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Table 1 Roles in the Treatment Foster Care for Older Youth (TFC-OY) interim intervention

From: Development and piloting of a treatment foster care program for older youth with psychiatric problems

TFC-OY role

Envisioned purpose

Relation to MTFC

Program supervisor

To coordinate, supervise and individualize the young person’s treatment program and to serve as the communication hub among the team members.

Similar to MTFC.

Treatment foster parent

To encourage, support and supervise the young person.

Similar to MTFC.

Life coach

To support the young person’s adjustment in the program by (a) helping the young person build social skills, (b) plan-fully prevent problems, and (c) to help prepare for the future by acting as the young person’s chief partner in planning and understanding their mental health issues. For youth unable to plan for the future due to unresolved trauma, the Life Coach could focus on helping the youth prepare for trauma treatment.

The MTFC therapist focused on only some of these activities (a and b).

Psychiatric nurse

To help clarify young people’s existing mental health issues and treatment options.

Newly developed role.

Family consultant

To focus on building connections with the young person’s family members or other adults that will love, support and respect them.

Different focus than MTFC’s family therapist role, which focused on reunification.

Skills coach

To support young people’s adjustment and success by orientating them towards socially acceptable activities within the community and helping them learn and practice life skills in vivo in the community.

MTFC’s skills coach role does not include life skills preparation.