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.
The variations of TCI Updates
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TCI Update: Trainer Support Connecting Concepts
TCI trainers must have a deeper understanding of how the essential concepts, principles, and skills in TCI are interwoven in order to assist staff in their understanding and ability to assist a child. The essential concepts and principles in TCI influence the application of strategies when supporting children before, during, and after a crisis. The update, Trainer Support - Connecting Concepts and Enhancing Skills, is designed to help agency certified TCI trainers identify the connections between concepts in the 7th edition of TCI and enhance their ability to demonstrate skills during the training. Participants in the update will have an opportunity to discuss and experience more of the newer aspects of this latest edition of TCI that were not explored in depth during the virtual update.
Program objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Describe the connections between key concepts such as the Theory of Change, the effects of trauma, developmental relationships, milieu spaces, intentional use of self, and skills used in crisis de-escalation and recovery such as active listening, emotional first aid, and the LSI.
- Demonstrate non-verbal and the eliciting and encouraging techniques of active listening to encourage a child to talk.
- Describe and demonstrate empathic responses.
- Demonstrate presenting behaviour support techniques and showing an example of what the technique would look like.
- Describe how the adult becomes a source of support and strength for a child when giving emotional first aid.
- Demonstrate being a calm presence – co-regulation strategies.
- Demonstrate the “Explore” step of the LSI.
- Demonstrate the LSI.
TCI Update: Post Crisis Response (TCI-PCR)
(TCI-PCR) update provides materials to assist TCI certified trainers in designing and implementing the TCI Post Crisis Multilevel Response Model (PCR). Topics include, how to address the emotional needs staff may have when managing aggressive clients; how the supervisor, after crisis incidents reflecting, can support front line staff; and utilising the Post-Crisis Multilevel Response Model (immediate debriefing, LSI, documentation, incident review with staff, and team review).
Participants will be able to:
- Analyse the effect of a crisis on staff members and the organisation.
- Demonstrate immediate debriefing strategies.
- Use the LSI process more effectively with the youth after crisis.
- Use documentation to assist in the post-crisis response.
- Demonstrate the incident review process with the staff member(s).
- Demonstrate the incident review process with the team.
- Demonstrate the incident review process with the team, using the incident report and the individual crisis support plan (ICSP).
- Develop an implementation plan for the post-crisis multilevel response system.
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 re-certifies 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.
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.
Want to bring TCI to your organisation?
Further information, including options for training at your location is available HERE.