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                                    Thinking For a Change

      

                    
          
    Thinking for a Change
Thinking for a Change 4.0 (T4C) is an integrated cognitive behavioral change program authored by Jack Bush, Ph.D., Barry Glick, Ph.D., and Juliana Taymans, Ph.D., under a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Corrections (NIC). T4C incorporates research from cognitive restructuring theory, social skills development, and the learning and use of problem solving skills.

T4C is comprised of 25 lessons that build upon each other, and contains appendices that can be used to craft an aftercare program to meet ongoing cognitive behavioral needs of your group. Not all lessons can be completed in one session, so a typical delivery cycle may take 30 sessions. Sessions should last between one and two hours. Ideally, the curriculum is delivered two times per week, with a minimum recommended dosage of once per week and a maximum of three times per week. Participants must be granted time to complete mandatory homework between each lesson.

The program is designed to be provided to justice-involved adults and youth, males and females. It is intended for groups of eight to twelve and should be delivered only by trained facilitators. Due to its integrated structure, T4C is a closed group, meaning members need to start at the beginning of a cycle, and may not join the group mid-stream (lesson five is a logical cut-off point for new group members).

T4C is provided by corrections professionals in prisons, jails, detention centers, community corrections, probation, and parole settings. The National Institute of Corrections has trained more than 10,000 individuals as T4C group facilitators, and more than 500 trainers who can train additional staff to facilitate the program with justice-involved clients.

T4C 4.0 represents a significant evolution in the curriculum, both in content and use. It is the most sincere hope of NIC and the authors that the changes enable you and your agency to better serve your clients. Correctional agencies can consider Thinking for a Change as one option in a continuum of interventions to address the cognitive, social, and emotional needs of their client populations.

    Resource Links
          Hot Topic: What are criminal thinking errors?
          NIC's Thinking for a Change Microsite
          Thinking for a Change Coronavirus Information Sheet
          Thinking for a Change - Training for Trainers
          Contact Thinking for a Change Support
          Thinking for a Change Public Forums
                   NIC Resources
          Thinking for a Change 4.0

  Related Initiatives
          Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

  Related NIC Microsites
          Thinking For A Change Curriculum and Trainer Resources

T4C incorporates research from cognitive restructuring theory, social skills development, and the learning and use of problem solving skills. The program is designed to be provided to justice-involved adults and youth, males and females. T4C is provided by corrections professionals in prisons, jails, detention centers, community corrections, probation, and parole settings.

Explore the T4C Microsite

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          Archie Weatherspoon IV
      
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              Correctional Program Specialist

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              National Institute of Corrections

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          Jeff Hadnot
      
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              Chief

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              National Institute of Corrections
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Frequently Asked Questions NIC receives about Thinking for a ChangeFilter by Title
  
  
  

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  Where can I find more information on T4C Training for Trainers?
  **Published:** 2024-01-31Applications for Thinking for a Change – Training for Trainers 2024 Now OpenThe National Institute of Corrections offersThinking for a Change Training for Trainersto qualified criminal justice professionals or qualifying government contractors. NIC does not offer training to private or non-profit organizations. This year's T4T is a 73-hour blended learning event with 5 weeks of interactive online training culminating with three and half days of on-site training at the National Institute of Corrections - Training Academy in Aurora, CO.Blended Learning Experience (Online Learning & Face to Face Learning) Online Learning: The virtual instructor led training (VILT) sessions will be on Mondays and Thursdays:April 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29, May 2, 9.Face to Face Learning: The 3 and half day instructor led training (ILT) will be Monday through Thursday, May 13-16 @ National Corrections Academy, Aurora, CO.Click here to view the Sample Agenda on the bottom of the page for more detailed information on training agenda. Training is subject to cancellation if funding is unavailable.Below are the course pre-requisites:Applicants must be employed by or contracted with a governmental corrections agency.Application requires establishment of teams of at least two eligible candidates (max of 3). NIC will only accept one application per agency.Each applicant must also provide the following:Proof of 32 hours of T4C Facilitator Training,Verification of delivery of two full rounds of T4C with correctional clients,A 5-minute video demonstrating T4C facilitation skills and curriculum knowledgeApproval letter signed by your Agency CEO.*Please note: Thinking for a Change Training for Trainers offered by NIC is at no cost to register. This is a NIC hosted event, therefore NIC will cover the cost for airline travel, and reimburse each participant for all other travel, lodging, and per diem costs. However, participants will be responsible for the costs associated with printing their training manual and intersession assignments. NIC recommends that a minimum of two staff members register from each interested agency.*Please Click Hereto apply for the Thinking for a Change - Training for Trainers. The deadline is March 1, 2024.
          I'm a trained facilitator who has conducted lots of Thinking for A Change groups. Can I train other staff in my agency to facilitate Thinking for a Change?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02No, NIC recommends that facilitators complete a Thinking for a Change train the trainer program before they train others. Program fidelity and integrity are critical to T4C program success so it is important that staff are qualified to train other trainers.
          Does NIC offer a Thinking for A Change Certified Facilitator credential?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02No, NIC does not currently offer a Certified Facilitator Credential.
          Is there a Copyright on the Thinking for a Change Program?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02**Thinking for a Change is copyrighted by its authors Jack Bush, PhD, Barry Glick, PhD, and Juliana Taymans, PhD, with certain rights retained by NIC.**

The National Institute of Corrections reserves the right to reproduce, publish, translate, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to publish and use all or part of the copyrighted material contained in this publication for any federal government purposes. Parties other than NIC are not authorized to sell or use these copyrighted materials for commercial gain except with the explicit permission of the authors.

For more information, see NIC's Copyright page at https://nicic.gov/copyright.
          Are there any best practice recommendations for delivery of the Thinking For A Change program to clients?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02Yes, program fidelity and integrity are critical to program success so it is important to follow the curriculum as designed. Following are some best practice recommendations:

Use two trained facilitators,
	Deliver two sessions each week,
	Target the right clients, these are medium- to high-risk offenders,
	Ensure that each client in the group has the opportunity to try every skill during the class,
	Ensure that clients complete the intersession homework
	Make sure all clients receive feedback.It is also important that the program be completed from beginning to end due to the integrated nature of the program.
          I received facilitator training on a previous version of Thinking For A Change, do I need additional training to use the 4.0 curriculum?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02If you have completed a formal Thinking for A Change facilitator training program from NIC, you can use the updated 4.0 curriculum without further training. There is no requirement for facilitators to take an additional course to use the updated version.
          I don't work for a government corrections organization, how can I access T4C Facilitator training?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02NIC only provides the facilitator training to governmental correctional agencies and is not able to include non-profit or private agencies or citizens in its training programs. However, if you work for a private provider of services to a government corrections organization (a jail, a prison or a community corrections organization (probation or parole agency), you may be eligible.

Your agency can request Thinking For A Change Facilitator Training from NIC directly, with a letter included from the agency CEO of the government corrections agency that your agency is statutorily required to provide services to and/or contractually provides services to, **endorsing your private provider of service organization request to NIC. This letter must accompany the request to NIC.**
          Is there a cost for the NIC Thinking For A Change Facilitator Training?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02There are no fees charged for NIC's Thinking For A Change Facilitator Training. However, when attending a Host Site sponsored event all travel, lodging, and per diem costs will be the responsibility of the participant’s agency. In addition, participants will be responsible for the costs associated with printing their training manual and intersession assignments. NIC recommends that two staff members register from each interested agency.
          How does NIC offer Thinking for a Change Facilitator Training?
  **Published:** 2020-09-02NIC offers the Thinking for a Change Facilitator Training to correctional agencies in a 44-hour blended learning experience. The program is provided in partnership with a corrections agency. The program includes:

6 Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) sessions
	Inter-Session Work (independent study/practice).
	1 Instructor Led Training (ILT) program.Typically, all event and activities are scheduled within a seven week timeframe. This allows participants to complete inter-session work between the VILTs and the ILT. The ILT portion of the training is conducted onsite at the corrections agency site.
          When and where will NIC offer Thinking for a Change facilitator training?
  **Published:** 2024-01-31**Where can I find more information on T4C Training for Trainers?****Published:**2024-01-31Applications for Thinking for a Change – Training for Trainers 2024 Now OpenThe National Institute of Corrections offersThinking for a Change Training for Trainersto qualified criminal justice professionals or qualifying government contractors. NIC does not offer training to private or non-profit organizations. This year's T4T is a 73-hour blended learning event with 5 weeks of interactive online training culminating with three and half days of on-site training at the National Institute of Corrections - Training Academy in Aurora, CO.Blended Learning Experience (Online Learning & Face to Face Learning) Online Learning: The virtual instructor led training (VILT) sessions will be on Mondays and Thursdays:April 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29, May 2, 9.Face to Face Learning: The 3 and half day instructor led training (ILT) will be Monday through Thursday, May 13-16 @ National Corrections Academy, Aurora, CO.Click here to view the Sample Agenda on the bottom of the page for more detailed information on training agenda. Training is subject to cancellation if funding is unavailable.Below are the course pre-requisites:Applicants must be employed by or contracted with a governmental corrections agency.Application requires establishment of teams of at least two eligible candidates (max of 3). NIC will only accept one application per agency.Each applicant must also provide the following:Proof of 32 hours of T4C Facilitator Training,Verification of delivery of two full rounds of T4C with correctional clients,A 5-minute video demonstrating T4C facilitation skills and curriculum knowledgeApproval letter signed by your Agency CEO.*Please note: Thinking for a Change Training for Trainers offered by NIC is at no cost to register. This is a NIC hosted event, therefore NIC will cover the cost for airline travel, and reimburse each participant for all other travel, lodging, and per diem costs. However, participants will be responsible for the costs associated with printing their training manual and intersession assignments. NIC recommends that a minimum of two staff members register from each interested agency.*Please Click Hereto apply for the Thinking for a Change - Training for Trainers. The deadline is March 1, 2024. Return to top

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