Interim director takes reins at statewide suicide prevention hotline

A new director has begun work at the statewide suicide hotline and counseling organization, Headquarters Counseling Center, but only on an interim basis.

Headquarters volunteer Steve Lopes took charge the Lawrence-based suicide prevention center Monday in the wake of the sudden departure of longtime director Marcia Epstein. After heading the agency since 1979, Epstein’s last day was Nov. 20. Her departure was not explained by Epstein or by Headquarters.

Lopes said that he does not see himself as a replacement for Epstein.

“No one can replace Marcia. The responsibility for the business end, yes, I accept that. But no one could ever replace Marcia, and I would never agree to that. In fact, I am committed to building on her legacy,” Lopes said.

A statement on the Headquarters website refers to “the pain that Marcia is experiencing,” but offers no elaboration. The entire board of directors resigned 18 months ago, and Lopes said he’s been told that the agency’s budget is now about half what it was two years ago. (The lion’s share of a $480,000 federal grant recently awarded to Headquarters can’t be used for day-to-day operations.)

But Lopes said he doesn’t know whether either of those problems had anything to do with the change of leadership. He said his goal for the next six months is to modernize operations — perhaps through the use of social media — to stabilize the agency’s finances, and to help select someone to lead Headquarters on a long-term basis.

The changes at the state’s suicide prevention center come amid a dramatically rising suicide rate in Kansas. Suicides in Kansas increased 31.5 percent in 2012, totaling 505 deaths versus 384 in 2011.

Historically, the state’s approach to suicide prevention has focused on supporting community mental health centers. But the mental health centers’ initiatives have been squeezed by cuts in state and county spending, and last year’s state tax cut likely means those budgets will be strained further.

Following is the statement regarding Epstein’s resignation as it appeared on the Headquarters website:

Headquarters is deeply impacted by the loss of Marcia, its long-time director. We grieve her absence and continue to be grateful and amazed by how much she has done for the agency over the years. Her dedication to HQ has never been in question and remains a thing of legend.

That being said, Headquarters and Marcia are separate entities. While we are saddened by the pain that Marcia is experiencing, we want to focus on the future of Headquarters and continuing the important services that Headquarters provides.

We are also incredibly disappointed that HQ needed to take a break from overnight calls during this transition period. This is not a permanent change. We have been in constant contact with the NSPL and they assured us that they want to do everything in their power to keep HQ open, and that it is not at all unusual for agencies to go on furlough. There are also procedures in place to deal with the furlough. They contacted another NSPL-certified agency for us, and this agency agreed to take our calls from midnight-8am. All calls from Kansas area codes ring directly to this center.

We are aggressively pursuing funding streams that have previously not been available in order to return to 24/7 services as quickly as possible. Our volunteers, as well as our staff and our board, continue to be committed to funding the amazing, positive, heartfelt work that Headquarters has always done.

Many questions have been raised about the circumstances around Marcia’s departure from Headquarters. We absolutely cannot comment on this. There are reasons for this stance, the most important being that it is a private personnel matter between Marcia and the Board of Directors. Legally, this personnel matter cannot be discussed, the same with any business. And while Headquarters, Inc. started as a grassroots organization and is a beacon of compassion and hope for the community, it is a business, with policies and procedures. We can assure you that any decision was not made hastily or with malice. This board has been in place for 19 months, and it is one that was handpicked by Marcia due to their personal experiences with Headquarters, their commitment to both the community and this organization, and their expertise.

Change is difficult. Change, however, is incredibly important in sustaining businesses and maintaining their relevance in the 21st Century and our current economy. Headquarters remains open and filled with dedicated volunteers, staff, and Board Members. We all believe in the mission of Headquarters and acknowledge the importance of Marcia’s legacy. We deeply appreciate the role all current and former volunteers and staff played in building that legacy. While feelings of anger and fear are understandable in the face of change, these emotions are also incredibly damaging to Marcia and Headquarters.

In closing, we invite you to reflect on the sentiment expressed on the Headquarters home page about who we all are:

“We are a community of Board of Directors Members, Advisors, Volunteer Counselors, and Professional Staff who are passionate about making sure that emotional support and safety are available to kids, teens, and adults. We aren’t big enough to serve the world, but we sure work hard for our Douglas County, Kansas community, and for our state. We come from different life experiences, education, and professions. And we are all very caring, and very respectful of others. We are a safe space, accepting of all people.”