A challenging opportunity has proven rewarding for Program Manager Catriona. Delivering the TCI program has helped strengthen her leadership capacity and increase her skillset at Infinity Community Solutions.
Catriona is the Program Manager for Infinity Community Solution’s Therapeutic Residential Care Service. She has many years of experience in child protection and has worked for Infinity Community Solution for two years. In 2021 Catriona attended the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) Train the Trainers course to become an associate TCI trainer at Infinity Community Solutions.
The TCI system helps organisations create a trauma-sensitive environment where young people and staff are safe and feel safe, and all staff including leadership, clinical, supervisors, and direct caregivers, understand the effects of trauma and adversity. The goal of the TCI system is to prevent and de-escalate potential crises, build the capacity of staff to manage aggressive and violent behaviours avoiding potential injuries, and to create a learning culture where everyone, young people and adults, learn from experience.
For Catriona this was a wonderful opportunity and challenge, as it has enabled her to enhance her language around TCI and to improve her skills in her job role. We recently asked Catriona about her experiences with the TCI Train the Trainers course, how it affects her job role at Infinity Community Solutions and her experience working in the sector.
Tell us a bit about yourself, your experience and your current job role at Infinity Community Solutions
Originally, I am from Ireland and hold qualifications in Education, Community and Family Studies and Leadership & Management. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology and Criminology. My interest in combining these two fields stems from my passion to help break the cycle. I don’t believe very many people (particularly children) set out to make decisions that lead to them becoming involved in the criminal justice system. Through my time in residential care I have noticed that this starts a cycle of keeping people stuck in a lifestyle they might not consciously choose and I wanted to know if there was a better way of influencing behaviour prior to getting to that point.
I have 15 years’ experience in the child protection industry and have been working in residential care since 2012 performing multiple roles in that time. I started with Infinity Community Solutions in May 2020 and in December 2021 I was fortunate enough to be afforded the opportunity to attend the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Train the Trainers course to become an associate TCI trainer with ICS.
Tell us more about the TCI program. What did you enjoy most about the TCI Train the Trainer course?
I really enjoyed the intensity of the course; it is a very difficult course and requires study outside of hours. However, what you put in this course is what you get out of it, and I worked hard to get the most from my week. I focused my efforts solidifying my understanding of the TCI system and increasing my ability to speak the TCI language.
This training was also a fantastic opportunity to speak with other trainers-to-be about their current organisations and to explore how TCI is embedded in their organisations. This provided me with ideas to enhance this area within Infinity Community Solutions and my role.
How do you think becoming a trainer will enhance your practice as a program manager?
This training has in creased my use of the TCI language in my everyday tasks and interactions with my team. I feel that through role modelling this to my Residential Coordinators, Provisional Psychologists, Care Practitioners and other Infinity Community Solutions employees, this will assist to embed the TCI language in the organisation. Furthermore, given that a large element of the Program Manager role is to oversee the quality of documents, having this language verbatim allows me to ensure it is embedded across internal paperwork.
Having already delivered TCI training at Infinity Community Solutions what are three things you enjoyed most?
It was a great opportunity to be afforded time to get to know the participants on a deeper level than normal which provides me with insight into their triggers and decision-making capacity.
I also enjoyed seeing the increased skillset of every participant over the three days and ensuring everyone meets the competencies to demonstrate an understanding of the TCI system and language, complete a life space interview and demonstrate they can use protective interventions.
And finally, I really enjoyed sharing my love of the TCI system with a dedicated and passionate co-trainer. I am looking forward to providing more of these training courses in the future.
Infinity Community Solutions specialises in delivering high-quality solutions which are leading edge, uncomplicated, personalised, and entirely client-focused. Our staff are committed to supporting individuals to make their own choice with self-determination. Through investing in programs like TCI and our staff we can make a difference in the lives of individuals.