This spring, Lane County partnered with the Trauma Intervention Program to help bring relief to residents during traumatic incidents.

TIP was founded in 1985 in San Diego, California. Since then, TIP has expanded to 250 cities across the country, including Eugene. TIP’s main goal is to help individuals handle the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event and to connect them with community resources for support, Bridget Byfield, program director for TIP Lane County, said.

Byfield said the TIP program in Lane County consists of a group of volunteers who are available 24/7 to deliver emotional care to people throughout the community experiencing crisis situations, provide assistance with basic needs and give referrals to local services such as therapists and different types of counselors.

Volunteers work alongside law enforcement and the fire departments to help bring care to the people affected by these traumatic events, Byfield said. She said volunteers are trained to deal with many different situations such as natural disasters, violent crimes and medical emergencies. 

Eugene Police Department Officer Doug Mozan has been heading EPD’s integration within the TIP program. Mozan said there have already been situations where TIP has served the community.

“I am aware of at least one call out where TIP was able to assist a family who recently lost a loved one,” Mozan said. “They assisted that person, and also helped arrange for a hotel room for that family while they were in the area from out of town.”

Byfield explained that there are many different instances TIP could be helpful to not only the city of Eugene, but also students on campus.

“I think one of the times where TIP could be very beneficial would be in a suicide when it’s very difficult to approach neighbors and family members afterward and that we can be there with the what to do next,” Byfield said.

Byfield said TIP can also be useful to University of Oregon students. Situations –– such as sexual assault and unexpected emergencies that occur in the community –– happen to students at the university too, she said, and TIP can help students with immediate trauma and help organize how to proceed after crimes and traumatic events.

“We can help with witnesses, and we can help with roommates and other people to wait until family comes because so many families are a couple hours at least away,” Byfield said.

Byfield said volunteers go through extensive training in order to be ready for these situations. She said, 26 volunteers have done 55 hours of training, including ride-alongs and field training. 

Zachary Breding, is a psychology student who got involved with TIP as a volunteer while studying at Lane Community college.

Breding said he has had a moment where having a TIP volunteer could have been very beneficial to him. He said almost all the volunteers have stories of where the program could have been useful in their own lives. 

“If I had somebody there to just be there for me, it would have been very helpful, and I don’t think a single person who volunteered didn’t have an instance where they could have used a volunteer,” Breding said.