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| TIP: Citizens Helping Citizens in Crisis |
| By Kathy Watterson Upon awakening, an elderly woman finds her husband dead beside her. She calls 911 and waits for help. Frightened and grief-stricken, confused thoughts go through her mind. What will happen next? Whom does she immediately need to call? How can she reach her son, serving in the U.S. military overseas? What decisions and arrangements need to be made? It's all so overwhelming, and she feels so suddenly, terribly alone. She has no other family members in Las Vegas. Who will help her? When the emergency crew and coroner investigator arrive, they're busy tending to their duties. They also ask questions she doesn't fully understand. She's in shock. Suddenly an angel arrives, in the form of a TIP volunteer. This new person, a pleasant, middle-aged woman, introduces herself and explains that she is there just to be of help. I'm here just for you, she says softly. And she proceeds to be true to her word. Over the following two hours, while the emergency responders work, the TIP volunteer helps make essential calls and create a list of what needs to be done. She rounds up needed contact numbers and determines how to reach the woman's son at his base in Iraq. And in between, she makes tea and toast for the widow and feeds her pets. But perhaps most importantly, the volunteer sometimes just listens and offers comfort while holding the woman's hand. Because of TIP, she won't be alone during those first crucial hours after her husband's death. TIP is there just for her. TIP stands for Trauma Intervention Program, a national, non-profit organization funded by federal grants and private citizen donors. The volunteer organization's Southern Nevada chapter responded to 120 calls such as the one just described last month alone. We never turn down a call, says Marina Saravia, Senior Crisis Team Manager for the Southern Nevada TIP chapter. When a crisis occurs, emergency responders such as Metro, the fire department, hospital emergency staff or ambulance personnel contact TIP. Once a request comes in, our dispatcher contacts a volunteer on call, Saravia explains. We try to have someone on the scene within 20 minutes. TIP volunteers assist family members following serious injuries or unexpected deaths due to sudden illness, crime, accidents, or suicide. The goal is to assist anyone at the scene who is emotionally traumatized by the event. Saravia stresses that TIP volunteers, who first receive eight days of intensive training before going out on calls, do not provide counseling or treatment. We're there strictly to provide comfort and support for the family members, she explains. We're there for the first couple of hours, until other members of the family or friends can come in. Usually we leave when the last emergency responder leaves, which is often the coroner investigator. But when necessary, we sometimes stay longer. We're citizens helping citizens in crisis, adds Saravia, citing TIP's national motto. And we're available 24/7, 365 days a year. It's free to everyone in Southern Nevada. She says the local TIP chapter marks its 11th anniversary this month, while the national organization will be 20 years old in September. URGENTLY NEEDED: MORE TIP VOLUNTEERS Although the local chapter is growing, more volunteers are urgently needed, according to Saravia. She says the next training session will take place in August. We have about 40 experienced volunteers, plus 17 more who just completed their training and are already going out on calls, she explains. That's a total of 57. But in a community the size of Las Vegas, that's just a drop in the bucket. Saravia says that the volunteers on call are frequently spread too thin, and that there may be only one volunteer on duty when several calls come in close succession. In such cases, off-duty volunteers are contacted to fill the breach, she says. I go out on calls myself whenever I'm needed, adds Saravia. Part of the problem is that many Las Vegas residents still don't know about TIP. THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP TIP RIGHT NOW! 1) Suggest that members of your club, congregation, or community organization volunteer together as a public service. Your help would be greatly appreciated! 2) Become a TIP volunteer yourself! 3) Make a donation or help provide publicity through your club or organization. |
| ***Printed in April 2005 |
 Last updated on Sunday, November 02nd, 2008 © Copyright 2007 | TIP of Southern Nevada, Inc. | All rights reserved. Site Designed and Maintained by Greg Robinson |
