Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), a trauma informed crisis prevention and management system first developed in the Early 1980's for New York State's voluntary childcare agencies, incorporates findings from social science literature and is implemented through research informed strategies such as organisational assessments, active and targeted data analysis, training and technical assistance.
This model gives organisations a framework for implementing a crisis prevention and management system that reduces the need to rely on high-risk interventions. It helps organisations who support children to 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.
Why is TCI a "Systems Approach"?
Preventing and managing crises effectively requires everyone’s involvement. With a shared understanding for providing care, individuals across the organisation can work together in the best interests of the children. The TCI implementation includes all parts of the organisational system.
Where is TCI used?
TCI trainers are located throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Vietnam, and the Republic of Korea. The RCCP has offered TCI since the 1980's.
Why are there three TCI programs—TCI, TCIS, and TCIF?
All TCI training programs share the same concepts. The difference is that they have been tailored to use in specific settings - Residential, Schools and Family/Foster/Kin home.
Who created TCI?
The Residential Child Care Project, part of Cornell University in New York State develop, oversee, and review all versions of TCI and the workshops associated. They have consultants and partner organisations located in countries using TCI who provide support in their local area.
Implementation of the TCI System is covered by six domains:
Leadership and program support
Child and family inclusion
Clinical Participation
Supervision and post-crisis response
Training and competency standards
Documentation, incident monitoring and feedback
The variations of TCI
Click each title to learn more
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI)
Helps residential child care organisations to:
- Create a trauma-sensitive environment where children and adults are safe and feel safe
- Pro-actively prevent and/or de-escalate potential crisis situations with children
- 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 to help improve their coping strategies
- Effectively deliver in-house TCI training
To understand the TCI system, please download the TCI System Bulletin.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families (TCIF)
Helps adults to:
- Prevent or de-escalate crises
- Acquire the skills and knowledge to help children improve their coping strategies
- Use crises as an opportunity to help children learn and grow
To understand the TCIF system, please download the TCIF Informational document.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCIS)
Helps schools to:
- Create a trauma-sensitive environment where students and adults are safe and feel safe
- Pro-actively prevent and/or deescalate potential crisis situations with students
- Manage a crisis situation in a therapeutic manner, and, if necessary, intervene physically in a manner that reduces the risk of harm to students and staff
- Process the crisis event with students to help improve their coping strategies
- Effectively deliver in-house TCIS training
To understand the TCIS system, please download the TCIS System Bulletin.
Additional Workshops
For organisations who have implemented TCI, there are a range of workshops available to support contextualising the system. Some of these are in relation to implementation of the system, others are in relation to specific child needs.
Trainers can attend an Update that both recertifies them and provides the additional workshop materials which they are then able to facilitate within their organisation.
TACT is also able to come to your organisation to facilitate these workshops. Participants must have completed the core TCI training initially.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Trainer Updates
Certified TCI/TCIS/TCIF trainers are required to attend TCI Updates to maintain certification.
For a full course description, please download the TCI Course Bulletin.
To view and register for available updates, please see the Courses Page.
Want to bring TCI to your organisation?
Further information, including options for training at your location is available HERE.