New director helping to expand 2nd Floor
When Mary Pearson was hired in May to work for 180 Turning Lives Around, a Monmouth County nonprofit dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual abuse, she knew it wasn't business as usual. In her previous career in sales and business development for high-tech companies, Pearson's success was measured in million-dollar revenue increases. Now, as director of 2nd Floor, her bottom line is how well she oversees the rapid expansion of a youth helpline staffed mainly by volunteers who talk to children about their daily needs and concerns. The program has been growing in leaps and bounds since its inception five years ago, according to a press release.

This is not the first time Pearson has worked with volunteers. Last year she was hired as events manager of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA). Among her achievements was leading a team of 200 volunteers and staff in planning and executing a fundraiser that brought in more than $110,000 for the organization.

While Pearson, a resident of Middletown, was still managing events for the MCSPCA, 180 Turning Lives Around Executive Director Anna Diaz-White began her search for someone to fill the newly created director position at 2nd Floor. Diaz-White recalls that when she initiated talks with Pearson, who had previously interviewed with the agency, Pearson was "thrilled and delighted at the opportunity to help children, which is one of her personal and professional goals."

"We needed someone who could lead a team and who was also knowledgeable about computer and business systems. Mary's background was a great fit," Diaz- White said. "For the past five years, we have run our operation out of a tiny room where a handful of staff members and volunteers armed only with pencils and paper collected the information we need to better serve our clients. Mary is expanding and streamlining this operation to accommodate up to 22 phone representatives using the latest computer technology."

Pearson said the rapid expansion is necessary because "calls have more than quadrupled in a year," with no signs of tapering off. In addition, 2nd Floor, which currently assists children over 10 years of age in more than two counties, is poised to extend its geographical reach and its hours of operation - all while increasing the upper age range of youth it serves from 19 years old to 24.

Renovations and wiring of the Hazlet facility, which will be staffed 24/7, are well under way, but many other details, including how to market it so that children are aware that it is available, are still being tackled as the start of the new school year approaches, according to the press release.

Just as important as the practical concerns of revamping the program is how to recruit and train enough phone representatives, who are the heart of the service. The 40-hour volunteer training program is broken down into the following three parts:

• The first 10 hours are presented online in a question-and-answer format.

• The second 10 hours of training is in a classroom setting, during which a phone counselor reviews various procedures and caller scenarios and directs volunteers in role-playing exercises.

• The final 20 hours are spent answering phones, with an experienced phone counselor "shadowing" the new recruit to make sure he or she is handling calls properly.

To meet state and federal requirements for individuals working with young people, volunteers must submit to background checks and fingerprinting, which are paid for by 180 Turning Lives Around.

Volunteers are trained in "active listening - a non-judgmental way of hearing what children are saying and guiding them to solve their own problems," Pearson explained. "All information is confidential and anonymous."

One volunteer joined 2nd Floor when she saw an ad in a newspaper which highlighted that it offered flexible hours for

volunteers, including evenings and weekends.

"The training was great," she said, adding that she enjoys the company of the staff members and volunteers as well as "the challenge of talking to the kids who present so many different situations. There is a lot of variety - every call is different."

Phone calls cover a wide range of subjects - everything from family and school problems to drug issues and dating concerns, to name just a few.

For more information about how to volunteer, call 732-264-4111 or register online at 2ndfloor.org.

Children and youth are invited to call the following number to discuss whatever is on their minds: 1-888-222-2228.