide quality, well-informed care to Occidental students.
“They are well versed in our policies and procedures, so we are confident in how they can support our students,” Davidson said.
Funding comes directly from the Office of the President, according to Davidson. The cost depends on the usage of the hotline. Currently, Occidental will be paying about $10,000 per year for the service, which assumes a moderate usage of 75 calls per month. Davidson said that so far the hotline has received about 10 calls per week, but it is hard to predict what the patterns of usage will be like since the hotline was only recently introduced.
“As the word gets out and more students are aware of [the hotline] and feel comfortable calling, the usage could go up,” Davidson said. “We will definitely analyze the patterns so we can understand its usage, and also ensure the right outreach.”
Both Davidson and Palacios emphasized the utility of the hotline for not only students who need to talk to someone, but also for people who are helping others or need emotional support.
“It provides a broader support system for both students and students who work for students,” Davidson said. “The hotline is a great way to get both indirect and direct support around the clock.”
If a sexual assault or rape occurred within 96 hours and the student called this new hotline, the person on the other line would first and foremost establish the survivor’s safety and then help the student get to medical services. If the survivor wanted, the survivor advocate, Palacios, would be called on the other line to further assist the student. Palacios and an advocate from L.A. would then meet the student. All medical and forensic examinations are free for survivors, and the details of the protocol for handling such cases are very clearly outlined.
“A lot of institutions don’t have specific funding for this position,” Palacios said, referring to her position as Sexual Assault Advocate. “This position opens the door for our students so that they don’t have to go through this process alone.”
Davidson and Palacios are initiating a campaign right now to promote the hotline throughout campus.
“For people who are generally feeling down or stressed out, this way they can call, and there’s someone there,” Davidson said.
Palacios and Davidson are putting up two posters in all residence halls and main buildings that encourages both genders to seek help. Project S.A.F.E. also markets the new hotline at all presentations and meetings it hosts, and first-years also received ID cases that included the hotline’s information at orientation.
“We felt that it was important whether you’re looking for sexual assault support or general mental health support that it doesn’t matter what your gender is,” Davidson said.
Since its inception, much of campus seems to be unaware of this new, free and confidential service. Palacios and Davidson are trying to increase the awareness.
“We haven’t had a service like this at Occidental, so we are hoping that it will impact students in a positive way,” Palacios said.
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