Intensive Placement Support Service

Research investigating the effects of child abuse has discovered that such traumatic experiences have short-term and long-term effects on a young person's development. Young people who have suffered forms of abuse and neglect are more likely to display behaviour problems, cognitive, linguistic, social-cognitive and socioemotional disturbances than their same aged non-maltreated peers.

Substantial research has shown that children who have suffered abuse have more difficulties in effectively managing their emotions adaptively thereby developing maladaptive coping mechanisms. A young person's inability to understand, communicate, and contain their emotion further disables the development of a cohesive sense of self.

These difficulties experienced by young people can often cause stress on the foster care placement. Youth Lifestyle Options recognises the need to offer training and support to foster carers in order to provide increased insight and understanding into the needs of the young person placed in their care. With this increased level of understanding the foster carers are able to respond in a more appropriate and empathic way to the young person and assist in the development of positive and appropriate life skills.

It is of high importance that a young person who is experiencing difficulties is offered the opportunity to resolve, learn from and move forward from their previous traumatic experiences and learned maladaptive behaviours.

Service Delivery

IPSS is an intensive placement support service that provides support and therapeutic intervention within foster care placements that are considered to be under stress. Support is provided within the placement and is aimed at the individual needs of the carer and young person along with the family dynamic as a whole.

IPSS is a flexible service and can be tailored to the needs of the young person and their foster care placement.

Once a referral is received a psychologist will meet with the carer and young person to assess and develop the appropriate intervention plan. This plan will be communicated with the Department of Child Safety.

Support & Intervention Domains

Youth Lifestyle Options provides support and intervention within the following areas to foster care placements that are considered to be under stress and at risk of breakdown:

• Carer Training & Support
  • Parenting skills
  • Behaviour management
  • Debriefing & stress management

• Young Person
  • Individual assessment & intervention
  • Youth Work Support

• Foster Care Placement
  • Assessment
  • Environmental safety plans
  • Facilitating development of positive relationships and interaction
  • Program development and implementation