The Trauma Intervention Programs of Riverside County (TIP) is seeking everyday citizens in the Coachella Valley to volunteer to support emergency responders. TIP is a 38-year old nonprofit with 15 affiliates in the United States serving over 200 cities. The TIP Riverside Chapter serves five law enforcement agencies, Cal Fire, Murrieta Fire Department and five hospitals in Riverside County. Volunteers work with these organizations to provide emotional and practical support to people in a traumatic crisis, bringing aid to first responders, hospital personnel, paramedics, and the coroner’s office.
Rancho Mirage is the first city in the Coachella Valley to embrace TIP in collaboration with the City’s sheriff and fire departments. TIP is seeking volunteers for training in October. With 37 hours of instruction, volunteers learn skills to comfort families after the death or sudden illness of a loved one on-scene with first responders; support family members after the suicide of a loved one; help emotionally traumatized victims of accidents; provide emotional and practical support to those who have been robbed, burglarized or assaulted; help disoriented older persons; and assist those emotionally shaken by other crisis events.
TIP plans to extend its services to other.
According to Magda Stewart, CEO of TIP Riverside County, establishing TIP services and partnership with Rancho Mirage is very exciting. “ We look forward to our partnership there,” she said. “Officials with the Rancho Mirage Sheriff’s and Fire Stations are very committed to establishing TIP in Rancho Mirage, and we look forward to working with them,” Stewart said.
According to Stewart, the first step to establishing this partnership is recruiting and training volunteers. TIP is a volunteer program and community volunteers are the ones who provide the crisis services. “We don’t expect those who want to be TIP volunteers to have a degree or crisis intervention experience,” said Stewart. “However, to become a volunteer, residents must have a strong desire to help others in crisis and attend a Volunteer Training Academy,” she said.
The training dates for the academy can be found at TIPRivCo.org. For more information call 951-698-2453 or email MagdaCEO@tiprivco.org
