Together, We CAN!

Community Access Network, Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) is an intensive service that focuses on one-to-one behavioral and mental health intervention available to children and youth under the age of 21 who have serious emotional challenges. The program is short-term, typically lasting up to, but not limited to, six months, and requires a minimum of nine hours of service per week to start. TBS can help children, youth, parents, caregivers, foster parents, group home staff, and school personnel learn new ways of reducing and managing challenging behaviors. TBS provides strategies and skills to increase the kinds of behaviors that will enable children and youth to succeed in their current environment and to ensure they are not removed from their current placement.

This program provides a complete and thorough assessment of the child’s unique needs, strengths, and talents in a culturally sensitive manner. Individualized treatment plans target specific behavioral problems. TBS conducts monthly treatment team meetings that include the youth’s therapist, parent(s)/caregiver(s), county liaison, and the TBS case supervisor. TBS coaches work one-on-one with the youth and caregiver(s) in their home, community, and/or school (depending on where the identified behavioral intervention need is). Transitional plans are completed to assist caregiver(s) in sustaining improvements made.

Therapeutic Behavioral Services have been proven to make a difference for children and families by helping to keep children in their homes and communities, and by preventing the need for high-level care and psychiatric hospitalization. TBS is highly effective for children with a variety of severe emotional and behavioral difficulties, including children served by child welfare agencies, probation departments, and schools. The goal is for these children and youth to achieve permanence, avoid incarceration, and maintain home/school placements.