What Is TBS?

Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) is a short-term behavioral mental health service offered in coordination with other mental health services. TBS can help children, youth, parents, caregivers, foster parents, group home staff, and school personnel learn new ways of reducing and managing challenging behaviors, as well as strategies and skills to increase the kinds of behaviors that will enable children and youth to succeed in their current environment. TBS clinicians work intensively with a child in his or her home or community. TBS works with Lincoln's clients at all times and across all settings—including family and foster homes, community sites, school sites and in the residential treatment facility. No limitation is imposed on the intensity or length of TBS services; however, the service is guided by the needs of each child. TBS clinicians may design, structure, model and support one-to-one interventions to modify target behaviors of concern or teach appropriate alternative behaviors, so that children or youths and their family members (caregivers) can manage on their own. Modalities may include family work, group work, social skills education and training, and parent consultation. Transition plans are developed to help each child and his or her family (caregivers) learn to use new skills by which to sustain improvements after TBS concludes.

How Can TBS Help?

TBS is designed to help children, youth, parents and caregivers manage challenging behaviors utilizing short-term interventions to achieve measurable goals based on the needs of the child or youth and family. TBS helps the child learn new adaptive behaviors and skills to replace dysfunctional or dangerous ones, and is delivered in the child's every day living environment. TBS is never a stand-alone therapeutic intervention. It is used in conjunction with another mental health service, and can make the difference in decreasing behavior or symptoms that are jeopardizing a child's current living situation, or helping a child make a successful transition to a lower level of care. TBS is a program that often sees great progress in our clients over a very short period of time. The short-term and behavior focused treatment coupled with the requirements for tracking progress allows for continuous monitoring of goals and interventions for efficacy in service provision.

Who Can receive TBS?

To receive TBS, the child must meet the following criteria:

• Must be full-scope Medi-Cal and under 21 years old;
• Must be:
  • Placed in a group home facility, RCL 12 or above; or
  • Has a history of psychiatric hospitalization within the past 24 months; or
  • At risk of placement, or considered that they might be at risk in the near future if the behavior continues, for placement in a group home facility, RCL 12 or above; or
  • Previously received therapeutic behavioral services;
• Must be receiving other specialty mental health services (i.e. has a current primary therapist);
• Must need TBS to prevent placement failure;

How Is TBS Started?

Children can be referred for TBS in Alameda County by their therapist. Parents, caregivers, foster parents, CASAs, social workers, probation officers, and mental health providers can ask for TBS services.

Terms of Service: TBS treatment components include

• A 30-day assessment period to determine if services are appropriate and deliverable;
• A comprehensive functional behavioral assessment;
• The development of a treatment plan targeted to specific behaviors;
• Therapeutic interventions that occur in locations where children experience the greatest problems;
• The teaching and modeling of interventions to the home environment caregiver;
• On-going collaboration with the primary mental health provider;
• A fade-out or transition plan to consolidate therapeutic gains;