Intensive Therapeutic Care
Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC) is a service system that helps children and young people who are recovering from the most severe forms of trauma, neglect, abuse or adversity.
ITC is for children and young people over 12 years with complex needs who are either unable to be supported in foster care or require specialised and intensive supports to maintain stability in their care arrangements.
ITC is in line with the NSW Therapeutic Care Framework (TCF) and is replacing residential care across NSW over a two year period.
Children and young people are referred to ITC through a centralised referral pathway (a ‘Central Access Unit’). Under the ITC system, short-term Intensive Therapeutic Transitional Care (ITTC) is provided for up to 13 weeks to help young people eventually move into less intensive types of care.
The ITC system will decrease the time children and young people spend in intensive out-of-home (OOHC) care services and help provide clear pathways to permanency .
The Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care, led by the Australian Childhood Foundation and Southern Cross University, acts as an ‘intermediary’ that:
- provides expert advice and consultancy services
- maintains a knowledge bank of evidence-based therapeutic care
- promotes knowledge sharing across the sector
- offers learning and development activities
- functions as a Community of Practice for Therapeutic Specialists