Evaluating and Monitoring the Impact of a Crisis Intervention System on a Residential Child Care Facility

• Published in: Children and youth services review Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 295 - 315
• Main Authors: Nunno, Michael A., Holden, Martha J., Leidy, Brian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2003; Elsevier
• Series: Children and Youth Services Review
• Subjects: Aggression; Behavior Problems; Behavioural problems; Children; Crisis Intervention; Northeastern usa; Northern States; Residential care; Residential Institutions; USA
• ISSN: 0190-7409; 1873-7765
• DOI: 10.1016/S0190-7409(03)00013-6

Residential child care staff require specialized knowledge and skillsto prevent and manage aggressive and acting out behavior by children in their care. Often a child's aggression is visible through crisis episodes that leave both the child and the care worker in turmoil. Without proper training and supervisory support, staff can react to a child's aggression with counteraggression; or worse, staff can respond withabusive behavior toward the child. This article reports the process and impact of implementing a consistent crisis intervention methodologyknown as Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) within one medium-sized facility in the northeastern US. Impact was measured by monitoring critical incidents, staff knowledge, confidence and skill levels, and the consistency of staff intervention pre- and post-implementation. Theimplementation of TCI was successful in substantially reducing critical incidents, significantly reducing documented physical restraint episodes in one unit, and increasing staff knowledge, confidence, and consistency in crisis intervention facility-wide. The article discusses the limitations of this evaluation and monitoring system, and suggests additional evaluation strategies that might overcome these limits. 6 Tables, 1 Figure, 28 References. (Original abstract - amended)