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News & Current Events

Crisisline Volunteers always needed!

Make a difference.  Change a life.

 Regular on-going trainings are offered throughout the year.  For more information, please contact Crisisline Directors at (607)272-1505.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

April 24 & 25

July 12 & 13

Ithaca, NY

ASIST is a two-day intensive, interactive and practice-oriented course designed to help a wide range of caregivers and community members learn to recognize suicide risk and how to intervene to prevent immediate harm. 

Join the more than 750,000 people world-wide who have taken this state-of-the-art training.

Contact Crisisline Directors at (607)272-1505 or email spcscrisisline@verizon.net for more information or to register

Community Role Players Seek New Members
With Free Acting Workshop on January 23, 2010

The Community Role Players of SPCS will hold a free acting workshop and introduction to interactive theatre on Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 1 to 5 pm at the Ithaca Youth Bureau, located at the entrance to Stewart Park, in Ithaca , NY . Teens, adults, and seniors are all welcome to develop improvisation and character building techniques needed for role playing, a powerful theatre tradition that addresses social and interpersonal issues with lively audience interaction. No previous acting experience is necessary.

Role playing or interactive theatre is a form of community theatre that addresses social and interpersonal issues. For the actors, it is fun because the short scenarios they play are improvised rather than memorized. Usually, players are asked to attend one or two rehearsals followed by one or two performances, representing much short time commitments compared to traditional theatre.

“This is theatre with heart, soul, and humor,” says Lee-Ellen Marvin, Director of Interactive Theatre at Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service. “We work with difficult issues, problems that real people have to deal with in their real lives. We present these conflicts through the magic of theatre and then, the charaters turn to the audience for help.”

The Community Role Players of SPCS was established in 1989 by Ellen Schmidt with a mission to address mental health and life issues, teach communication skills, and facilitate problem solving. In 2009, under the direction of Lee-Ellen Marvin, the Players presented programs on suicide awareness, bullying, tolerance, listening skills, creativity and aging, and gossip for over 700 people ranging in age from 12 to 92.

Those who complete the workshop and observe a presentation by the Community Role Players will become members of the troop.  Teens must be 14 or older. No previous theatre experience is necessary. Please call or write Lee-Ellen Marvin, Director of Interactive Theatre, to register and get more information at (607) 272-1505 or spcsroleplayers@verizon.net .

 10.15.09 SPCS to host Suicide Survivors Day November 21, 2009

4.16.09 Providing Counseling in the Aftermath of the April 3 shootings in Binghamton

Late last week and throughout this week, Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service (SPCS) has been assisting the Binghamton City School District (BCSD) in the wake of the shootings that occurred on April 3 at the American Civic Association.  The School District approached the Crisis Service for guidance and assistance in dealing with post-traumatic issues on multiple levels.

On Thursday April 8, a representative of the Superintendent’s office called SPCS seeking our assistance in the aftermath of the shootings.  The BCSD is involved on multiple levels.  The School District operates the adult English as a Second Language Program (ESL).The ESL teachers at the Civic Association where the shooting occurred are School District employees, including one who died in the April 3 shooting.  Moreover, there are several students in the District returning to school after Spring Break who lost one or both parents or relatives in the shootings, as well as adult students who were taking classes at the Civic Association and survived the shootings.

Deb Parker Traunstein, LMSW, SPCS Director of Education and Trauma Services, responded to and met with Binghamton City School District administrative staff as well as with the ESL teachers who survived the incident to offer Critical Incident Stress Management services. “After a traumatic event such as this, each affected individual carries a burden of trauma that needs to be processed: what they experienced, what they thought, and what they felt. Not doing so in a timely manner can interfere with normal functioning, coping, and healing.  This situation is particularly complicated because we needed to help identify all of those persons closely impacted by the crisis, even though they may not have been in the building at the time,” Traunstein explained. BCSD Assistant Superintendent Trina Newton, in expressing her appreciation regarding the involvement of SPCS, wrote, “We are functioning much better as a team and as individuals.”

Work involved both setting up plans for resuming classes on Monday April 20, including assuring that adequate counseling resources would be available at numerous sites, and direction in dealing with the complex emotional impacts surrounding trauma and grief experienced by the administration, staff, children, ESL teachers and ESL students. 

Fortunately, our communities are rich in resources, and many have reached out to help the BCSD.  Next Monday, Ms. Traunstein will be joined by Jennifer Streid-Mullen, SPCS Executive Director, and other local volunteers, to provide on-site counseling in the schools to help students, faculty and staff.  At Ms. Traunstein’s encouragement, alternate space from the Civic Association will be used for the adult ESL classes, which are expected to resume on Monday.   Arrangements have also been made for over 40 translators from Cornell University to be available to assist counselors in their efforts with the adult ESL students.

6.11.08 Crisisline Counselors Wanted

Now is the time to sign up for the SPCS crisisline volunteer training class to start late January, 2009.  Classes for this sessions meet Monday and Wednesday evenings. For more information please contact Christina Culver at 272-1505. Or click here for a training application and here for more information on volunteering and training classes. 

5.19.07 Mental Health Rally

The Finger Lakes affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) held a rally of more than 70 consumers and industry professionals in Cass Park on Saturday May 19, 2007. SPCS Director of Education Alison Beach and Director of Interactive Theater Marie Sirakos were there to represent SPCS and listen to inspiring line-up of speakers.

Pictured Left: Marie Sirakos (Left) and Alison Beach (Right) Pictured Above: NAMI performing their NAMI cheer at the end of their rally.