Do you feel like you have lost control of your family due to your child’s behaviors? 

​

• Has individual counseling, family counseling, or intensive outpatient programs failed? 

• Is your family run by fear from what the next outburst will look like? 

• Do you feel like you are out of options and are looking for alternative living situation for your child due to their destructive path? 

​

No matter how your child has been labeled, be it “Strong Willed”, “Oppositional Defiant”, “Manipulative”, “Controlling”, “Hyperactive”, “Conduct Disorder”, or “Narcissistic”, we feel that there is room for change. All behaviors, be it positive or negative, have a function for your child. As a parent you may be too entrenched in the behaviors to uncover what the true function is. The goal of our program is to determine the function of each behavior and provide your child and family with the appropriate response to situations that no longer involve maladaptive behaviors. 

 

When there is a real concern…

 

We work with families who feel like they have exhausted all of their known options to reduce their child’s emotional and behavioral challenges. Families that have started discussing residential placement, military school, or boarding schools in an attempt to salvage their family system or personal well-being. Families who have been told by their child’s school that they are considering alternative educational placements. If you have started looking into alternative living or educational options, you are not alone. In fact, a recent study showed that 25% of caregivers reported that their child has some form of maladaptive behavior and that 8% of children met clinical levels for a behaviorally based diagnosis. * 

 

Now, if your child falls into the 8% you may feel like there are no other options. But now there is.  Therapeutic Behavioral Services is a well researched and effective method for behavioral modification, with long standing roots in our community. In fact, a study from a residential based Therapeutic Behavioral Services provider showed that 90% of children and families that engaged in the services reached therapeutic goals and only 2% of clients required a high level of care. 

 

What are Therapeutic Behavioral Services? 

 

Therapeutic Behavioral Services is a short term highly intensified approach to help children and adolescents overcome chronic behavioral challenges. This exceedingly individualized method utilizes an in-home approach to allow highly trained behavioral specialists to assist in working though target behaviors in the moment, as they take place. 

 

A licensed mental health professional specializing in childhood and adolescent behaviors and pathology begins by assessing your child and family to gather information on the behaviors that are being seen, identifies the function of each behavior, and creates a comprehensive treatment plan. A behavioral specialist is then assigned to your case that will work with your child in your home or in the community between 5-20 hours per week (hours are based on clinical need, function of behaviors, and treatment plan). With the goal to teach your child behavior management skills in the moment. As your child begins to manage their challenging behaviors, session frequency is reduced until they have reached their goals. 

 

Therapeutic Behavioral Services are for children / adolescents that are: 

1. At risk of being placed out of home due to emotional or behavioral risks to themselves or the family system 

2. At risk of being placed on a psychiatric hold or discharged from a psychiatric hold in the last 12 months. 

3. At risk of criminal intervention

 

 

But you may still have questions about Therapeutic Behavioral Services… 

 

This sounds like a huge time commitment…

At the start of services, we are asking you to commit a large amount of time to your child and their progress. Due to the nature of Therapeutic Behavioral Services the largest amount of time is in the initial weeks. However, it is expected that we will be able to reduce the number of hours your child will need as the weeks progress because they will be able to manage their behaviors independently. 

 

Is the cost going to be worth it? 

Outcomes will be different for every child and family. However, the long-term goal of this program is to teach lifelong emotional and behavioral management skills which will help your child to reach their full potential. In an attempt to create the most cost-effective plan for your family we offer stand-alone Therapeutic Behavioral Services and Treatment packages that includes Therapeutic Behavioral Services, Individual counseling, and Family Counseling. 

 

I work full time. Does this mean that I will have to take off work for my child to have this service? 

In order for our services to be most effective, we need to have our Behavioral Specialists in the home or community when and where the challenging behaviors are taking place. Therefore, if your child has the most difficulty transitioning from free time to dinner time, we want to be there in the evening. We want to create a schedule that is the least impactful on the family system and takes into account work, school, and extra-curricular activities when identifying the most effective times for sessions. 

 

What type of behaviors does your team address? 

Therapeutic Behavioral Services addresses the following behaviors: 

• Defiance / Noncompliance 

• Verbal Aggression 

• Property Destruction 

• Eloping or Running Away 

• Physical Aggression 

 

So why have you never heard of it and why has it never been offered to your family?

Up until now, this approach was only offered by community-based providers to clients with full-scope Medi-Cal. We at Moran Family Counseling want to ensure that families are able to access this service even if they do not have Medi-Cal. 

 

What if Therapeutic Behavioral Services doesn’t work? 

Deciding not to get intensive help for your child’s challenging behaviors may not be an option for you or your family. Most parents that we work with state that they want to try every available option prior to placing their child outside of the home or to prevent larger consequences for their child. If Therapeutic behavioral Services does not help your child to manage their challenging behaviors, your team will work to provide you with referrals to higher levels of care / alternative placements or next step options based on your child’s needs. 

 

You can regain control of your family. 

 

If you would like more information on Therapeutic Behavioral Services or would like to set up a consultation to see if this service is right for your child, please call us at (760) 566-5516 or email info@therapeuticandwellnesssolutioncenter.com

​

​

​

​