The Agora Crisis Center is starting the new academic year with a pledge to make its presence more known to UNM, said Jeremy Jaramillo, the center's director of budget and finance.
Agora is the University's student-run crisis call center, which provides peer counseling for students in stressful situations, or who are suicidal or depressed. Jaramillo said the center also serves as a referral service for other outreach programs to the UNM and Albuquerque communities.
Jaramillo said despite the past year's increased efforts to reach out to local middle and high schools, the center wants to focus on securing more funding from the University and its constituents. With more funding coming from UNM, Jaramillo said Agora would direct more of its support to University needs.
He said last year the center received a $4,700 grant from the Albuquerque Community Foundation to conduct an outreach program about suicide, homicide and abuse prevention for middle and high school students. The center also raised about $4,000 from the Wild Oats Markets, Inc. Five Percent Day, in which a group the corporation selects is given five percent of the profits made that day.
"Financially we're doing OK, but we need to find more sources of funding," Jaramillo said.
He said Agora is attempting to receive more than just Associated Students of UNM funding, and last year took a large step by applying for funding from the Student Fee Review Board. The center was denied funding for this year, Jaramillo added, but it was recommended for funding during next year's review board process.
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Jaramillo said he would like for the board to provide funds necessary for the three Agora staff positions so the money from ASUNM can be applied elsewhere.
"ASUNM is doing its best, but there's just not enough money for us," he said. "We're trying to get more grants, trying to find SFRB money and other money for staff salaries so we can keep our staff members all year."
In addition to funding staff positions, Jaramillo said one way the center is reaching out to UNM is by offering elective credits for its volunteers' training sessions.
He said that full training for call-center volunteers includes three consecutive Saturdays and one two-hour period during the week. He said that after people complete the training, the center requires them to work at the center for a year, or 52 three-hour shifts.
"We're definitely happy to offer credit because we'll definitely get a lot more volunteers and we're trying to give back to the campus community this year, in addition to trying to do more types of education on campus," Jaramillo said.
Jaramillo said the center wants to do a series of on-campus presentations about different topics, such as eating disorders. He added that Agora will be working with other UNM organizations, such as Students Educating Peers About Sex, Student Special Events and ASUNM, in trying to put together a regular self-defense class to be offered twice a semester.
One self-defense class was offered at the end of last semester, Jaramillo said, and while 25 people signed up, only eight students actually attended. Jaramillo attributed that to finals week, but said he thought it was a success anyway.
"It went well for how quickly it was planned," he said. "This year we're going to do a waiting list and keep better track of the people who need to come. We wanted to do one test run before the end of the year."
Jaramillo said the center also would try to organize a series of classes on general mental wellness, stress and suicide issues throughout the year in the hope of increasing UNM student use of the center.
"You don't have to be suicidal to call us," he said. "If you're stressed out about school or classes or friendships, parents, whatever, anything in general, we definitely deal with issues like that."
For more information on Agora, visit www.agorasepas.com. For volunteer information, call 277-7855. For the crisis line, call 277-3013. The center is located at the Psychology Clinic at 1716 Las Lomas Rd., west of Dane Smith Hall.
