Line One: Therapeutic foster care
The State of Alaska has struggled to provide appropriate treatment options for kids who experience significant mental health problems. Often these youth are sent out of state or end up in the juvenile justice system. One alternative that is not widely known are therapeutic foster homes. They offer an alternative to inpatient treatment for youth who struggle with emotional and behavioral problems. Unlike traditional foster homes, therapeutic or “treatment foster homes” are run by foster parents who go through significant training and work as a part of an interdisciplinary team, providing individualized treatment, with the goal of returning children to their homes. In this episode of Line One Prentiss Pemberton and guests have an informative discussion about what it takes to make a difference in the life of an Alaskan child.