Trauma Intervention Program of Long Beach has provided trauma-informed, compassionate support for those in the Long Beach community during emergency situations for the past five years.
The nonprofit is once again inviting community members to turn their compassion into action and become a volunteer who provides this support and assistance to their neighbors. An upcoming training academy will be held next month for locals who are interested in making a significant impact in their community and becoming a volunteer, according to its website.
TIP of Long Beach is made up of a group of specially trained and screened volunteers available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to support those in need following an unexpected death or injury, suicide, overdose, motor vehicle or other accident, fire, sexual assault or other tragic event. TIP’s mission is for local volunteers to provide emotional first aid to survivors in order to ease their immediate suffering and facilitate their healing and long-term recovery.
“It is vital to the community,” Diana Kellstrom, outreach manager for TIP of Long Beach, said about the nonprofit. “The community members that I talk to, they’re so thankful that Long Beach has brought TIP to the city and that it is available for families that are going through a tragedy and in distress.”
Volunteers are called by law enforcement, fire and hospital personnel to assist victims, families, friends, witnesses, and bystanders by providing emotional support and practical resources, according to its website.
TIP has partnerships with the Long Beach Police and Fire departments, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital, and UCI Lakewood Hospital. Currently, organizers are working on creating partnerships with the Signal Hill Police Department and Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center as well, Kellstrom said.
Trauma Intervention Program of Long Beach will begin its training academy for new volunteers next month on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Photo courtesy of TIP of Long Beach)
The organization contributes more than 20,000 hours of volunteer time per year to the Long Beach community, according to its website. Organizers say that having volunteers on a scene provides a higher level of care for survivors of tragedy and lowers the stress level of emergency workers and helps them focus on the details of their job.
Last year, approximately 1,500 individuals and families were provided support during moments of sudden trauma, with 28 volunteers ready to respond at any time, according to its website.
When TIP is called, a volunteer typically arrives within 20 to 25 minutes. They stay with the survivor until the scene clears and follow up a few days later.
“This immediate compassionate care is brief but transformative,” organizers said on the nonprofit’s website. “Volunteers learn that their presence and support can make all the difference. Survivors often remember TIP volunteers not by name, but for their compassion and solidarity in their darkest hours.”
The nonprofit’s main operation is its crisis response team but it also has other programs and services, such as a senior crisis team, a critical incident response team, and professional mental health intervention, among others.
TIP of Long Beach is always looking for more volunteers to join their team.
Their next volunteer training academy starts on Wednesday, March 4, and will run through March 14 at the Long Beach Fire Department Headquarters, 3205 Lakewood Blvd. Bilingual volunteers are especially needed, organizers said.
Applicants must successfully attend and complete all training academy dates, pass fingerprinting and a background check, have a valid driver’s license, vehicle, clean driving record and proof of auto insurance, volunteer for three 12-hour shifts per month, and attend continuing education evening meetings on the third Wednesday of each month.
TIP welcomes individuals from a wide range of backgrounds who feel called to serve their community during moments of crisis, organizers said. Successful volunteers are compassionate, reliable and able to remain calm in emotionally intense situations.
“We’re not there to fix; we’re not there to make things better,” Kellstrom said. “We’re just there to be with them and to hold them while they go through this tragedy, whatever they’re experiencing, and provide resources for them to continue that healing. It is very rewarding, and I think that every volunteer that you talk to within TIP would say the same thing.”
Other requirements for becoming a volunteer are listed on the TIP of Long Beach website as well. To register, visit tipoflongbeach.org.