Specialized Treatment Foster Care (STFC)
Child & Family Service’s Specialized Treatment Foster Care (STFC) program, is a treatment foster care program modeled after an evidenced based treatment foster care program established in Eugene, Oregon.
STFC is a collaborative effort between Ausable Valley Commnity Mental Health and Child & Family Services of Northeast Michigan to bring treatment fostercare services to Iosco, Ogemaw and Oscoda County Youth and Families.
The program services youth who are severely emotional disturbed (SED). They will generally have a history of severe and persistent problem behaviors and multiple failed treatments.
STFC is treatment foster care focusing on the positive behaviors that youth exhibit. These behaviors are reinforced through a level system designed to closely monitor and encourage the positive skills that our youth possess.
This 6 to 9 month program consists of three levels that the youth attain through the consistent display of positive behaviors. There is a 5 to 1 ratio of rewarding positive behaviors, versus consequences related to negative behaviors. Daily grade sheets in school are reviewed and attribute to the level system. Points that the youth accumulate are reviewed daily and the consistent accumulation of points allows a youth to move from one level to another.
Weekly therapy sessions for the individual youth and biological family occur and weekly skills training is provided for the youth in placement. 24 hour, seven day a week, support services are offered the foster parents to address any issues that may arise.
Youth referred to the STFC Program go through a screening process conducted by the Program Supervisor and includes input from the youth, the Court, and the Foster Parents. This screening process helps gain insight into the youth’s strengths and weaknesses, while aiding in making appropriate matches with foster parents. Referrals can only be made through the courts within the three county catchment area of Ausable Valley Community Health.
Key features of the STFC program include:
- Only one youth is placed in a foster home at a time. This prevents the youth from associating with other youth who have problems, as is often the case in group residential care.
- A team approach is used to implement the treatment plan with clear role definition among team members. This approach allows all participants (youth, family, foster family) to have their own advocate and support person and focuses staff attention on individual needs. A skills coach supports the youth and teaches them new skills.
- Foster parents are provided with an individualized and structured behavior management program that they implement under the guidance of the program supervisor. The program is structured to set clear limits and facilitate success.
- Foster parents receive an enhanced level of support from program staff and other foster parents. In addition to weekly support meetings for all of the foster parents, staff is available to foster parents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
