OUSAP Program Coordinator Delaney Anderson talks funding, advocacy and optimism in her new role.
Delaney Anderson is now one week into her role in the Ohio University Survivor Advocacy Program.
As the new program coordinator, Anderson is stepping into a position that is in the spotlight of a national campaign against sexual assault, a hot button topic on OU’s campus, and still unsure of its future.
The program’s current grant funding is set to run out in Oct. 2015. Delaney is a graduate of Florida State University’s Masters of Social Work Program. She has experience as a victim advocate and worked at the State Attorney’s Office.
And she’s just excited to be a helping hand in the advocacy world. The Post sat down and talk with Anderson.
The Post: One week in, how are you feeling?
Anderson: I’m really liking it. Bill Arnold and Katlyn Merkle are the (graduate assistants) who work here and they have been running it basically in the absence of a program coordinator. … I’m coming in seeing all of the good stuff they’ve been doing and just trying to kind of take some stuff off of their plates.
TP: What do you think sets you apart from the other candidates for the job?
DA: That’s a great question — I don’t know. … I’m very passionate about it. … There’s burnout when you do these types of positions. … I think my experience kind of showed that I was used to rolling with those punches and understanding how to take care of myself and how to maintain optimism maybe, and just keep on going through it.
TP: Do you think it’s your optimism you want to bring to the position, or is there anything else you want to bring?
DA: Optimism I feel like sometimes gets this air of naivety. … I don’t think that’s the case. I think it’s just being able to let things roll off your shoulders and to say ‘Let’s just deal with this.’ Because sometimes, as much as you try, things just sometimes don’t go the way you want them to, and I think in social work in general, and in advocacy work specifically, sometimes you do all that you can and it’s not enough and you just have to deal with it.
TP: There’s been a lot of debate around OUSAP lately, considering the fact that its funding is not set beyond Oct. 2015. Did you know that before you came into the position?
DA: I did. First of all, it said that in the job posting that there was only guaranteed funding until October of next year. Then they did make me aware both when I interviewed and when they offered me the position.
TP: It’s less than a year off — anything that you have in mind, either more grants or administration absorption of the program?
DA: I don’t really have a specific preference. I think that first of all, the people that have been here and running the program must have a good idea of where the program fits and what the best option is.
TP: What would you like students, faculty, staff and community members to know about you?
DA: Right now, I’m open to hearing from anyone about what their experiences have been. I really just would like to be a visible presence at this point and make connections with people and I would love to work with other groups on campus to raise awareness about our resources.
TP: How would you like to see OUSAP look like in a year?
DA: As far as what the program looks like, I don’t really see any need for change but getting out there more, having people more aware of services, potentially having more connections with different departments on campus to have contact people that we can work with. Just having options in place for survivors and being available. The core stuff is there.
Editor’s note: Answers in this Q&A have been shortened to accommodate for space.
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