Family Intensive Treatment (FIT)
The Family Intensive Treatment (FIT) Team provides targeted treatment to parents with behavioral health conditions who come in contact with the child welfare system.
The treatment includes:
- Family Engagement – parents are motivated to enter and remain in substance abuse services to enhance treatment outcomes
- Routine Screening and Assessment – family members are screened for possible substance use disorders
- Individualized Treatment – the team matches parents with evidence-based treatment programs and support services that meet their specific needs
- Support of Parents – A focus is placed on building coping and parenting skills, recognizing triggers for substance-using behaviors, and developing safety plans to protect children during a potential relapse
- Joint Planning and Case Management – A safeguard against parents becoming overwhelmed by multiple and potentially conflicting requirements of different systems
- Comprehensive Community Services – Multiple service needs of parents and children are addressed, including those related to parenting skills, mental health, physical health, domestic violence, housing, employment, income support, education, and child care
- Flexible Financing Strategies – Leveraging or combining resources to address the needs of substance abuse treatment for families involved in child welfare
To be eligible for FIT Team services, parents must have a substance abuse disorder, at least one child under the age of 8, be under judicial supervision with a goal of family reunification and be willing participants. The average length of service is 4 to 9 months. Services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of therapists, case managers and family peers led by a licensed behavioral health practitioner.