Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care
Office Location: Volunteers of America of Minnesota, 7625 Metro Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55439
Office Days/Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
Location of Foster Homes: Individual foster homes are located within a 40-mile radius of program office.
Participants are: Youth ages 12-17 with significant emotional and behavioral difficulties and who cannot live with their birth parents. One child placed in the home at a time.
Contact: Heather Thornton
Phone: 952-945-4064
Email: ftpfostercare@voamn.org
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) is an evidence-based treatment alternative to residential treatment, traditional foster care and incarceration. This community based foster care program employs the use of Social Learning Theory to understand youth problem behavior and encourage the development of alternative prosocial behaviors. The goal of the program is to assist youth with attaining the skills necessary to live in their community, and prepare families to provide the support essential for future success.
The MTFC team consists of program youth and foster parents, Program Supervisor, Individual Therapist, Family Therapist and Skills Coach. Youth earn points on a daily basis, which are a part of the overall point/level system. This 6-9 month program employs a three level system, with successful completion being progression through Level 3, along with discharge to a less restrictive setting in the community.
What Volunteers of America provides:
- In depth training on the MTFC model
- Weekly foster parent meeting at the Volunteers of America office
- Daily check in calls with the Parent Daily Report (PDR) caller and/or Program Supervisor
- Quarterly Treatment Plan Reviews
- Support available from the Program Supervisor 24-hours a day, 7-days a week
- Weekly therapy and skills coach sessions with the youth
- Family therapy sessions with the aftercare provider
- Ongoing training
- 24-days of respite care per year
- Support available from other foster parents during weekly meetings and/or phone calls
Foster parents must:
- Be 21-years of age and in good health
- Have experience with children, through thier own family, work or training
- Have enough income to meet their own expenses
- Have a bedroom space in tehir home
- Have no criminal background that would prevent working with a child
What foster parents provide:
- Participation in weekly foster parent meetings at the Volunteers of America office
- Transportation of the youth to the Volunteers of America office for individual therapy sessions
- Able to provide varying levels of supervision for youth depending on program level
- Assigning points on a daily basis, daily reporting on youth behavior
- Willingness and ability to view the prosocial opposite to the behavior that the child demonstrates.
- Teach and role model effective skills to the youth.
How are foster parents compensated?
- Daily per diem rate
- Training funds
- Reimbursement for some expenses and mileage