Increasing Safety in High Need Schools: An Evaluation of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools

• NCJ Number: 309962
• Author(s): Deborah E. Sellers
• Date Published: 2023
• Length: 37 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2017-CK-BX-0012
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Increasing Safety in High Need Schools: an Evaluation of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools

Annotation

This paper reports on a project that had the major goals and objectives of evaluating the impact of therapeutic crisis intervention for schools, determining the mechanisms through which those interventions influence staff and student outcomes, and identifying factors that impact the implementation and outcomes of the intervention.

Abstract

The research project reported in this document was undertaken by Cornell University in collaboration with a school district (SD) in a medium-sized city in the Northeastern United States, to evaluate the impact of the trauma-informed program, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCI-S), in 19 schools, including 14 elementary schools and five pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade schools. The project is based on the consideration that many students served by the SD live in poverty and are at high risk for exposure to trauma and other adverse childhood experiences which often impair the development of self-regulation and executive functions. The researchers' goal was to enable classroom stability and better relationships between students and staff. The three main objectives were to: evaluate TCI-S; examine potential mechanisms of change; and examine potential influences on the impact of TCI-S. The paper describes the research design, methodology, and analytical techniques; it discusses project participants and other collaborating organizations; notes changes in approach from the original design and reasons for those changes; and presents project outcomes, including activities such as training and technical assistance, and results and findings regarding the intervention and evaluation findings.