The HQCC KU Connection

From current student Alex Ross:

I am writing you today to give my support for Headquarters Counseling Center. Marcia Epstein, Director of HQCC contacted me a several weeks ago and asked if I would do this and I immediately responded yes. First let me say how sad I am that I have to write this. The fact that an organization such as this has to be considered for a funding cut is appalling to me for several reasons.

First because this organization operates at such a high level day in and day out for the people of our community to make sure that they are given every chance at a healthy life. Open 24 hours a day seven days a week this organization attempts to make as big of a difference that any organization we have at our University does. The caliber they operate at is a perfect role model for our 500+ student organizations in terms of impact and operations.

Click here to read the entire letter.

Headquarters was created by KU students, in 1969, to serve their peers and the community. It has been funded, in part, by KU Student Activity Fees since 1972; and has always been staffed, in large part, by KU students, staff, and alumni. Headquarters has always served KU students, their parents and families, KU staff, and alumni.

Click here.. to see “Many Voices About HQCC.” Some of these voices are KU students, parents of KU students, and KU alumni, and they’ll tell you a lot about what we do.

Click here to read comments, testimonials, and a list of KU Staff, faculty, departments, and students in support of Headquarters, its "Life Support" services, and the opportunities it provides to KU students:

In The Beginning:

According to the proposal “To Organize a Community Drug Use and Abuse Center” from the files of Dr. Robert Shelton, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at KU, Headquarters was started by “a group of interested University of Kansas students and residents of this community” who proposed a “service organization run by qualified student volunteers.”

On December 16, 1969 Headquarters opened its doors! The center was the brainchild of KU undergraduate Brian Bauerle. The First United Methodist Church allocated $858.55 to fund the first three months of a "community drug use & abuse center" and 24-hour hotline.

Headquarters began with three (KU student) live-in staff in a communal house at 1546 Massachusetts. Anyone, particularly high school kids, could call or drop in anytime to hang out, attend classes on drug abuse, use the drug library or just talk. In Lawrence, Kansas in 1969, having caring young volunteers helping young people who were already using street drugs was controversial.

HQCC was controversial with its neighbors, because of the noise and the "hippie-types" it attracted; and with the “straight” (non drug using) community in general, because of its "anti-establishment" orientation, including publishing a controversial underground newspaper.

Like KU Headquarters is also part of a long tradition. Suicide prevention organizations in the U.S. and in Europe began around 1900. Phone services to provide such aid began in the 1950’s with the Samaritans in London, and the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center (LASPC).

Help was available free of charge, 24 hours daily, and could be used anonymously. Help was available in person or by telephone. Currently some of our services are provided through our web site and by email, as accessible computer technology continues to advance. All of our counseling services are still provided free of charge.

Headquarters has never closed for even one minute, making it one of the oldest continually operating crisis services in this country - something for KU and this community to be very proud of!

Our Memorandum of Agreement with KU states that:

Headquarters will provide the following services to members for the University Community:

Speakers for any University group or class on such topics as suicide prevention, drug and alcohol abuse, community resources, crisis intervention, and short term counseling

Resource materials to students interested in any aspect of those social services in which Headquarters is involved

Mental health service to any member of the University Community as part of its crisis center program.

We do all that and even more!

Counseling services to the KU Community:

Free of charge
24 hours daily, including holidays and KU breaks
Can be used anonymously
Locating Rape Victim/Survivor Service advocates from Ga Du Gi Safe Center, for callers to our local counseling and information phone: 785.841.2345
Answering the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from Kansas area codes: 800.273.TALK
Answering the National Hopeline Network from Kansas area codes: 800.SUICIDE
Walk-in counseling at our location: 211 E. 8th, Suite C (8th & Rhode Island in downtown Lawrence)
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), individual or group support, after a traumatic incident, provided at the individual or group’s location
Suicide bereavement support group provided at our location every other Tuesday evening from 7:00-8:30pm

Creating Awareness within the KU Community:

Annual registration with the Student Involvement and Leadership Center
Multiple listings in each school year’s The University of Kansas Referral Guide, published and distributed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success
Multiple listings in each school year’s KU Student Handbook and Planner, published and distributed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success
Display and bold listings in the University Directory
Twice weekly advertisements during the fall and spring semester University Daily Kansan, and weekly advertisements in the summer Kansan
Included as a crisis support on the voice message of KU CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services)
Included in multiple areas of KU Info web site and voice message
Brochures and pens available at various KU offices
Agency t-shirts and sweatshirts worn by center staff
Speaking to groups and classes on campus, including Student Senate
Link from KUpedia
Our web site

Statistics:

We don't have statistics on the amount of counseling calls from KU, as we don't ask our callers for demographic information. We have statistical information about the educational services Headquarters has provided to KU students in the past year, and the amount of KU students who chose to participate in community service by volunteering at Headquarters . Click here to go to our statistics page.