GLENDALE : Golf Tourney Aids Drug, Teen Programs

Golfers on the green Monday in Glendale will not only raise money for an alcohol and drug recovery program, but may also provide the funds to start up a program for help teen-agers in crisis.

The tournament at the Oakmount Country Club is expected to raise at least $40,000 for the Glendale Adventist Alcohol and Drug Services, a recovery program. But the money also will help start up the Teen On Call program, which will be run by the Glendale Adventist Medical Center’s community services department.

“This is hoped to be a support group for teens,” said Debby Evans, the hospital foundation’s associate director.

The program will train teen-agers to be on call, by pager, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help their peers in crisis. Evans said that the program will have teen-agers trained as “active listeners” to find out what help their peers need and to make referrals.

“They will not counsel them,” Evans said. “They will listen and help teens get the services they need.”

The peer counselors will direct troubled teen-agers to local youth centers, family service and mental health organizations, as well as to Glendale police, for help. Problems anticipated are suicidal tendencies, drug addiction or pregnancy.

“Maybe it isn’t as comfortable for them to go to an adult for help, but if they can get another teen-ager via a pager, they would be more willing,” Evans said.

Evans said hospital officials hope the Teen On Call program will be as successful as another community services program called PhoneFriend, which assists elementary school-age latchkey kids with school work and other problems. That program is getting ready to expand into other communities, including Burbank, Pasadena and Eagle Rock, she said.

About 160 golfers are expected to participate in Monday’s 11th annual tournament to benefit the hospital foundation. Each golfer pays $250 to enter and three golfers who come closest to the pin on a designated hole will have a chance to win $1 million by getting a hole-in-one on the course’s 165-yard 18th hole.

For more information, call the foundation at (818) 409-8055.