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History of PCIT

About the UC Davis PCIT Training Center:

Federal and State policymakers recognize PCIT as a successful and effective evidence-based practice. In the early 1990s, the UC Davis CAARE Center began providing PCIT services to children and families – and currently provides PCIT services to over 100 families a week. In 2000, the UC Davis CAARE Center created the PCIT Training Center, which has been a leader in disseminating PCIT to community mental health agencies in California and throughout the world. Because CAARE Center is a large community mental health treatment agency, it is familiar with the challenges that providers have in meeting the mental health needs of the community and implementing evidence-based treatment programs. The goal of the UC Davis PCIT Training Center is to work with trainee agencies to develop a fully independent PCIT program, with staff prepared to train new staff in delivering PCIT services. According to results of a recent survey, fully 85% of all agencies trained by the UC Davis PCIT Training Center currently have viable, growing PCIT programs.

The UC Davis CAARE Center has been active in conducting empirical research on the application of PCIT to maltreating families, foster families, Spanish-speaking families, when mothers are depressed, and to families involved in domestic violence. We consistently publish research with an eye towards improving the delivery of PCIT.