TIP hosting training event for new interested volunteers

By Masha Yurkevich

Life happens to all of us; a crisis where we need help, a situation in which we need a lending hand. The TIP (Trauma Intervention Program) and the TIP volunteers are there for those who need it, providing immediate emotional and practical support to survivors of a tragedy.

The Trauma Intervention Program and TIP volunteers are
there for those who need it, providing immediate emotional
and practical support to survivors of a tragedy.
COURTESY PHOTO 

It all started when TIP founder, Wayne Fortin, was working in County Mental Health and realized that many people suffered what was called a "second injury" when a family member or friend died or was injured. Meaning that they often did not receive the immediate care, information and assistance that they needed when experiencing a tragedy. Daily, firefighters, EMTs, and police officers would have to leave survivors of tragedy to fend for themselves during the worst hours of their lives.

This is not the fault of the emergency responders as they must get back into service, and they don't have the time to provide the time-consuming service which shocked survivors need. Thus, TIP was founded by Wayne Fortin to solve this problem.

Pam Grant is the Director of TIP Greater Portland and has been since March 2022 and this February, TIP will be hosting a training academy for anyone that would like to become a volunteer for the program. Training begins Feb. 1 and runs for eight days.

During the week, the classes are in the evening and on the weekend during the day. The Training academy will be held at the Westbrook Public Safety Building training room at 570 Main St. Westbrook.

“All who are interested can contact me at pam@tipgreaterportland.org or go on our website tipgreaterportland.org and put in an application,” says Grant.

The requirements to join include successful completion of all of the scheduled training dates as well as:

· * Fingerprint & Background Check through TIP

· * Valid Driver’s License and Vehicle

· * Clean Driving Record

· * Proof of Auto Insurance

· * Proof of Covid Vaccination

· * Cell Phone (with texting)

· * Internet and Email Access

· * Three 12-hour shifts per month

· * Attend Mandatory Continuing Education

· * Meeting on the second Tuesday of each month

“TIP Volunteers are called by law enforcement and medical and hospital personnel to respond to scenes of sudden or unexpected death, industrial accidents, sexual assaults, overdoses, violent crimes and other traumatic incidents,” says Grant. “Volunteers on duty are dispatched through the 911 system or hospital ER staff. Our volunteers support nine communities, Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Scarborough, Falmouth, Gorham, Windham and Cumberland. When you are on call, you may have to travel to one of these towns or Maine Medical Center.”

TIP’s specially trained volunteers provide emotional first aid and practical support to survivors of traumatic events and their families in the first few hours following a tragedy. Trained, skilled TIP responders are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

They are often called upon by police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and hospital personnel to assist family members and friends following a natural or unexpected death; survivors of violent crime including rape, assault, robbery, or burglary; survivors of fire; disoriented or lonely elderly persons; people involved in motor vehicle accidents; people who are distraught and seeking immediate support; and those whose loved one has died by suicide or overdose.

A major reason for the TIP Program is to prevent what mental health professionals call the “Second Injury.” The Second Injury is a survivor’s perspective that the emergency system did not provide the support needed after a tragic event. Emergency personnel simply do not have the time to provide this support.

In Greater Portland, they call TIP Volunteers who can prevent a second injury. In parts of the county which do not have a TIP Program, second injuries reported by survivors are common.

Three Examples of Second Injuries
An elderly gentleman, whose wife was hit and killed in a crosswalk, was not informed why she was left in the street for hours. To this day, the husband is still angry at “the system.”
After a young man killed himself, his family was left to clean the bloody scene on their own. To this day, they wonder “why didn’t anyone help us with this awful task?”
After a mother of four died in an emergency department, her family felt pressed by busy hospital staff into choosing a mortuary. To this day, the family regrets the hurried decision they made.

These are just a sample of the terrible things that can happen to survivors in the aftermath of a tragic event. One of TIP’s main goals is to help prevent these second injuries from happening. TIP volunteers are trained to step in to work with staff and responders. For example, survivors are given information as to how to contact crime scene cleanup companies and other community services. TIP volunteers also help protect survivors against well-meaning friends who mistakenly say the wrong things.<