MULTIDIMENSIONAL TREATMENT
FOSTER CARE (MTFC)

3120 PEACH STREET  ●  ERIE, PA 16508 (office address)
5712 IROQUOIS AVENUE  ●  HARBORCREEK, PA 16421 (mailing address)

PHONE: (814) 899-7664, Ext. 401  ●  FAX: (814) 874-3492

In July 2007, Harborcreek Youth Services was awarded funding by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to provide Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care in Erie County. The program is currently in the early stages of implementation and is expected to be fully operational by February 2008.

Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) serves male and female adolescents, ages twelve to seventeen. The program addresses the needs of severely delinquent youth for whom in-home therapy is not an option. Youth are placed individually in a family setting for six to nine months. Four key elements are targeted in MTFC and in aftercare:

• Providing youth with a consistent, reinforcing environment that builds on individual strengths

• Providing clear structure and limits with well-specified consequences

• Providing close supervision of the youth’s whereabouts

• Helping youth avoid associations with peers who are likely to have a negative influence, and developing skills for building relationships with positive peers.

Program Components

Foster families are trained in behavior management and are supported by a program supervisor who coordinates all aspects of the client’s treatment program. Additional components of the program include the following:

• Daily phone contact

• Weekly supervision and support meetings for MTFC parents

• Skills-focused individual treatment for youth

• Weekly family therapy for biological parents or other aftercare resource

• Frequent contact between participating youth and their biological or adoptive family members

• Close monitoring of the client’s progress in school

• Coordination with probation/parole officers

• Psychiatric consultation/medication management, as needed.

• Empowering parents to effectively address their children’s needs

• Enabling families to build supportive social networks in their communities

• Emphasizing long-term change that continues after MTFC involvement ends.

MTFC therapists work closely with the children’s biological families to address any issues that are problematic. If treatment foster care is to have an impact, it must confront the conditions in the family environment that created or encouraged the children’s poor behavior. MTFC therapists either address these issues directly or refer families to community resources for assistance.

Program Outcomes

The first MTFC program to target serious and chronic juvenile offenders was established in 1983. Since then, federally-funded research studies have evaluated the pilot program’s outcomes, as well as those of MTFC programs worldwide. When compared to peers in group home or residential care, MTFC youth

• Spent 60% fewer days incarcerated in follow-up

• Had fewer than half the number of subsequent arrests

• Ran away from programs three times less often

• Returned to live with parents or relatives more often

• Had significantly less hard drug use in follow-up.

The Treatment Team

The MTFC treatment team is led by the Program Supervisor, who coordinates all services and acts as the MTFC foster parent advocate. The team also includes a family therapist, a client therapist, a youth skills trainer, a psychiatrist, and a daily telephone contact person. The team meets weekly to review the daily behavioral information collected by telephone, to assess the progress on each case, and to adjust individualized programs as needed.

Foster parents are recruited, trained, and supported to be an integral part of the treatment team. Foster parents provide close supervision and implement a structured, individualized program for each child in placement. The client’s treatment plan is designed to build on his or her strengths while specifying clear rules, expectations, and limits. MTFC foster parents receive specialized pre-placement training; participate in weekly group meetings; are contacted each day by telephone; and have access to assistance at any time of the day or night.

Need More Information?

MTFC offers a cost savings when compared to conventional mental health and juvenile justice services, and is often more effective than residential treatment placement. For more information or to determine if a specific child is a good candidate for MTFC, contact Amy Daley, Director of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care, at (814) 899-7664, Extension 403.

For more information about foster parenting, click here.

To download a Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) Foster Parent Application form, click here.

To view our Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) Program Description, click here.

 
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) is presented by Harborcreek Youth Services. Our mission is to help youth and families build positive futures within a Christian environment that celebrates individuality and strengthens community.

Harborcreek Youth Services is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and is affiliated with Catholic Charities, Diocese of Erie. Its programs are open to all youth, without regard to race, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin, age, or sex.

Send mail to nzawadzki@hys-erie.org with questions or comments about this Web site.
Copyright © 2006 Harborcreek Youth Services
Last modified: 05/05/2008