TCI for Families

One of the most critical skills for families who are caring for children in their homes is to teach children to manage their feelings of frustration, anger and loss in more socially and developmentally appropriate ways. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families (TCIF) stresses crisis prevention and crisis de-escalation in ways that help children learn to avoid losing control; teach methods to help adults avoid power struggles and enlist a child’s cooperation; and to show how a crisis can be an opportunity for the child to learn new coping skills.

Program Objectives

To present strategies for dealing with upset children to prevent and de-escalate potential crises;
To teach methods to help adults avoid power struggles and enlist a child’s cooperation;
To show how a crisis can be an opportunity for the child to learn new coping skills; and,
To teach specialized, effective training techniques.

TCIF Curriculum Outline

Day 1 Defines crisis as an opportunity for the child to learn new coping skills, examines the effects of trauma on children, explores how awareness of self and the child and the environment relates to crisis prevention, and discusses how to assess a crisis situation.
Day 2 Examines how managing the environment, setting clear expectations, and using active listening skills can prevent crises and presents different ways to approach children when intervening.
Day 3 Practices behavior support techniques and giving emotional first aid, examines how to negotiate rules and expectations, discusses the use of consequences, and demonstrates how to assess what children need.
Day 4 Teaches how to avoid power struggles, Life Space Interviewing and practices crisis co-regulation techniques to defuse a potentially violent/aggressive situation.
Day 5 Examines how to modify the Life Space Interview for children with communication deficits, develops individual crisis management plans and tests participants for certification.