NCDHHS announces $11M investment in family-based behavioral health services for children with complex needs

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced an $11 million investment in treatment services designed to keep children who have complex behavioral health needs in homes and communities, and out of inappropriate boarding. The department is partnering with Rapid Resources for Families to expand access to family-based therapeutic programs, enabling children to receive trauma-informed treatment in a home-based setting.

“Children do best when they are in a home environment and surrounded by a supportive community,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We’re investing in family-centered services that provide a safe, nurturing place for children with complex needs to get the right level of support, when and where they need it.”

Among NCDHHS’ top priorities is to build an integrated behavioral health system in North Carolina that provides children with the right level of care at the right time. Of the historic $835 million committed to behavioral health in the 2023 state budget, the department is investing $80 million in services to improve outcomes for children with complex behavioral health needs and their families.

“North Carolina has to do more for children with complex needs,” said NCDHHS Director of Child and Family Strategy Hanaleah Levy Hoberman. “Our department is collaborating with partners across the state to implement a comprehensive plan to better serve these children. The goal is to ensure every family has equitable access to high-quality, trauma-informed and child-centric services in their communities that provide the right support for their child’s needs.”

Today’s investment addresses a critical gap in services for children whose complex behavioral health needs require intensive support, but who can be served safely in home-based care. Too often, these children spend one or more nights sleeping in an emergency department, local department of social services or residential treatment setting because the right level of support services is not available in their community.

NCDHHS is contracting with Rapid Resources for Families to expand access to Intensive Alternative Family Treatment (IAFT) – a specialized program that enables children with complex behavioral health to receive family-based services through a therapeutic foster home with counseling and psychiatric supports. IAFT serves children whose complex needs make it difficult to find a safe, supportive placement, helping to prevent inappropriate boarding or use of institutional settings.

Candidates for IAFT include children and teens who have severe behavioral difficulties, are at risk of hospitalization, have experienced multiple failed placements and/or who have co-occurring needs. The program is available to families regardless of whether children are in DSS custody.

“Therapeutic foster programs help to reduce the trauma of out-of-home services by keeping kids in a home and family environment while they receive care,” said Yvonne Copeland, director of the NCDHHS Division of Child and Family Well-Being. “When a child does require inpatient or residential treatment, these services help to get them back into their home or community, while providing support for long-term healing and stability.”

IAFT provides in-home, family-based therapeutic foster care with a team approach that supports the whole child’s health and wellness. Kinship and foster parents who participate in IAFT are trained by a community-based IAFT provider to deliver individualized support tailored to meet the specific needs of children in their care. To ensure long-lasting recovery and permanence, IAFT treatment builds on a child’s natural support system and focuses on healing for the whole family.

“We are thrilled to partner with NCDHHS to address critical needs in our community through innovative initiatives focused on the recruitment of service providers, comprehensive training for treatment parents, and streamlined placement processes for high-acuity youth,” said Executive Director for Rapid Resources for Families Meredith Newman. “Together, we are creating a responsive system that supports youth retention and placement stabilization while promoting resilience and well-being for youth and their families.”

The partnership between NCDHHS and Rapid Resources for Families will support:

• Recruitment for additional community-based providers, significantly expanding North Carolina’s capacity for both IAFT and TFC services
• Increased training and resources for licensed foster parents who provide therapeutic treatment to improve capacity to care for children with more complex needs
• Expanding access and availability for short-term IAFT and TFC temporary crisis placements for children at immediate risk of inappropriate boarding
• Increased access to wrap services in the form of paid natural/professional support to aid youth stabilization and treatment parent retention

NCDHHS’ ongoing work to build an integrated system of behavioral health care for children is a cross-departmental effort informed by close collaboration with key stakeholders and people with lived experience, including the Child Behavioral Health Advisory Committee. The department will continue to invest in a continuum of services – in homes, schools, communities and residential settings – that expand equitable access to high-quality, trauma-informed, family-centered care.

For more information about Rapid Resources for Families, IAFT and TFC services, visit ncrapidresource.org.