Community Resources In the United States - Article Example

Community Resources Crisis comes in many forms and magnitude. Despite the presence of family members and loved ones who are there to support and give unconditional love, people often find support and comfort from those people whom they have not known before. This is not a common practice in most parts of the globe but is often rated as one of the best alternative solution in crisis management. The direct or indirect intervention of a third person in conflict resolution is sometimes, if not always, the key towards living a happy and stress free life, and eventually towards self-actualization. In the United States alone, various non-profit organizations (NGOs) have come devoted themselves in helping local communities to achieve self-sufficiency, well-being, and develop self-confidence. Luckily, Berks County, Pennsylvania is the home to two different agencies which have the same goal of resolving crisis management, namely: BerksTALKLINE and Opportunity House. BerksTALKLINE With a mission of “providing free, confidential, nonjudgmental, skilled listening services to individuals, and assistance in assessing their options,” Berks TALKLINE’s hotline is available 12 hours a day, from 11 am to 11 pm, seven days a week. It was establish in order to create a positive impact on the various situations of its callers. By positive impact, this NGO allows each and every individual to be heard, make them feel better about themselves, and eventually help them solve their own problems or conflicts. At times, Talkline is also an alternative referral source to health and human service agencies, as well as schools, for youth and adult callers. Talkline handles a variety of crisis management cases, particularly in the areas of child abuse, drug and alcohol use, physical violence, gangs, self-image and self-esteem problems, loneliness, and social/emotional problems. The organization started way back in 1989, when a consortium of Berks County leaders, from school districts, civic organizations, social service agencies, and even business leaders, found out from a survey conducted with 1,000 students and school personnel that school personnel supported the concept of a local telephone hotline that will serve as an “effective means to provide children with confidential support and referral.” About 80% of student interviewees also supported that such concept would most likely work. With the help of an extensive two-year research, the aforementioned consortium founded BerksTALKLINE in October 15, 1990. This was seen as a model program for initially providing service to the country’s youth through telephone access. When Talkline realized that many adults also used the service, they eventually opened wider avenues for adults in the community on January 5, 1998. As of to date, Talkline’s program goals are as follows: to provide a service that will give individuals the opportunity to discuss concerns and problems with a trained person in a confidential manner to operate a telephone listening service for people that is accessible seven days a week from 11 am – 11 p.m. to provide a referral service for people with personal concerns and emergencies to provide 40 hours of intensive training to all people manning the phone lines to promote the service to people so the BerksTALKLINE number is readily available for their use through the distribution of BerksTALKLINE literature (stickers, brochures, bookmarkers, business cards): through paid advertising and through local media to conduct monthly and yearly assessments of the program’s effectiveness by collecting and calculating statistics relating to number of calls and characteristics of callers, categories of problems discussed, disposition of calls, number and type of referrals, service assessment, and geographic distribution for callers. Aside from providing services among their wide constituents, Talkline also ensures that their volunteers are fully trained in responding to problems and concerns of people, not only in Berks County, but as well as from other callers from various parts of the country. Their volunteers receive proper training in the following: Growth, Development, Families Relationship Issues Listening Skills Communication Skills Conflict Resolution Skills Addictions (alcohol, drugs, eating, gambling, sexuality) Abuse (child, domestic, elder) Sexuality Depression, Grief and Suicide To be able to qualify as a volunteer for Talkline, applicants must possess the following characteristics: (1) at least 18 years of age or older; (2) have a concern for and a desire to assist people in need; (3) have successfully completed a Training Program provided by BerksTALKLINE; (4) available to work between the hours of 11 am - 11 pm and be flexible in the days you can work; (5) available for part-time work, approximately 8 to 12 hours per week; (6) non-judgmental and able to refrain from giving advice; (7) have the ability to stay calm in emergency situations; and (8) pass a child abuse and criminal history check. Since all calls are taken seriously and considered as confidential, Talkline basically listens and allow callers to vent out their problems. Although giving advices are not allowed, volunteers are allowed to offer their support and help callers come up with ideas of what they feel would work for them. Furthermore, volunteers are also instrumental in helping callers develop plans for their problems such as providing resources where one could get specific or professional support. Basically speaking, Talkline is an avenue for people to “talk out their problems” thus allowing other individuals to hear them out. BerkTALKLINE’s funding sources, aside from donations, come from United Way of Berks County, Council on Chemical Abuse, Office of Aging, and the County of Berks. Opportunity House: Today’s Answer, Tomorrow’s Hope With its primary goal of helping the children and families of Berks County to become and remain independent members of the community, Opportunity House provides the following services: Emergency housing Case management Financial management Day program sets goals jobs addiction treatment parenting health education Aftercare to assist with reintegration After school tutoring 24/7 childcare Mental health care on site Transitional housing – (2 years with supervision and services) Permanent housing (folks without the skills to live independently) Reading dispensary (access to health care) Children’s Alliance Center (for treatment of abused kids) Homelessness is the focal point of advocacy of Opportunity House, which they primarily believe is rooted from: (1) extreme poverty; (2) physical or sexual abuse as a child; (3) eroding work opportunities and housing; (4) decline in public assistance; (4) lack of affordable health care/ chronic illness; (5) males with a history of incarceration; (6) domestic violence; (7) mental illness; (8) alcohol/ drug abuse as a teen and currently; and (9) placement in foster care. As a multi-service organization, Opportunity House’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for children, families and adults who face various obstacles to independence, and support efforts in achieving and maintaining self-sufficiency and well-being.” They particularly cater to the needs of those who are labeled as low income or living below the poverty line which is deemed prone to commit violence and other related activities. Opportunity House started, and was previously known as The Reading Emergency Shelter in November, 1984. An umbrella organization of the Reading Urban Ministry, its original goal was to provide a warm and safe haven for homeless men to sleep during winter. The organization eventually evolved and changed its name to Opportunity House when it began to operate on a year-round basis, remained open 24/7 during winter, and provided multiple programs, such as The Shelter, Second Street Learning Center, Supportive Housing, Job Quest, and Children’s Alliance Center, that are aimed to meet the unmet needs of its local community. BerksTALKLINE and Opportunity House are only a few of those organizations who are very much willing to support and help the community within their own capable limits. Despite the fact that crisis would never wane in the coming generations, Talkline and Opportunity House would continue to exist until such time that poverty and social equity in society is attained. Sources: Opportunity House website. http://www.opphouse.org/ BerksTALKLINE website. http://www.berks-talkline.org/ Read More