SERVICE DEFINITION

Specialized Foster Care

This substitute care program consists of Specialized Foster Care homes that serve boys and girls under the guardianship of DCFS. The program provides 24-hour care through an interdisciplinary team, including foster parents for youth whose emotional, behavioral, or social dysfunction requires moderately structured and supervised care.

Children 4 through 21 years of age are served in Specialized Foster Care. Referrals from throughout the State of Illinois are accepted into this program with preference given to those in the Central Region and, in particular, those in closest proximity to the agency. The presenting problems of these youth range from severe emotional problems to serious behavioral disturbances. Youth who would be considered inappropriate for referral would be those as follows:

· Determined to have a full scale IQ below 50

· Determined to have a primary diagnosis of substance abuse,

· Actively homicidal or suicidal, are actively psychotic

· Determined to be high risk sexual abuse perpetrators, or

· Have a recent history of fire setting.

Upon admission, each child undergoes an assessment period of approximately ten days in duration. At the same time the QMHP(clinician) is developing the Individualized Treatment Plan (ITP) with participation of the child, the treatment team, the guardian and other relevant collaterals. Thereafter, the child receives individual counseling on a weekly basis in service episodes of approximately 120 minutes, individual rehabilitative services in various lengths of service episodes totaling up to 10 hours per week.

Services provided in this program are primarily rehabilitative in nature and assume that deficits/delays in learning social, academic, maintenance, and emotional coping skills account for the youth's impairments in functioning. Rehabilitative services are geared toward teaching new and replacement skills in these areas so that the child can progress toward normalized living. When necessary, children receive pharmacotherapy prescribed and monitored by consulting psychiatrists in order to aid them in benefiting from rehabilitating services.

Delivery of services occurs at least weekly within the context of a team approach, which includes foster parents, a clinician (Master’s level) and a caseworker and, at times, a family support counselor who provides mentoring/coaching/modeling services to many of the children/youth in SFC. The child’s team provides the structure and support from which all services flow. At a minimum, monthly family meetings, which include the child and other team members, are held to review ITP progress and plan for service adjustments.

Discharge criteria from Specialized Foster Care vary with the youth’s permanency goal. For the few with return home goals, discharge planning includes concurrent reunification services. For some, services include adoption planning. Most Specialized Foster Care youth have a goal of independence and service planning includes transition to a less restrictive service level, or, for the older youth, services related to the acquisition of independent living skills to help them transition to adulthood.