Niagara/Orleans Trauma, Illness and Grief (TIG) Consortium

Introduction
The Niagara / Orleans (N/O) TIG Consortium is a partnership between the Niagara County Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (NCDMH) and Orleans / Niagara BOCES and its 13-component school districts. The Consortium is co-led by Myrla Gibbons Doxey, LMFT-D, NCDMH Deputy Director and Dr. Jacob Reimer, Barker Central School District Superintendent. The N/O TIG Coordinator is Nicholas Kester, LMSW, NCDMH Senior Planner.

The Niagara / Orleans TIG Consortium was established in 2024 to assist schools in responding to the needs of children, teachers, administrators and support personnel, resulting from trauma, violence, illness, grief and loss.

All school districts are required (per the SAVE legislation) to have a comprehensive plan for dealing with disasters, and part of the disaster plan needs to address back-up support.

The NCDMH provides 24-Hour Crisis Phone Services for Niagara and Orleans Counties, and Mobile Crisis Team Services and planned Critical Incident Stress Debriefing responses within Niagara County, to support individuals, schools and communities in need during and following a crisis. NCDMH has established crisis and critical incident response protocols and trained N/O team members to take lead in coordinating a N/O TIG response for N/O TIG School Districts. NCDMH takes lead in developing the N/O TIG infrastructure, coordinating and facilitating its implementation and ongoing operation in partnership with participating N/O School Districts.

Mission Statement:
Our mission is to strengthen the mental health crisis response capacity within schools through a dynamic partnership between Niagara/Orleans school-based professionals and the County Department of Mental Health. Together, we equip teams with evidence-based skills, shared resources, and sustained technical support to help students navigate trauma, violence, illness, death, and grief. By fostering collaboration across systems, we aim to create safe, responsive, and healing-centered school environments where every student, staff and family feels supported in times of crisis.

Vision Statement vision

: Our vision is to provide a coordinated response to school crises where professionals across schools and the local mental health department collaborate to ensure every school staff, student and their families receive compassionate, timely, and effective support.

7 Core Values
1. Collaboration: We believe in the power of partnership between schools and the local mental health department to create cohesive, effective crisis response systems. Together, we build trauma-informed communities that respond with unity, restore with care, and empower people to heal, grow, and thrive.

2. Compassion: Every school staff, student and their family deserves to be met with empathy, dignity, and care, especially in moments of trauma, illness and grief.

3. Evidence-Based Practice: Our work is grounded in proven strategies and research-informed approaches that promote healing and resilience.

4. Equity & Cultural Responsiveness: We honor the diverse backgrounds and experiences of students and communities, ensuring support is inclusive and culturally attuned.

5. Responsiveness: We act swiftly and thoughtfully in times of crisis, providing timely interventions that prioritize staff and student safety and emotional well-being.

6. Sustainability: We commit to ongoing training, technical support, and resource development to ensure long-term impact and capacity-building.

7. Student-Centered Care: The needs, voices, and healing journeys of students are at the core of every decision we make.

Participating School Districts:

Learn more about The TIG Consortium at https://tigconsortium.org/
Resources

For more information on Niagara/Orleans TIG Consortium
Myrla Gibbons Doxey, LMFT-D
Deputy Director / TIG Co-Lead
Niagara County Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
(716) 439-7410

Nicholas Kester, LMSW
Senior Planner / TIG Coordinator
Niagara County Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
(716) 278-1692 or (716) 439-7410

Seeking information on local community resources, services and supports? Check out the Well Niagara App and corresponding webpage!
Well Niagara App Download Image The information contained within the Well Niagara app is also available at https://www.wellniagara.niagaracounty.com/