Sgt. Bob Doherty and Portland’s Trauma Intervention Program are fans of one another. Last April, Doherty was the recipient of a Hero with Heart award, for caring and compassion on the scene. And Doherty feels “TIP allows police to provide better service.”
He didn’t always feel that way about TIP, a program comprised of trained citizen volunteers who provide support to victims and their families immediately following tragic events.
But after using the volunteers a couple of times, he became a proponent of the program. Doherty’s initial feeling was “they might get in the way,” when first told about TIP. That is not the case, however.
“We turn people over to them,” he says. “It’s comforting to know that people who have experienced trauma are in the good hands of a TIP volunteer.”
On one occasion, Doherty made use of TIP when he and another officer had to go to the home of a man in his 30s to deliver the news that the man’s mother had died. “Shock was evident,” said Doherty, when the man was confronted by two uniformed police officers who delivered the tragic message. “The worst part of my job is delivering bad news.”
Doherty called TIP to request that one of their volunteers come to the location to stay with the man for a while. He said, “They bring a high level of sympathy and empathy,” and added, “TIP allows me to leave that person better than I found them.”
Community Counseling Center at 165 Lancaster St. is the home base for TIP’s operation. Leslie Skillin-Calder is the Crisis Team Manager, whose job entails recruitment, training, assisting with marketing, and overseeing of volunteers, while remaining an active volunteer.
There are currently 30 volunteers under her jurisdiction, and she’d love to have another 10 added to that number because then there could be two people available for each shift.
Skillin-Calder was in TIP’s first training class seven years ago and has volunteered for four and a half years. She says “Always expect the unexpected.” The scenes the volunteers are called to are secure and safe prior to TIP’s arrival. Volunteers are not in any situation where they have to witness the initial moments of a horrible event.
The volunteers are caring people who form a team of citizen volunteers called to scenes of fires, automobile accidents, traumatic injuries and unexpected deaths, by emergency-response personnel. They are available within 20 minutes to first responders, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They help people during their most difficult moments, so that victims of tragedy don’t have to face a crisis alone.
Before someone is left by the TIP volunteer, information is given to them. Brochures are left containing community resource guides that may be called upon in the future.
Volunteers commit to serving for three 12-hour shifts per month. A pager is carried and when the person is needed, a TIP dispatcher calls, who is also a volunteer serving in this capacity. This mimics the first-responder system. There is a choice of day or night shifts, with 60 shifts to choose from, which start at seven o’clock.
Because of the need for a 20-minute response time, some people who live farther away stay with a relative in or near Portland for those shifts that they’re on call.
Twenty-nine-year-old Chad Nicholson moved here from California and works for a law firm that handles environmental issues. After seeing an article about a man who was a TIP volunteer at the age of 90, he decided that was something for him to become involved with. “My day job is flexible,” says Nicholson, so he has done both day and night shifts during his yearlong work with TIP.
His training consisted of 40 hours of classroom training (two weeks) and three months paired with a mentor, including going on police ride-alongs.
He has experienced “sadness,” but nothing that has affected him adversely. He’s been awakened at 1 a.m. for an incident, and at 4:30 a.m. to go to the scene of an unattended death.
“Police may also call for you to meet them at the hospital, and you get the perspective from the police department. Then you become the liaison between police and family.”
One of Nicholson’s calls involved responding to a car accident where a child needed support while the parent was being treated. Volunteers wear TIP vests and carry a bag when answering calls. The toys in the TIP bag can be a very useful tool in many situations. Some of the things it contains are soft tissues, a “Linus Program” blanket, stuffed animals, coloring books, water, and brochures.
Both Nicholson and Skillin-Calder talk about “trying to go in as empty as possible,” allowing them to be a support for a person, whatever the situation may be.
Nicholson stated “I explain to the person (after arriving at the scene) that the police or the hospital has called for me to be with you.” He says he’ll touch the person’s shoulder or make eye contact when that seems appropriate. He said that sometimes a call may start out at a person’s home, but you’ll end up at the hospital with that person.
Maine Medical Center is one of TIP’s primary clients, along with the Portland police and fire departments.
Volunteers have a strong desire to help and to serve and there is a strong bond between them. There has been an astounding age range in volunteers. A 17-year-old girl has just completed her training after attending a TIP open house and deciding to become involved. She won’t be allowed to go out on calls alone until she reaches the age of 21, so she’ll always have someone else with her.
The gentleman that attracted Chad Nicholson’s attention in a news article recently retired at 91. He had become a volunteer at age 87.
There is a lot of interaction between volunteers, involving feedback and fellowship. Nicholson said “There’s a lot of support and things that re-energize me. It’s almost a familiar feel of being fulfilled, rather than being tapped-out.” He added “I’m surprised at the variety of backgrounds of the people involved, which is one of the program’s strengths.” His enthusiasm for the program has resulted in his bringing a couple of new volunteers to the group.
