TRC Work Group
Who We Are
The International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC) is a small invitational association of international researchers, scholars and practitioners dedicated to the continuous improvement of high quality therapeutic residential services through research, cross-national dialogue and dissemination of evidence-based information. In this pursuit, we value our formal and informal links to ACRC which has demonstrated leadership in encouraging international dialogue in what we view as a common mission to find better ways of supporting youth and families.
What We Do
The International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC) was established in April 2016 following an invitational summit hosted by Dr. Lisa Holmes, Director of the Centre for Child and Family Research, Loughborough University, UK and supported by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust. The summit focused on identifying future directions for therapeutic residential care with a specific emphasis on identifying pathways to evidence-based practices. Based on an earlier critical review volume of TRC, the 32 participants in the summit produced a consensus statement containing a working definition of TRC, a set of principles and some pathways for future research. Originally published in the journal Residential Treatment for Children and Youth – ACRC’s signature journal, it has become the most read and cited paper in that journal in recent years.
Subsequently, through the efforts of work group members, the consensus statement has been translated into Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew and Japanese and disseminated in appropriate professional journals in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Israel and Japan. The Consensus Statement of the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care has been endorsed by the following associations: The European Scientific Association on Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents (EUSARF); The International Association for Outcome-Based Evaluation and Research on Family and Children’s Services (IAOBER); The Association of Children’s Residential Centers (ACRC) (USA); The Centre of Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS). Following these original activities, The International Work Group for TRC continues to provide a vehicle where researchers and service leaders can critically review promising practice innovations in their respective countries, identify pathways for research and evaluation of TRC and participate in collaborative research and cross-national exchange.
Founding Members of TRC and Co-Authors of the Consensus Statement
James K. Whittaker (USA), Lisa Holmes (GBR), Jorge F. del Valle (SP), Frank Ainsworth (AUS), Tore Andreassen (NOR), James Anglin (CAN), Christopher Bellonci (USA), David Berridge (GBR), Amaia Bravo (SP), Cinzia Canali (ITA), Mark Courtney (USA), Laurah Currey (USA), Daniel Daly (USA), Robbie Gilligan (IRL), Hans Grietens (NLD), Annemiek Harder (NLD), Martha Holden (USA), Sigrid James (GDR/USA), Andrew Kendrick (GBR), Erik Knorth (NLD), Mette Lausten (DNK), John Lyons (USA), Eduardo Martin (ESP), Samantha McDermid (GBR), Patricia McNamara (AUS), Laura Palareti (ITA), Susan Ramsey (USA), Kari Sisson (USA), Richard Small (USA), June Thoburn (GBR), Ronald Thompson (USA) & Anat Zeira (ISR)
An additional new member is Dr. Bethany Lee (USA), Editor of Residential Treatment for Children and Youth.
Present Co-Convenors:
Lisa Holmes, Ph.D.
Director, The Rees Centre
Oxford University, UK
Jorge Fernandez del Valle, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and Director
Child and Family Research Group
University of Oviedo, SP
James K. Whittaker, Ph.D.
Charles O. Cressey Endowed Professor Emeritus
School of Social Work
University of Washington, USA
References
Whittaker, J. K., Del Valle, J. F., & Holmes, L. (Eds.). (2014). Therapeutic residential care for children and youth: Developing evidence-based international practice. London, England: Jessica Kingsley.
Whittaker, J.K., Holmes, L., del Valle, J.F., Ainsworth, F., Andreassen, T., Anglin, J., Bellonci, C., Berridge, D., Bravo, A., Canali, C., Courtney, M., Currey, L., Daly, D., Gilligan, R., Grietens, H., Harder, A., Holden, M. James, S., Kendrick, A., Knorth, E., Lausten, M., Lyons, J., Martin, E., McDermid, S., McNamara, P., Palareti, L., Ramsey, S., Sisson, K. Small, R., Thoburn, J., Thompson, R., and Zeira, A. (2016) Therapeutic Residential Care for Children and Youth: A Consensus Statement of the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth. 33, 2, 89–106. (Dutch, Spanish, Hebrew, Italian and Japanese translations published as well.)
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