Who We Are

TIP of WNC consists of paid staff plus a large team of volunteers. We are a non-profit so we seek to run as fiscally efficient as possible which allows us to engage our volunteers while keeping the number of paid staff low. Paid staff is tasked with keeping the core of our operation running smoothly. When there are special events or other cases where more help is needed our volunteers are happy to help as their time and schedules allow. These team efforts really help build a sense of community among our volunteers on the TIP of WNC team.

Christi Hayes joined TIP as a volunteer in January 2022 and assumed the role of Program Director in April 2022. She is a graduate of Davidson College and University of North Carolina School of Law. Christi has served numerous non-profit organizations in various capacities for more than thirty years, including Planned Parenthood, Dade County Bar Association, Miami Gay Mens’ Chorus, Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Hands On Miami, and Coral Gables Congregational Church. She has been a member of the Florida Bar for thirty years and taught at both University of Miami Business School and Florida International University College of Law. After thirty years in Miami, Christi returned to her native North Carolina in 2021 and now happily calls Asheville home. She has two adult children, Macy and Eli Knezevich, and two rescue dogs, Shaggy and Phoebe.

Christi Hayes
Director

Our History

Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. was founded in 1985 by Wayne Fortin who was associated with San Diego Mental Health. Fortin saw the need for such a program due to the numerous patients treated by his facility, though the patients had not been a primary victim. Fortin recruited volunteers and trained them to meet the emotional and practical needs of those who were experiencing stress symptoms from a traumatic event. Trained volunteers respond to emergency situations 7 days per week, 24 hours per day, and arrive at the scene of an incident within 20 minutes. In 1991, TIP was the recipient of a $100,000 Harvard University and Ford Foundation grant for earning an "Innovation in State and Local Government Award". These funds were used to introduce the TIP program to other cities and jurisdictions. There are now 13 TIP affiliates serving 100 cities throughout the United States.

TIP Funding

Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. is a non profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

TIP Services are provided to survivors and their families free of charge and are made possible through grants from local governments, individuals, corporate donors, our partner agencies, and through our own fund raising efforts. TIP's partner agencies contribute an annual assessment fee based on population for 24 hour crisis intervention services for city residents.