Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care: An Alternative to Residential Treatment for High Risk Children and Adolescents* Tratamiento Multidimensional de Acogimiento Familiar: Una Alternativa al Tratamiento Residencial para Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes en Alto-Riesgo

This paper describes the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care program (MTFC), an evidence based approach for providing psychotherapeutic treatment for very troubled children and adolescents that is an alternative to residential care. Versions of the MTFC program have been developed and validated for young children with a history of maltreatment as well as for older children and adolescents who are involved with the youth justice system. In the paper we describe the development of the MTFC program and its foundations in the social learning model that originated at the Oregon Social Learning Center in the 1960’s and 70’s. We present information about program elements. We then review the research that has been conducted on MTFC.