The federal clearinghouse that approves foster care prevention services cleared five new models this week, including three family strengthening programs, a treatment for adults with cocaine use problems, and a mental health intervention for adults prone to relapsing into depressive states.
The clearinghouse was established in relation to the Family First Prevention Services Act, which was passed in February of 2018. The law enables states to use the Title IV-E entitlement — previously reserved for foster care and adoption support — to fund services aimed at working with parents without the need for a family separation. Those services must be evidence-based and apply to three areas: parenting, substance abuse treatment and mental health interventions.
Following are the models approved for federal funds under Title IV-E by the clearinghouse this week:
Parenting through Change
Rating: Group model receives Well-Supported, individual receives Promising.
Description: Group parenting sessions that use role playing as the basis for teaching parenting skills.
Strengthening Families Program
Rating: Model for parents and youth age 10 to14 receives Supported; four versions for other age groups do not meet criteria.
Description: Multifamily group sessions designed to help parents increase protective factors for their kids.
Families and Schools Together
Rating: Model for elementary school-age youth receives Promising; three models for younger or older children do not meet criteria.
Description: Multifamily group sessions are paired with parent reviews to improve social and emotional development in kids between ages 4 and 10.
Community Reinforcement Approach + Vouchers
Rating: Promising
Description: Combines therapy with voucher-based incentives for remaining in treatment to improve the odds of abstaining from the use of cocaine.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Rating: Standard model receives Well-Supported, model for “anxious children” does not meet criteria.
Description: Aims to prevent depressive relapses in adults through the teaching of mindfulness practices such as meditation, stretching and breathing techniques.
The clearinghouse found that another model under review, Familias Fuertes, a Spanish language adaptation of the Strengthening Families Program, did not meet the criteria for approval. It also announced that it would re-review the rating of two programs that have already gained admission to the list: Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams, a peer mentor approach to supporting parents on the path to sobriety, and Family Centered Treatment, a trauma treatment approach aimed at keeping families from dissolving when children are involved in child welfare or juvenile justice cases.
This week’s approvals bring the number of available programs for IV-E prevention services up to 48. Thus far, 20 states and Washington, D.C., have received the required federal approval to use these services with federal funds. Another 19 states have submitted a plan for approval, and 11 states have yet to submit.