Trauma Intervention Program of Western North Carolina

Mission: To provide emotional first aid to survivors of tragedy in order to ease their immediate suffering and facilitate their healing and long term recovery through a team of specially trained volunteers.

The Trauma Intervention Program of Western North Carolina (TIP of WNC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that those who are emotionally traumatized in emergency situations receive the immediate assistance they need. TIP is comprised of a group of specially trained and screened volunteers available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Proudly serving Western North Carolina, TIP volunteers are called by law enforcement, fire and paramedics to assist victims, families, friends, witnesses and bystanders by providing emotional support and practical resources.

TIP of WNC works together with law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and hospital personnel to offer Emotional First Aid, immediate and temporary support for individuals exposed to or involved in a traumatic event such as a fire, flood, natural or sudden death, accident, assault, burglary, or natural disaster. Specially trained citizen volunteers provide emotional support as well as assistance arranging for basic needs, notifying other family members, linking to emergency personnel, and accessing community services.

TIP also offers the following activities and programs:

• Mass Tragedy Assistance: Assistance during a large tragedy where local TIP volunteers are dispatched immediately to the event.
• Workplace Tragedy Programs: Assistance to companies and organizations providing immediate intervention for employees in times of tragedy to meet their needs for time, understanding, and support before returning to work.
• Emotional First Aid Training: Training for the public on how to support a survivor immediately following a tragic event.
• Community Education: Presentations for public and civic organizations on a variety of topics such as the functions of TIP, emotional first aid skills, and ways to embed emotional support into a company emergency response plan.
• Peer-to-Peer Support: Training for emergency responders on self care and on providing emotional support to peers and citizens in crisis.