My most memorable experience of volunteering was the year I spent in the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP). As a volunteer with 52 hours of mandatory training, I wore a pager several days a month and responded to calls from police, fire and hospital personnel when there was a death (or other taumatic loss, such as a house fire).
The first few hours after a traumatic event requires a different and specific skill set from long term grieving. Traumatized people are often in shock, confused, angry, disoriented, and in need of emotional support. If their needs are not cared for, they can often be the victims of what has become known as "the second injury:" perceiving your helpers as uncaring.
At a traffic accident or crime scene, the police need to accomplish certain tasks, which can appear to a traumatized person as "they don't care." Or, if a doctor gives a death notification and immediately rushes off, the grieving person might assume they are heartless. Emergency personnel have come to appreciate TIP as a much-needed support for their organizations.
The TIP volunteer stays with the person and helps them through the maze of those first few horrible hours. The TIP volunteer cares for people emotionally, but also acts as a trained guide and information source. There are often people asking strange questions like "Do you have a mortuary you prefer?" or "Are you open to having your child be an organ donor?" Things most people don't want to think about, but suddenly, they must.
The TIP volunteers I worked with are the most extraordinary and giving people I've ever met. I've seen volunteers spend the entire night in a hospital giving support to complete strangers, then go home, get changed, and go to work. More people should be made aware of the TIP program and support its good work. I hope you never need a TIP volounteer, but if you find yourself in a horrible situation and one of these amazing souls shows up to help you through, you will know just how special they are. It was certainly not the easiest thing I've ever done, but it was by far the most gratifying work I think I could ever do.
For more info, visit The Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. (TIP Inc.) Web site
~ From Marguerite in Ladera Ranch
The first few hours after a traumatic event requires a different and specific skill set from long term grieving. Traumatized people are often in shock, confused, angry, disoriented, and in need of emotional support. If their needs are not cared for, they can often be the victims of what has become known as "the second injury:" perceiving your helpers as uncaring.
At a traffic accident or crime scene, the police need to accomplish certain tasks, which can appear to a traumatized person as "they don't care." Or, if a doctor gives a death notification and immediately rushes off, the grieving person might assume they are heartless. Emergency personnel have come to appreciate TIP as a much-needed support for their organizations.
The TIP volunteer stays with the person and helps them through the maze of those first few horrible hours. The TIP volunteer cares for people emotionally, but also acts as a trained guide and information source. There are often people asking strange questions like "Do you have a mortuary you prefer?" or "Are you open to having your child be an organ donor?" Things most people don't want to think about, but suddenly, they must.
The TIP volunteers I worked with are the most extraordinary and giving people I've ever met. I've seen volunteers spend the entire night in a hospital giving support to complete strangers, then go home, get changed, and go to work. More people should be made aware of the TIP program and support its good work. I hope you never need a TIP volounteer, but if you find yourself in a horrible situation and one of these amazing souls shows up to help you through, you will know just how special they are. It was certainly not the easiest thing I've ever done, but it was by far the most gratifying work I think I could ever do.
For more info, visit The Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. (TIP Inc.) Web site
~ From Marguerite in Ladera Ranch