Pathways: A decade of providing services to students

Pathways Peer Advocacy Program is a talk line for students to anonymously express themselves and describe their own problems in the comfort of a safe, supportive place. This year, the Pathways organization is celebrating ten years of its service on campus, a huge milestone and point of reflection for the program.

Professor of Psychology Jennifer Katz is the coordinator of this program and she, alongside current peer advocates, responded both thoroughly and thoughtfully via email to questions about Pathways’ establishment. Dr. Katz also noted the significance of this decade-long achievement. 

In the 2010-2011 academic year, Dr. Katz recalled students in her clinical psychology class indicating that there were limited after-hours for support on campus. To understand students’ concerns more thoroughly, Dr. Katz met with these individuals several times. Throughout their consistent meetings even into the 2011 summer, they read about peer counseling and services and thus, established a talk-line that would be available to students starting in the fall 2011 semester. 

“The program truly represents collaboration between the students and me, with valuable support from many wonderful colleagues, including the former director of Lauderdale, who was a licensed clinical social worker,” Dr.Katz said. 

Dr. Katz and advocates explained Pathways’ purpose on the Geneseo campus, and the way in which trained advocates can provide support to students anonymously and make them feel heard and comfortable. 

“Students deserve to be heard and to feel connected to others so that they don’t have to feel alone. In our fast-paced world, there are few safe spaces to vent, to explore sources of stress and to process feelings,” Dr. Katz and advocates said. “Although negative emotions are incredibly common, it’s often [considered] taboo to admit to feeling sad, anxious or overwhelmed.” 

Dr. Katz and current advocates promote their efforts to offer support and a nonjudgmental place for students to feel heard and validated. When appropriate, they offer resources and facilitate problem-solving to help and encourage students to arrive at their own solutions.

This talk-line places strong emphasis on active listening, solution-focused questions and crisis management. She adds that the core of this work is the value of deep listening and how engaging in this manner can help create an interpersonal connection between an advocate and a caller. 

“There have been countless times where the nonjudgmental, supportive stance Pathways has [really] helped me learn how to listen and be the best I can be when a friend or family member has needed someone to really be there for them,” said one advocate.

Dr. Katz added that involvement in Pathways is also beneficial for one’s professional interests. 

“In the professional field, Pathways gives a fantastic baseline for anyone interested in a clinical, social work and human services careers,” Dr. Katz said. 

Dr. Katz added the improvements that the Pathways team continually strives for and the immense dedication advocates make to bettering this program.

“Our team is always striving to improve our methods to provide support, to train prospective peer advocates and to share information about our program. Peer advocates are committed to continuing to regular practice for skills development. They are also dedicated to sharing both positive and constructive feedback with one another, including me, their supervisor,” Dr. Katz said. “This semester we have also worked with GFR to provide support and information about each of our programs and hopefully enhance the work of each program in serving the broader community. We are also participating in additional opportunities to learn from other student-centered groups, including Safe Zone and the DICE program.”

Additionally, she commented on the significance of Pathways’ anniversary. Hundreds of students have been helped through this talk line. Several former advocates are now practicing in the mental health profession and other students in different fields use their advocate training and experience to enrich their careers and lives. 

Dr. Katz reflected on this milestone and the way in which the Pathways service has changed since its creation.

“Two of the major ways the program has changed are, a) adding an online chat option for contacting us, and b) ending weekend hours after our program became smaller. Advocates are now available by phone, email or online chat from 8 P.M to 8 A.M from Sunday-Thursday when classes are in session during fall and spring semesters.” 

For anyone who is interested in Pathways, Dr. Katz expressed this helpful information. 

“Our program welcomes new trainees to our 10-week training program at the start of every semester! Information about our program is listed on our website, along with basic requirements and the online application,” Dr. Katz said. “In addition, peer advocates are available to meet during optional information meetings during the week before the training applications are due. Anyone with questions should reach out, anytime.” 

Current peer advocates and the faculty supervisor, Dr. Katz, are happy to answer questions about the application, interview, training and evaluation process.