The Intensive Therapeutic Care program provides greater therapeutic care to young people unable to live at home who require the most complex support, allowing them to step down to less intensive placements – such as foster care – as they heal.
The aim of the program is to reduce the length of time children and young people spend in intensive out of home care services, such as residential care, and provide clear pathways to permanency.
MacKillop Family Services is a trauma-informed organisation, using the Sanctuary Model as our therapeutic framework. Sanctuary provides us with a shared language and common understanding of trauma, its impact on behaviour and how to respond.
Intensive Therapeutic Care Homes (ITCH)
Time limited, intensive therapeutic care in a safe and home-like environment with a dedicated in-house team. Maximum of four young people in an ITCH home.
Therapeutic Home Based Care (THBC)
A tailored and flexible placement option for children and young people to enable their step down from more intensive-support homes. Care is provided by authorised live-in carer/s in a house maintained by MacKillop. THBC carers must meet minimum qualification requirements.
Therapeutic Sibling Option Placement (TSOP)
Foster care placement for a minimum of three siblings or related groups of children and young people. Care is provided by authorised live-in carer/s in a house maintained by MacKillop. The key objective is to successfully support sibling/related groups of children and young people to reside together as a family unit, requiring intensive support.
Therapeutic Supportive Independent Living (TSIL)
A placement option and supports for young people aged 16 – 17 years of age to successfully acquire living skills to prepare for a successful transition to independent living. MacKillop delivers this service in Blacktown and Lismore.
How to access this service
Intensive Therapeutic Care is available by referral only through the NSW Department of Communities & Justice (DCJ).
