Intensive In-Home Services (IIHS): Family-Centered Care for Youth with SED

Intensive In-Home Services (IIHS) are community-based, family-driven interventions for children/youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) at risk of out-of-home placement.

Core Service Components

• Individual Therapy: CBT, TF-CBT, DBT skills, play therapy
• Family Therapy: Structural, strategic, attachment-focused; improves communication, hierarchy
• Parent/Caregiver Training: Behavior management, trauma-informed parenting, psychoeducation
• Case Management: Care coordination across systems (school, court, medical, child welfare)
• Psychiatric Services: Evaluation, medication management, monitoring
• Crisis Intervention: 24/7 on-call; safety planning; diversion from ER/hospitalization
• Skill Building: Social, emotional regulation, daily living, vocational
• Respite & Recreational: Planned breaks; prosocial activities

Team Structure

• Master's-level clinician (team lead)
• Bachelor's/paraprofessional family support workers
• Psychiatric consultant (MD/NP)
• Peer support specialists (lived experience)

Outcomes

• Reduced residential placement, hospitalization, juvenile justice involvement
• Improved school attendance, family functioning, symptom reduction
• Cost-effective vs. residential treatment ($30–50k/yr vs. $150–300k/yr)

Eligibility & Access

Varies by state (Medicaid waiver, System of Care grants). Typically: SED diagnosis, functional impairment, risk of placement, family willingness. Referral via CMH, school, court, pediatrician.

IIHS embodies "wraparound" philosophy: unconditional care, family voice/choice, community-based.