Frequently Asked Questions

NIC does not currently have the T4C curriculum available for distribution in languages other than English. Agencies who are delivering T4C are strongly encouraged, based on their client population needs, to have the English version of T4C 4.0 translated to ensure fidelity in the curriculum's delivery to non-English speaking participants.

Published:
2024-06-18

When and where will NIC offer facilitator training? 
The National Institute of Corrections will not be providing Thinking for a Change Facilitator training in Fiscal Year 2024. 

Upcoming and future trainings on NIC's newly updated Public T4C forum: https://community.nicic.gov/forum. You can subscribe to all comments and/or all topics in the forum to stay updated with any and all T4C announcements. 

This link is a map of all the agencies who have people trained by NIC to provide T4C Facilitator training to their staff and region, you may want to consider reaching out to some agencies in your area (if applicable). 

If you are looking for someone to come to train your staff to become T4C facilitators, we recommend that you reach out to the T4C authors to find out about experienced and vetted T4C trainers who the authors have approved to provide T4C training at a cost. There is no cost associated with any NIC hosted training, but if you reach out to a private agency through the T4C Authors to provide T4C training there will be costs/fees, etc. Here is the link to contact the T4C Specialists: https://t4c.nicic.gov/form/contact

NIC 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. 

There 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.

NIC 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.

If 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.

Yes, 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.

NIC has been building out a library of our publications. You can install the free Libby app to borrow and enjoy digital titles from our library on your tablet or smart phone. Visit your device’s app store or app.overdrive.com to get started. OverDrive is also available via all web browsers on devices, including computers (Windows and Mac).

Find and save our library’s OverDrive collection in the app. If accessing our collection via a web browser, visit our digital collection URL: https://nic.overdrive.com

Browse the collections or search for your next great read. Borrow or place a hold on a title. You’ll need an account on the NIC website to complete this step.

Borrowed titles will appear on your Loans page on the library’s OverDrive website.

From here, you can:

• Download titles to the Bookshelf in the Libby app to read anytime anywhere.
• Read or Listen to some titles directly in your web browser without downloading.
• Borrowed titles will automatically return at the end of the lending period.
• You may also return titles early to free up space in your library account.

The NIC Information Center is a resource for those working in the field of corrections, and the assistance it provides (searching the library, locating resources, and providing referrals) is available at no cost.

The Information Center is not staffed to provide legal advice, directly assist offenders/ex-offenders, or friends and family of offenders. Only limited support is available for students, educators, and consultants.

In many cases, copies of the material can be sent or loaned to you. In other cases, we can send you copies of relevant portions of materials.

There is no charge for having the NIC Information Center provide these materials, but there are some limitations on the quantity of hard copy materials that individuals or agencies can request at a single time. Our staff can provide specific information for you if you have questions about this policy.

Most questions are answered within one business day, but we work hard to make sure that we answer all questions within 5 business days or less.

In most cases, material is sent via US Postal mail and you should see it within 7-10 days. International and priority shipments will vary in shipping time. Items on backorder will be shipped as they become available.

Note: With our migration to a primarily digital catalogue, we have removed the Add to Cart button for any product that has been converted to a digital form (PDF, streaming audio or video). Only products that have not yet been converted are available for order. You can order physical NIC products by creating an account on our website and placing items in your cart.

The forms are available for download and duplication from our TRP Resources page.

Our current travel contractor is Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). Listen carefully to the prompts. Press #1 for new reservations; press #1 again for NIC, which will allow you to speak with a travel agent.. You must have the program number ready to provide the travel agent. If CWT hasn’t received the authorization to book your flight, you may not be able make your reservation. Their phone number is 1-866-530-0062.

Contact the NIC staff person who is authorizing your travel if you have any questions.

Yes, CWT can assist you with car rental and hotel reservations. If a credit card is required for the reservation, you will have to provide one to the agent. NIC does not pay these costs up front.

The voucher form covers your fees for preparation, travel, on site work, and report writing in addition to miscellaneous expenses, such as phone, secretarial duties, printing, and postage/shipping. 

The travel and per diem claim form covers any travel-related expense, such as baggage fees, parking, tolls, hotel, car rental, taxi or shuttle service, and gas. 

If you have expenses other than these please contact the NIC staff person who is authorizing your travel.

If you want to change your travel arrangements to something other than those originally authorized, you must receive authorization from NIC. If the change is for personal travel, NIC is not permitted to authorize the changes (per federal travel regulations). You will need to make those changes directly with the airline once the tickets are issued. You are responsible for any costs related to the change.

Completed and signed travel forms, along with any documentation, must be emailed to NICTravel@bop.gov

Mail completed fee vouchers to the NIC office that coordinated with you for the work: 

• NIC Academy Division,
  11900 E. Cornell Ave., Unit C,
  Aurora, CO 80014
   
• NIC Prisons, Jails, Community Services, Research & Information Services, or Administration Divisions, 
  320 First St. NW, Room 5002
  Washington, DC 20534

The NIC Learn Center can be found here: https://learn.nicic.gov/

Please bookmark this new url as this is the correct address and will not change.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we upgrade our online Learn Center.

NIC provides all its services free of charge. However, it is expected that the requesting agency provide access to staff, data, and anything else that will help us help you.

Technical assistance or TA is a term used in education, government, and industry to mean “consultation.” NIC TA is short-term, no-cost help for agencies on a variety of issues.

The CEO of your agency. For example, the Director of Corrections, the Sheriff, or County Administrator must sign the Request Assistance Affirmation Letter.