TCI TRAINING CORNELL EXAM ALL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES|
Question 1
What is the primary goal of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI)?
A) To punish children for misbehavior.
B) To control children's behavior through strict rules.
C) To de-escalate crisis situations, teach children coping skills, and help them
develop self-regulation.
D) To physically restrain children as quickly as possible.
E) To identify external causes of crisis only.
Correct Answer: C) To de-escalate crisis situations, teach children
coping skills, and help them develop self-regulation.
Rationale: TCI's core purpose is to prevent and de-escalate crises in a
therapeutic manner, using crises as opportunities for teaching and
promoting positive growth and self-control in children.
Question 2
Which of the following is considered a "setting condition" for crisis?
A) A child engaging in aggressive behavior.
B) A staff member verbally de-escalating a child.
C) Organizational culture, personal characteristics of the child, or specific
environmental factors that predispose to crisis.
D) A physical intervention being applied.
E) A child successfully using a coping skill.
Correct Answer: C) Organizational culture, personal characteristics of
the child, or specific environmental factors that predispose to crisis.
Rationale: Setting conditions are factors that make a crisis more or
less likely to occur. They are usually pre-existing or ongoing and can
be organizational, personal, or environmental.
Question 3
What does "Pain-Based Behavior" refer to in TCI?
A) Behavior caused by physical injury only.
,B) Behavior that is a manifestation of unmet needs, underlying trauma, or
emotional distress.
C) Behavior aimed at causing pain to others.
D) Behavior that always leads to physical intervention.
E) Behavior that is purely for attention-seeking.
Correct Answer: B) Behavior that is a manifestation of unmet needs,
underlying trauma, or emotional distress.
Rationale: TCI views challenging behavior not as willful defiance, but
often as a child's way of communicating unmet needs or responding
to unresolved pain, trauma, or emotional triggers.
Question 4
Which of the following is NOT a phase of the Stress Model of Crisis?
A) Baseline (Calm)
B) Triggering Event
C) Escalation Phase
D) Peak Phase
E) Isolation Phase
Correct Answer: E) Isolation Phase
Rationale: The Stress Model of Crisis outlines how a child moves from
baseline behavior through triggering events, escalation, and peak,
before moving into the recovery phase. Isolation is a potential
intervention or consequence, not a phase of crisis itself.
Question 5
What is the purpose of "Active Listening" during a crisis situation?
A) To challenge the child's statements.
B) To show the child you are in control.
C) To acknowledge the child's feelings, empathize, and gain a deeper
understanding of their perspective.
D) To gather evidence for punishment.
E) To quickly provide solutions.
,Correct Answer: C) To acknowledge the child's feelings, empathize,
and gain a deeper understanding of their perspective.
Rationale: Active listening involves paying full attention, clarifying,
reflecting feelings, and summarizing to build rapport, de-escalate,
and understand the child's underlying message.
Question 6
Which verbal intervention technique involves reflecting the child's feelings
back to them to show understanding?
A) Prompting
B) Clarification
C) Empathic response
D) Distraction
E) Humor
Correct Answer: C) Empathic response
Rationale: An empathic response acknowledges and validates the
child's feelings, communicating that the staff member understands
and cares about what the child is experiencing.
Question 7
What is the primary purpose of a "Life Space Interview (LSI)"?
A) To punish a child after a crisis.
B) To quickly solve an immediate problem.
C) A therapeutic, verbal strategy to help a child reflect on a crisis, learn
coping skills, and develop insight.
D) To gather information from other staff members.
E) To debrief staff after a physical intervention.
Correct Answer: C) A therapeutic, verbal strategy to help a child
reflect on a crisis, learn coping skills, and develop insight.
Rationale: The LSI is a structured conversation conducted after a
crisis has resolved, focusing on helping the child understand what
, happened, identify triggers, and learn alternative behaviors for the
future.
Question 8
Which of the following is a "non-verbal intervention" during a crisis?
A) Giving a verbal command.
B) Using a calm and open body posture.
C) Asking questions.
D) Providing choices.
E) Offering apologies.
Correct Answer: B) Using a calm and open body posture.
Rationale: Non-verbal communication (body language, facial
expression, tone of voice, personal space) is crucial in de-escalation,
conveying empathy, concern, and non-threat.
Question 9
What is the goal of "Therapeutic Rapport" in TCI?
A) To be the child's best friend.
B) To create a trusting and respectful relationship that facilitates
communication and positive change.
C) To extract information from the child.
D) To make the child completely compliant.
E) To avoid all conflict with the child.
Correct Answer: B) To create a trusting and respectful relationship
that facilitates communication and positive change.
Rationale: Therapeutic rapport is the foundation of effective
intervention. A positive relationship makes children more receptive
to guidance and more likely to learn new skills.
Question 10
In the TCI approach, what is the significance of the phrase "All behavior has
meaning"?
A) It means all behavior is manipulative.
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES|
Question 1
What is the primary goal of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI)?
A) To punish children for misbehavior.
B) To control children's behavior through strict rules.
C) To de-escalate crisis situations, teach children coping skills, and help them
develop self-regulation.
D) To physically restrain children as quickly as possible.
E) To identify external causes of crisis only.
Correct Answer: C) To de-escalate crisis situations, teach children
coping skills, and help them develop self-regulation.
Rationale: TCI's core purpose is to prevent and de-escalate crises in a
therapeutic manner, using crises as opportunities for teaching and
promoting positive growth and self-control in children.
Question 2
Which of the following is considered a "setting condition" for crisis?
A) A child engaging in aggressive behavior.
B) A staff member verbally de-escalating a child.
C) Organizational culture, personal characteristics of the child, or specific
environmental factors that predispose to crisis.
D) A physical intervention being applied.
E) A child successfully using a coping skill.
Correct Answer: C) Organizational culture, personal characteristics of
the child, or specific environmental factors that predispose to crisis.
Rationale: Setting conditions are factors that make a crisis more or
less likely to occur. They are usually pre-existing or ongoing and can
be organizational, personal, or environmental.
Question 3
What does "Pain-Based Behavior" refer to in TCI?
A) Behavior caused by physical injury only.
,B) Behavior that is a manifestation of unmet needs, underlying trauma, or
emotional distress.
C) Behavior aimed at causing pain to others.
D) Behavior that always leads to physical intervention.
E) Behavior that is purely for attention-seeking.
Correct Answer: B) Behavior that is a manifestation of unmet needs,
underlying trauma, or emotional distress.
Rationale: TCI views challenging behavior not as willful defiance, but
often as a child's way of communicating unmet needs or responding
to unresolved pain, trauma, or emotional triggers.
Question 4
Which of the following is NOT a phase of the Stress Model of Crisis?
A) Baseline (Calm)
B) Triggering Event
C) Escalation Phase
D) Peak Phase
E) Isolation Phase
Correct Answer: E) Isolation Phase
Rationale: The Stress Model of Crisis outlines how a child moves from
baseline behavior through triggering events, escalation, and peak,
before moving into the recovery phase. Isolation is a potential
intervention or consequence, not a phase of crisis itself.
Question 5
What is the purpose of "Active Listening" during a crisis situation?
A) To challenge the child's statements.
B) To show the child you are in control.
C) To acknowledge the child's feelings, empathize, and gain a deeper
understanding of their perspective.
D) To gather evidence for punishment.
E) To quickly provide solutions.
,Correct Answer: C) To acknowledge the child's feelings, empathize,
and gain a deeper understanding of their perspective.
Rationale: Active listening involves paying full attention, clarifying,
reflecting feelings, and summarizing to build rapport, de-escalate,
and understand the child's underlying message.
Question 6
Which verbal intervention technique involves reflecting the child's feelings
back to them to show understanding?
A) Prompting
B) Clarification
C) Empathic response
D) Distraction
E) Humor
Correct Answer: C) Empathic response
Rationale: An empathic response acknowledges and validates the
child's feelings, communicating that the staff member understands
and cares about what the child is experiencing.
Question 7
What is the primary purpose of a "Life Space Interview (LSI)"?
A) To punish a child after a crisis.
B) To quickly solve an immediate problem.
C) A therapeutic, verbal strategy to help a child reflect on a crisis, learn
coping skills, and develop insight.
D) To gather information from other staff members.
E) To debrief staff after a physical intervention.
Correct Answer: C) A therapeutic, verbal strategy to help a child
reflect on a crisis, learn coping skills, and develop insight.
Rationale: The LSI is a structured conversation conducted after a
crisis has resolved, focusing on helping the child understand what
, happened, identify triggers, and learn alternative behaviors for the
future.
Question 8
Which of the following is a "non-verbal intervention" during a crisis?
A) Giving a verbal command.
B) Using a calm and open body posture.
C) Asking questions.
D) Providing choices.
E) Offering apologies.
Correct Answer: B) Using a calm and open body posture.
Rationale: Non-verbal communication (body language, facial
expression, tone of voice, personal space) is crucial in de-escalation,
conveying empathy, concern, and non-threat.
Question 9
What is the goal of "Therapeutic Rapport" in TCI?
A) To be the child's best friend.
B) To create a trusting and respectful relationship that facilitates
communication and positive change.
C) To extract information from the child.
D) To make the child completely compliant.
E) To avoid all conflict with the child.
Correct Answer: B) To create a trusting and respectful relationship
that facilitates communication and positive change.
Rationale: Therapeutic rapport is the foundation of effective
intervention. A positive relationship makes children more receptive
to guidance and more likely to learn new skills.
Question 10
In the TCI approach, what is the significance of the phrase "All behavior has
meaning"?
A) It means all behavior is manipulative.
