Program Description & Admission Criteria

Admission Criteria - Population and Referral
La Familia's treatment foster care program serves children ranging in age from 3 to 19. Treatment foster care is primarily a Medicaid funded program, however other funding sources may in some cases be available. Treatment foster care receives referrals from many state and national facilities and agencies.

When a referral is received, La Familia completes an initial intake assessment. If La Familia's treatment foster care program is unable to meet the child's current needs, the referral source is notified about other services available within the agency and in the community. If treatment foster care is recommended, La Familia presents the assessment finding to the child or adolescent's behavioral health organization or funding source to receive authorization for services.

In order to qualify for and maintain placement in treatment foster care, La Familia's Director of Treatment Foster Care must find that the child or adolescent is able to live safely in a home, and is capable of responding to treatment interventions. Once placed in treatment foster care, La Familia discontinues services only if the client needs a higher level of care, or if the client meets criteria for discharge from treatment foster care.

Pre-Placement and Matching Process
Once a child has been authorized to receive treatment foster care services, La Familia begins the pre-placement and matching process with the child. The matching process includes meeting with the child's guardian, CYFD, the Guardian Ad Litem, as well as the service provider currently working with the child.

By law, only the parent or guardian, and the treatment foster care provider can match and place the child. However, La Familia respects the relationship and expertise other stakeholders and providers can bring to the matching and placement process. For this reason, La Familia invests a lot of time in the pre-placement effort with each child, much of which is devoted to addressing the issues identified by the other stakeholders and providers.

Once a treatment family match is identified for a child, La Familia arranges a series of pre-placement visits between the child and the prospective parents. Assessments are conducted at every step of this process. La Familia makes the final placement decision based on the responses of the child and the family to the pre-placement process.

Staff, Training and Support Services
La Familia's clinical staff includes social workers, counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists. The staff has backgrounds in children's psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers and child and family service agencies.

La Familia recruits prospective treatment parents who demonstrate sufficient time, energy, and parenting skills for working with emotionally challenged youth. Treatment foster parents represent diverse groups, but share a commitment to improve the lives of children and adolescents with special needs.

In preparation for licensure, La Familia's treatment parent candidates complete an extensive application, training and interviewing process. Extensive criminal record checks are completed on each applicant. The treatment parent candidates also complete over 40 hours of pre-service training. Once licensed, treatment parents are evaluated regularly and are required to complete 24 hours a year of continuing education training.

Once a child is placed into a treatment foster home, the La Familia treatment coordinator manages the connection between the child and the treatment family. Treatment coordinators maintain regular contact with the treatment child and the treatment family in order to support the treatment family in meeting the child's needs. The child and the treatment parents can access La Familia 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Clients receive individual, group and family therapy, as well as psychiatric services as recommended by the child's treatment team.

The child's family of origin can access therapy services when requested. La Familia also offers specialized groups for children and adolescents that focus on treatment and independent living skills. La Familia prepares each child for discharge with a comprehensive after care plan. Whenever possible, children and their families receive continued aftercare service through La Familia's Outpatient clinic.

All services are coordinated with insurance and behavioral health organizations. All clients who receive services through behavioral health organizations will receive assistance from La Familia's professional staff in contacting their care managers about service, co-pay and terms and conditions.