RAPLine provides someone to talk to

In the often stressful and unsettling world of University life, a new phone service will provide a friendly ear for students to turn to in times when they need someone to listen. The Reach-A-Peer Helpline, or RAPLine, opens its phones today providing peer support for students, listening to their concerns, and offering them information about the University's diverse counseling resources. According to the phone line's founders, the RAPLine will provide a free, objective and confidential voice to all students who who wish to share a problem, need information, or just want to talk. College senior Melissa Karz, president and co-founder of the RAPLine, stressed that the students who staff the RAPLine do not give advice, but that the top goals of the line is to listen and describe resources and options to students in need. "We can get them where they need to go," said Karz. "But if they want to talk, that's cool too." Karz said she feels the RAPLine will be a tremendous asset to the University, filling a much needed gap by showing students the way between the University's sometimes confusing maze of support services. Karz said when students call the line, the listener immediately says "Hi, this is the Reach-A-Peer helpline, we provide information, support and referrals," so that callers understand not to expect advice. RAPLine co-founder and vice-president Rachel Miller said that the line will complement the support that friends give students in times of need. "Sometimes friends can [provide support], sometimes they can't," said the College junior. Founders Karz, Miller and College junior Marge Jacobs began the process of establishing the RAPLine over a year and a half ago, after they noticed that the University was lacking a peer support line. "Other places have [RAPLines] like this, but Penn was lacking it," said Karz, who was involved in a similar phone line in Los Angeles before she came to the University. The RAPLine, whose phone number is 573-2RAP, is open from Sunday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and is staffed by 20 trained student volunteers. However, currently, there are only two lines running. Miller said they are currently training more students to staff the lines, and they hope to expand the hours when the RAPLine is open and the number of lines available. Karz and Miller said one reason the line took so long to set up the service because they wanted to assure the permanence of the RAPLine. "In five years, [the RAPLine] will still be here," Karz said. The volunteer peer listeners undergo a thorough training period, involving seminars with University professors, Student Health psychiatrists, graduate and international students, members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Student Alliance, and other campus organizations, Karz said. Other elements of the training includes role-playing scenarios between the caller and the listener. "The crux of the training is to develop active listening skills," said Karz. ""We try to help people to help themselves."

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