Teton Interagency Peer Support (TIPS) Launches Updated Website

The new web­site fea­tures a com­pre­hen­sive peer direc­to­ry, a curat­ed list of ther­a­pists who active­ly sup­port the pro­gram, and an intu­itive con­nec­tion point where first respon­ders can con­fi­den­tial­ly request sup­port or con­nect with trained peers. Built with usabil­i­ty, con­fi­den­tial­i­ty, and trust at its core, the plat­form strength­ens TIPS’ mis­sion of ensur­ing that help is always with­in reach.

What began as a grass­roots effort in 2018 has grown into a cor­ner­stone of men­tal health sup­port for first respon­ders in the coun­ty. The pro­gram was made pos­si­ble through the ear­ly lead­er­ship and vision of Sher­iff Matt Carr and Stephanie Thomas whose foun­da­tion­al work helped estab­lish TIPS as a vital resource for those who serve our com­mu­ni­ty. In 2023, TIPS tran­si­tioned from oper­at­ing under the lead­er­ship of the Teton Coun­ty Search and Res­cue Foun­da­tion to the Com­mu­ni­ty Foun­da­tion of Jack­son Hole, as a new pro­gram housed under the Behav­ioral Health Initiative.

“From the begin­ning, TIPS has been about show­ing up for the peo­ple who show up for all of us,” said Lau­rie Andrews, Pres­i­dent of the Com­mu­ni­ty Foun­da­tion of Jack­son Hole. ​“This pro­gram plays a crit­i­cal role in keep­ing our first respon­ders’ mis­sion ready, ensur­ing they have the sup­port, con­nec­tion, and resources they need to stay healthy, resilient, and able to do their jobs.”

Over the years, the pro­gram has expand­ed thanks to the ded­i­ca­tion of peer sup­port­ers, part­ner agen­cies, and an out­pour­ing of com­mu­ni­ty sup­port. Gen­er­ous donors have helped sus­tain crit­i­cal fund­ing, allow­ing TIPS to deliv­er con­fi­den­tial peer sup­port, pro­fes­sion­al men­tal health resources, and proac­tive well­ness pro­gram­ming to over 14 agen­cies, 650 first respon­ders, and their families.

A spe­cial acknowl­edg­ment goes to Snow­day, whose team designed and devel­oped the new web­site. Their par­tial in-kind dona­tion has result­ed in a pro­fes­sion­al, user-friend­ly plat­form that reflects the qual­i­ty and impor­tance of the TIPS pro­gram while ensur­ing acces­si­bil­i­ty for all users.

“The launch of this new web­site marks an impor­tant step for­ward, but the mis­sion remains ongo­ing,” said Michael Nash, Direc­tor of Teton Inter­a­gency Peer Sup­port (TIPS). ​“Con­tin­ued com­mu­ni­ty invest­ment is essen­tial to ensure that TIPS can grow and meet the evolv­ing needs of those it serves.”

Com­mu­ni­ty mem­bers are encour­aged to explore the new web­site, learn more about the pro­gram, and con­sid­er mak­ing a finan­cial gift to help keep this impact­ful effort fund­ed and thriv­ing. Every con­tri­bu­tion helps ensure that first respon­ders have access to the care and sup­port they deserve.

TIPS remains com­mit­ted to strength­en­ing resilience, fos­ter­ing con­nec­tion, and sup­port­ing the well­be­ing of those who ded­i­cate their lives to pro­tect­ing this community.