Currently, there is a severe lack of midrange community-based treatment models for adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral disorders (SED) (Wells&Whittington, 1990). The Treatment Foster Care (TFC) program has the potential to expand the development of such models for these youths. The aim of TFC is to provide a community-based, relatively nonrestrictive treatment in a setting where youths are not separated from nondisabled peers or isolated from their own families. TFC can be used before youths with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are placed in more restrictive institutional treatment settings. In addition, TFC appears to be a promising model to include when out-of-home and/or out-of-community placements are considered for children and adolescents with EBD. This article presents the program components and research direction of the Oregon Social Learning Center's TFC program for adolescents who have SED and need out-of-home care. The article concludes with a case study of a typical program intervention in an educational setting.
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