A Child in Crisis Needs Help!
What is Therapeutic Crisis Intervention?
             How was TCI Developed?
             Evaluation of TCI Effectiveness
             International Scope of Training
TCI Curriculum Outline
             Day 1: Crisis as Opportunity
             Day 2: Triggering and Escalation
             Day 3: Escalation, OUtburst, and Recovery
             Day 4: Outburst and Recovery
             Day 5: Implementing the TCI System
TCI Train-the-Trainer Program
             Program Objectives
             Intended Audience
             Certification Process
             Special Features
Signing Up for the TCI Train-the-Trainer Program
             

A CHILD IN CRISIS NEEDS HELP!  
What kind of help and how it is given make a crucial difference between the child's 
learning from the experience or being setback. The Therapeutic Crisis Intervention 
training program for child and youth care staff presents a crisis prevention and 
intervention model designed to teach staff how to help children learn constructive 
ways to handle crisis. 

Actions Speak Louder Than Words! 
By their example, child and youth care staff shape the behavior and influence the 
growth of the young people in their care. At no time is this issue more important 
than during periods of crisis and upset. The skills, knowledge, and professional 
judgment of staff in reacting to crises are critical factors in helping young people 
learn constructive and adaptive ways to deal with frustration, failure, anger, 
rejection, hurt, and depression. The ability of the entire organization to respond 
effectively to staff and young people in crisis situations is also critical in 
establishing not only a safe environment, but one that promotes growth and 
development. 



WHAT IS THERAPEUTIC CRISIS INTERVENTION?
The purpose of the TCI project is to provide a crisis prevention and intervention 
model for residential child care facilities which will assist an organization in:
•     Preventing crises from occurring
•     De-escalating potential crises
•     Effectively managing acute crisis phases
•     Reducing potential and actual injury to children and staff
•     Learning constructive ways to handle stressful situations
•     Developing a learning circle within the organization


How Was TCI Developed?
In 1979 with a grant from the National Center of Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN)
staff of the Family Life Development Center (FLDC) at Cornell University undertook
a study of child abuse and neglect in New York State foster care institutions.  The
purpose of this study was to assess the nature and extent of child abuse and 
neglect when it occurs in the institutional setting, and to identify those factors 
associated with its incidence.  Factors associated with the incidence of abuse and 
neglect included the inappropriate use of discipline, isolation and restraint, and 
poor management practices.

FLDC staff spent many months researching other crisis intervention curricula, 
meeting with child care experts, and visiting child care agencies in order to 
develop a comprehensive training program that addressed the issues outlined in 
the research.TCI training was developed and pilot-tested at approximately eight 
facilities from the study sample of sixteen.  Concurrently, the entire sample was 
involved in the testing of a model response system in reporting and investigating 
child abuse.

From 1981 to 1982, child abuse reports (not instances of abuse) in those facilities
that had pilot-tested the Cornell curriculum decreased by forty percent.  In those 
sample facilities, which were not exposed to the new training materials, reporting 
increased by more than two hundred percent.  (Note: By virtue of being in the 
sample, all of these agencies were much more sensitive to reporting issues and 
were, therefore, more likely to make a report.)


Evaluation of TCI Effectiveness
From 1994-1997, the RCCP and child caring agencies in the Northeastern United 
States and the United Kingdom, conducted joint evaluation projects which 
introduced TCI into residential treatment settings and evaluated its effect on the 
organizations.

Throughout the life of this project, critical incidents were collected and an advisory
group from the agencies met with Cornell staff.  Other data collection methods 
were pre-/post-tests, and interviews with staff supervisors and young people.  All 
levels of residential child care personnel attended TCI training (five-day offerings) 
conducted by the child caring agency's TCI trainers.  Supervisors attended the TCI 
update: Recovery for Staff, to assist them in monitoring and supporting the model.

Results from the project included a decrease in physical restraint episodes, fighting
incidents, physical assaults, runaways, and verbal threats.  Results also indicated
that after attending TCI training staff felt more confident in their ability to manage 
any crisis situation, work effectively with co-workers, and help young people learn 
to cope more successfully with crisis.  Staff were less afraid to manage crisis 
situations and were more focused on the young people.  They also reported an 
increase in knowledge about agency policy and procedures for crisis management.

For additional information about TCI, please download a copy of the "TCI Systems 
Bulletin" .pdf by clicking on the button below.

International Scope of Training 
Worldwide, over 3000 professionals have been 
certified as TCI trainers. Trainers are located throughout the United States, Puerto 
Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel, Australia, and Bermuda.  

TCI CURRICULUM OUTLINE 
The TCI curriculum includes five days of training. 

Day 1: Crisis as Opportunity 
Crisis is defined and ways that adults can prevent a crisis situation are identified. 
Participants are taught how to maintain self-control in preventing or handling a crisis
through awareness of personal feelings and values, the young person's needs and 
wants, and environmental effects on behavior. 
Topics covered include: 
•     The stress model of crisis 
•     Intervention approaches 
•     Self-Awareness 
•     Awareness of the young person 
•     Awareness of the environment 
•     Assessing the situation 
Day 2: Triggering and Escalation 
Verbal and nonverbal techniques for crisis prevention are presented. Participants are
shown that if these techniques are used before an incident escalates to a crisis, the
situation can be de-escalated and young people can be taught alternative behaviors 
to acting out. 
Topics covered include: 
•     Verbal crisis communication 
•     Nonverbal crisis communication 
•     Behavior management 
•     Avoiding crisis strategies 
•     Protective interventions 
Day 3: Escalation, Outburst and Recovery 
Life Space Interviewing techniques are taught. The rationale for safety 
interventions is explained and situations when restraint should and should not be 
used are discussed. The use of various physical intervention techniques is discussed 
and practiced. 
Topics covered include: 
•     Life Space Interviewing 
•     I ASSIST (non-confrontational limit setting) 
•     Safety interventions 
•     Team restraint (offered in TCI Level 2 training in the U.K.) 
•     Small child restraint (offered in TCI Level 2 training in the U.K.) 
•     Breaking up fights 
•     Standing hold 
•     Recovery process  
Day 4: Outburst and Recovery 
Participants practice Life Space Interviewing, are taught safety issues, and have 
opportunities to practice the use of various physical intervention techniques. 
Topics covered include: 
•     Three person restraint (offered in TCI Level 2 training in the U.K.) 
•     Transferring control (offered in TCI Level 2 training in the U.K.) 
•     Responding to feelings versus behavior 
•     Crisis intervention role plays 
Day 5: Implementing the TCI System 
Safety issues are explained, and documentation requirements and the elements 
of the TCI system are reviewed. All participants are tested for certification. 
Topics covered include: 
•     Safety issues 
•     Recovery for staff 
•     Documentation 
•     TCI system 
•     Evaluation and testing 



TCI TRAIN-THE-TRAINER PROGRAM 
This intensive five-day train-the-trainer course provides care staff with an 
in-house training capacity in the TCI curriculum. The program teaches: 
•     Crisis prevention and de-escalation skills 
•     Physical intervention techniques that respect the dignity of the worker and 
      the young person 

The program will also prepare participants to conduct their own TCI training. 
Participants learn how to: 
•     Teach TCI techniques, including how to supervise safe restraint practice 
       sessions 
•     Use practice sessions and training aids in their programs 
•     Handle resistance to training 
•     Evaluate trainees' skills 

Participants have the chance to practice conducting activities to gain immediate 
training experience. Training techniques such as the use of role plays, small group 
discussions, guided fantasies; conducting practice sessions; and using audiovisual 
aids will be demonstrated. All participants are tested and must demonstrate 
competence to become a TCI trainer. Upon successful completion of the program 
and testing, certified TCI trainers become part of an international network of TCI 
trainers. This network serves to help trainers share experiences, innovations, 
modifications, and difficulties in implementing training programs in their respective 
agencies. Trainers will receive a newsletter and opportunities to attend TCI Update 
Training. Participants receive materials and resources to assist them in presenting a 
high quality in-service training program. Ways to maximize agency resources to meet 
the demands of working with challenging young people are identified.  

Program Objectives 
Upon successful completion of the training, participants will be able to: 
•     Proactively prevent and/or de-escalate a potential crisis situation with a child or 
      young person 
•     Manage a crisis situation in a therapeutic manner, and, if necessary, intervene 
      physically in a manner that reduces the risk of harm to children and staff 
•     Process the crisis event with children and young people to help improve their 
      coping strategies 
•     Effectively deliver TCI training in their agencies 


Intended Audience 
This course is for trainers, managers, counselors, and care workers capable of 
training therapeutic crisis intervention techniques. 


Certification Process 
Participants are required to be capable of moderate physical activity and pass 
written and competency-based testing at the end of the course. Attendance 
alone does not qualify a participant as a certified TCI trainer.

Special Features
•     Five days of intensive participatory training conducted by two RCCP faculty 
      members
•     A trainer's reference and activity guide that contains course materials for 30 
      hours of in-service training and includes the following training aids for each 
      module:
       -Reference materials
       -Group activities
       -Photographs of physical techniques
       -Training tips
       -Outline for presentation and discussion
       -Handout materials
       -Overhead materials
       -Extensive bibliography
•     Two video tapes which correspond to the trainer's manual
•     A student workbook to be used to conduct in-service training at your agency
•     A certificate of completion and an opportunity to become a certified TCI trainer
      and be part of an international network of TCI trainers
                              

SIGNING UP FOR THE TCI TRAIN-THE-TRAINER PROGRAM
Regularly Scheduled Training
TCI programs are offered on a fee-for-service basis throughout the United States, 
the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.  Courses are limited to 18 participants.  
Please click the button below for a current schedule and application form.

On-Site Training 
The Residential Child Care Project is also prepared to bring the TCI training 
program to your organization. Organizations have arranged, on a fee-for-service 
basis, to offer this program to their staff or member organizations. This assists 
organizations with their efforts to implement uniform standards for practice 
among staff. For details on how to go about setting up this type of training at 
your organization, please click on the button below:

TCI Assessment and Implementation Package 
To discuss the implementation of TCI at your organization, contact: Martha 
Holden or Eugene Saville, The Residential Child Care Project, Family Life 
Development Center, Beebe Hall,Ithaca, New York 14853 Tel. 607.254.5337 
Fax. 607.255-4837. For general information about setting up a TCI assessment 
and implementation program, please click on the button below:

About RCCP