Choices For Life – Oklahoma

 

INTENSIVE TREATMENT FAMILY CARE (ITFC)

What is Intensive Treatment Family Care (ITFC)?

ITFC is a foster care program that matches a child with severe emotional and behavioral needs with a highly trained foster home. Once placed, the child receives services through the treatment team, which includes the foster parent, licensed therapist, care coordinator, and others depending on the issues facing the child. The goal of the program is to move the child toward his or her permanent resource in six to nine months. This is the most intense level of service provided in a foster care setting in Oklahoma.

What is the difference between ITFC and other foster care programs?

Traditional foster care focuses on the safety, well-being and permanence of the child while in State custody. Therapeutic Foster Care combines the objectives of traditional foster care with treatment services provided by the foster parent and agency staff for children with moderate to severe behavioral and emotional needs. ITFC includes the objectives of traditional foster care and treatment services of therapeutic foster care, but is considered a short-term, intense-level foster care program designed for children with severe emotional and behavioral needs.

What does the treatment team do?

The treatment team develops a treatment plan that utilizes evidence-based treatment models. After reviewing initial baseline screening scores, the team sets goals and objectives based on clinical assessment and the identified needs of the child. The Core Treatment Team (includes the ITFC child, ITFC parent, Child Welfare staff, ITFC therapist, ITFC care coordinator and ITFC clinical supervisor) meets every 30 days to assess the progress and make any necessary adjustments to the plan. The Affiliate Treatment Team (includes medical providers, educators and other specialized providers) meets every 90 days. The team will work to identify and include the child’s permanency option in the program to prepare for transitioning the child into their permanency resource.

What are the expectations of ITFC parents?

ITFC foster homes will provide daily instruction through an assigned evidence-based curriculum. At least one adult must be a stay-at-home parent and have a high school diploma (or GED). Each home will be limited to one ITFC child at a time, and the parents must make a minimum six- to nine-month commitment to the child. Each parent should be skilled at communicating with other treatment professionals, delivering curriculum-based services, and writing observations of behaviors and treatment responses.

What resources will be available to ITFC parents?

The ITFC family will have access to Choices For Life’s list of affiliates when outside services are needed. They will have at least weekly contact with the Choices For Life Care Coordinator, which includes a minimum of twice monthly in-home contact. They will receive ongoing traumainformed training to bolster their skills and abilities and access to specially-trained crisis response homes to assist with the stability of the child throughout their stay. The family will also receive a professional parent stipend equivalent to that of most teachers’ salaries ($40,250 annually).

Consider becoming a Choices For Life ITFC parent

The first goal for a foster child is to feel safe in a warm, nurturing environment that is able to provide for their physical, mental and behavioral needs. If you want to make a positive impact on a child in our community, contact us at 405-751-0800 to learn more about becoming an Intensive Treatment Family Care home and open the door for a child to be able to see his or her choices for life.

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Oklahoma Corporate Office

Visit Us

4911 N. Portland Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73112

Call Us

405-751-0800

Fax Us

405-751-6488

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