Projects

• Role: Principal Investigator (PI)

• Partner & Sponsoring Organization: Department of Counseling, University of Nebraska Omaha, Children’s Nebraska

• Focus Population: U.S. Middle and High School Students

• Timeline: 2025–2027 (Ongoing)

• Resources:

  • TIPA Summary 

  • TIPA FAQ for Schools 

The Trauma-Informed Peer Advocates (TIPA) program is a peer-driven, trauma-informed model designed to strengthen early identification, support, and referral for youth mental health concerns in school settings. Research in school safety and youth mental health consistently shows that peers are often the first to notice warning signs of distress, behavioral change, or social withdrawal, yet these observations rarely translate into timely support. TIPA addresses this gap by equipping selected students with the knowledge and skills needed to respond safely and connect peers to trusted adults and professional systems.

Rather than positioning youth as informal counselors or crisis responders, TIPA emphasizes developmentally appropriate boundaries, early support, and shared responsibility within existing school structures. The model is intentionally designed as a low-burden and adaptable framework that can operate independently or integrate with broader school mental health and safety initiatives, including MTSS-aligned prevention efforts. Core training modules focus on mental health literacy, trauma-informed peer interaction, basic helping skills, cultural humility, and crisis awareness with clear referral pathways.

Pilot implementations demonstrate strong feasibility and high student engagement, even among participants with advanced baseline interest in mental health. Preliminary findings suggest descriptive improvements in school connectedness, self-efficacy, and readiness to support peers. Building on this foundation, TIPA is positioned for broader implementation and evaluation through structured training pathways, ongoing school partnerships, and future enhancements such as AI-supported simulation-based training. The program is designed to support scalability, sustainability, and application across diverse school contexts, including under-resourced and rural settings.