About TCI

TCI’s Mission: To provide state of the art training and consultation for the development of enhanced competencies in:

• Medical Education: Curricular Design; LCME/ACGME Accreditation; and Board Review Courses
• Diversity: Cultural Competence in the Workplace and in Assessment and Treatment
• Trauma: Trauma-Informed Care and The Prevention of Violence, Seclusion and Restraints
• Addiction: Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders and Smoking Cessation

TCI’s Values:

• Excellence: Raising the bar for all of us
• Integrity: Ensuring that progress toward equality and justice continues to move forward
• Social Justice: Grounding us in the core principles of our common humanity and value

What We Do: Via training and consulting services, TCI partners with institutions, professionals and trainees to develop the essential institutional/workplace culture and tools necessary for the highest standards of academic rigor and for excellence in the care of and advocacy, policy and program development for individuals who have experienced trauma and those living with mental illness, especially those who are disenfranchised, hospitalized, incarcerated or have co-occurring substance use disorders.

Selected invited presentations by:

S. Atdjian, M.D., DFAPA, Medical Director, Training & Consulting Institute, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Rowan University SOM, Diplomate, ABPN in Psychiatry & Addiction Psychiatry

January 2020: Grand Rounds Speaker, “Preventing Restraints and Seclusion: The Evidence-Based Models,” Temple University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PA

February 2019: Consultation Liaison Conference Speaker, “Trauma-Informed Care and the Use of Seclusion & Restraints,” University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PA

March 2018: Grand Rounds Speaker, “Intimate Partner Violence: Assessment and Intervention,” Trenton Psychiatric Hospital,Trenton, NJ

January 2017: Grand Rounds Speaker, “DSM-5 Nosology: Implications for SPMI and Forensic Populations, Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute, Falls Church, VA

October 2016: Symposium, “Preventing Violence, Seclusion & Restraints via Trauma-Informed Care: Implementation & Outcome Data,” Institute of Psychiatric Services Conference, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC

March 2015: Workshop, “Safety without Seclusion and Restraints: A Trauma-Informed Approach,” St. Joseph’s Healthcare Forensic Psychiatry Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

January 2015: Grand Rounds Speaker, “Principles of Trauma-Informed Care,” Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL

November 2014: Keynote Speaker, “Women’s Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Care and Resilience,” Fourth Annual Women In Mind Conference, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

July 2013: Grand Rounds Speaker: “Intimate Partner Violence: Assessment & Intervention,” Department of Family Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC

July 2013: Trainer: “Overview of the DSM-5,” New Jersey Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services, Trenton, NJ

August 2012: Speaker: “The Phenomenology of Traumatic Adaptations and the Neurobiology of Trauma,” Michigan Department of Community Health, Lansing, MI

July 2010: Grand Rounds Speaker: “The Assessment and Psychotherapy of Trauma Survivors,” Montgomery County Emergency Services, Norristown, PA

May 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014: Director, CME Course/Seminar: “Trauma-Informed Care: Principles and Implementation,” American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Honolulu, Philadelphia, San Francisco and NY

July 2009: Speaker, “Alcohol Intoxication and Withdrawal: Issues and Management,” Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), Department of Mental Health, Washington, DC

April 2009: Speaker, “Neurobiology of Trauma,” American Association of Psychiatric Nurses Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota

September 2008: Workshop: “Trauma and Suicide,” Annual Florida Statewide Suicide Prevention Symposium, Orlando, Florida

May 2007: Led Hospital-Wide Smoking Cessation initiative at 400-bed psychiatric hospital

May 2005: Invited Panelist, Performance Guidelines Webcast Study for the Psychiatry Subject Examination, National Board of Medical Examiners

March 2004: Speaker: “The Politics of Sexuality: Women as More Than Just Nurturers,” First Annual Conference of The Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Chapter of The American Medical Women’s Association, Piscataway, NJ

February 2004: Grand Rounds Speaker: “Opioid Dependence: Issues & Management,” Capital Health System at Mercer Hospital, Trenton, NJ

June 2003: Invited Panelist, Special Subcommittee on Best Practices for Substance Abuse Services, New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services, on substance abuse treatment for women

January 2003: Workshop: “Racial Identity Development: Implications for the Therapeutic Dyad,” Annual Mental Health & Addictions Dual Diagnosis Conference, Piscataway, NJ

January 2002: Workshop: “Trauma & Addiction,” Annual Mental Health & Addictions Dual Diagnosis Conference, Piscataway, NJ

August 2001: Workshop: Racism & Therapy, Mercer Trenton Addiction Science Center, Trenton, NJ

APA Annual Meeting Course/Seminar Evaluations:

Perfect timing, phenomenal value, and the best course offered by the APA.

This course was well-rounded. Video helped keep things interesting, and having a mental health consumer speak to the group was brilliant. It really brought the points home and displayed beautifully the relevance and impact of trauma-informed care.

This is the best CME course so far—it gives hope for change. Absolutely fantastic. The presenters were groundbreaking and innovative, and got away from stereotypes of thinking and acting.

Dr. A was clear, interesting, connected, and compiled a truly amazing course.

One of the best organized courses at APA I have attended. Good balance of clinical and academic information which gave me a framework for approaching this area.

One of the best seminars I’ve attended in my 38 year career. I can “imagine” this and am eager to make it real.

Grand Rounds Evaluations:

Outstanding grand rounds. One of the best we have had. What we want every resident to know.

Very compassionate, would be very nice to see more professionals talk about pt care in this manner.

Keynote Address Evaluations:

Outstanding presentation, holistically constructed with neurobiology and psychology and trauma informed care. I could have listened to Dr. A for hours.

What a phenomenal speaker. Able to convey a complicated process in a very comprehensive manner. Excellent use of examples. Very engaging. Can we have her back soon??!!

Workshop Evaluations:

The speaker was exceptional in terms of showing both clinical and organizational recommendation on how to approach TIC. Very much enjoyed and appreciated!

Excellent presentation from an in-depth perspective, very engaging, informative and perspective changing!

Medical Student Evaluations:

Dr. A did an excellent job of using words to further her lecture topics. She kept us incredibly well engaged and for a moment I did actually consider doing trauma psych! A few more of these sessions and she may persuade me…hands down the best psych lecturer thus far.

Amazing lecture and presentation.. by far exceeded level of greatness of all other lectures presented at our school, not just in psychiatry.

Thank you for telling my story in a way that I have been unable to communicate” [re: a lecture on intimate partner violence]

Great use of examples; clarified complex topics in a way that was easy to follow.

Best lecture ever given in psych…

My thoughts and ideas [about the topic] have been altered; thank you for a thought-provoking lecture.

One of the best lectures I’ve heard all year.

She is an excellent teacher – passionate and knowledgeable…

Resident Evaluations:

I am speaking on behalf of our class. Thank you for your incredible commitment to teaching us and making us better clinicians. Your enthusiasm for psychiatry is infectious. Your lectures are wonderfully structured and makes us feel that we have learned so much after each session. We feel more driven than ever to further our understanding of psychiatry after our time with you.

Dr. A’s teaching style is unique and it absorbs the listener into the topic discussed. This intense teaching style is consolidated with video and audio material which provide clear examples of the material taught and makes an everlasting impact. I am keen to participate in Dr. A’s classes and am very eager to learn what she has to present. I am encouraged by the tests given…this activity has motivated me to study more to achieve the high standard Dr. A expects from her students. I want to say that I am in good hands as a Resident and am looking forward to attend more of Dr. A’s classes in the coming years.

Outstanding! Classes are well organized, interactive. She keeps you on your toes while keeping the humor in the classroom. She expects enough to encourage you to learn in a positive supportive environment without provoking anxiety. She is a great role model for professionalism. Amazing educator.

Teaching Awards:

Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents, American Psychiatric Association, 2013

Psychiatry Clerkship Award of Excellence in Teaching, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, 2008

Nancy C. A. Roeske, M.D. Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education, American   Psychiatric Association, 2007

The Allan Cristol, M.D. Clinical Faculty Award for  “Outstanding Teacher of Third Year Medical Students,” Temple University, 2003

“Excellence in Teaching” Award, awarded by the Addiction Psychiatry Fellows, RWJMS, UMDNJ, 2002

The John R. Benson, M.D. Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching Skills during Residency, Temple University, 1997