Intensive Treatment Foster Care Program

Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC) is designed to provide a higher level of support and services so that a child graduating from a level 12 group home can succeed in a family and in the community.

By statute, children in this program have a history of self-destructive behavior, verbal and physical aggression, or other challenging behaviors and have graduated from a level 12 facility or be at imminent risk of placement in a level 12 for 14 facility or at-risk for psychiatric hospitalization.

ITFC foster parents must have 60 hours of child-related training or a background in nursing, psychology, or child care in a group home. ITFC parents receive support in the form of monthly respite, a higher board rate, and a mentor for the child. They are expected to actively participate in the child’s therapy, school life, and be capable of handling challenging behaviors in the home.

Other ITFC team members include a mentor for the child and/or an educational liaison staff, a respite family, the St. Vincent’s social worker, a therapist, and often a psychiatrist. In addition to working closely with the St. Vincent’s team, ITFC foster parents are expected to work closely with the Department of Social Services social worker and the child’s teachers.

The St. Vincent’s ITFC program has been extremely successful. Part of the key is the fact that all the St. Vincent’s social workers have worked in residential treatment centers for a minimum of 13 years and know how to anticipate a crisis and manage it before it occurs. The parents are also good communicators and work well as a team.

Over the last 12 years, every one of our seniors, if she or he was with us throughout their senior year of high school, graduated from high school. (The national average of foster teens graduating from high school is in the 60 percentile range.) However, it often takes a team of people to help a teen, who is overcoming tremendous obstacles, to succeed.

In the accompanying videos, you can see some of our graduates and the many dedicated foster parents and support staff who helped them obtain their goals.

Click here for Joslyn's video

Click here for Randy's video