Child and Family Focus

Our goal is to provide stabilization and preservation to families in crisis, while empowering them to utilize new skills necessary to eliminate the need for public assistance. It is our primary belief that it is best to maintain a child in their natural environment. Intensive Family Intervention (IFI) can be utilized for this purpose. This service is authorized by Georgia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and covered by Georgia Medicaid. Children who are covered under straight Medicaid.

What is Intensive Family Intervention?

• The program serves youth 6–21 years of age with a known or suspected mental health or substance abuse disorder, for whom treatment at a lower level has been attempted , and who are at risk of out-of-home placement.
• Intensive Family Intervention (IFI) is a service approved for periods of 90 days (12 weeks) at a time. If needed, a case can be re-authorized until the child and family are able to move onto a lower level, step down service.
• Child and Family Focus works with a team approach. An IFI team consists of a Licensed Professional Counselor or a Certified Addictions Counselor and two or three Family Specialist that are Master’s and Bachelor level clinicians.
• The Team provides services to the child and family several days per week for up to 4 hours per visit. For consumers in crisis, the Team is available to the child and family 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• There is strong collaboration between the IFI team and all other involved service providers and team players. The program uses the team approach to deliver services that wrap around the child’s entire family unit, so they can address all the issues that continually keep the family and child “stuck.”

To be eligible for the Intensive Family Intervention program…

• Youth must reside with at least one competent adult and reside at home or with a family type setting.
• Referred children should have previously attempted a mental health intervention prior to attempting IFI services.
• Children must have a verified mental health diagnosis that is documented in a previous psychological evaluation.
• The child is currently experiencing issues that could potentially cause out of home placement.

Please send completed Referral Form(s) or email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it