In September 2012, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) held a technical expert panel to identify what the research tells us about services for children in therapeutic/treatment foster care (TFC)1 with behavioral health issues (see Appendix A for meeting agenda). A non-Department of Health and Human Services2 16-member panel of researchers representing the fields of mental health, child welfare, measurement and evaluation, social work and psychology came together to provide policymakers with a responsible assessment of currently available information on services for children in therapeutic/treatment foster care with behavioral health issues (see Appendix B for participant list).

Report of the SAMHSA, CMS and ACYF Technical Expert Panel, September 27-28, 2012. A 16-member panel of researchers from the fields of mental health, child welfare, measurement and evaluation, social work, and psychology came together to provide policymakers with a responsible assessment of currently available information on this topic. Presentations discussed what we know about: therapeutic or treatment foster care (TFC); identifying youth appropriate for TFC; the essential elements of TFC; the psychosocial treatment of youth in TFC; outcomes for youth in TFC; and organizational issues in TFC. The panel defined TFC as a community-based, less-restrictive alternative to more restrictive settings and clarified that TFC models generally treat seriously emotionally disturbed youth who have a high likelihood of needing more restrictive long-term residential treatment. This is a print on demand report.