IOSS stands for Intensive Outpatient Support Services. This is a program designed to provide additional behavioral supports to youth and families in addition to standard therapy. It is referred to as a type of “wrap around service” due to the design of the program to work with, not only the youth, but care providers and other service providers such as teachers, doctors, the Department of Human Services, and natural supports.
The target population is generally youth who display behavior that risks their own, or others safety or stability. For example, if a youth is acting in a way that risks their foster home placement, or is resulting in an inability to maintain attendance in a classroom, or is displaying suicidality, self-injurious behavior, or major depressive symptoms, IOSS is an appropriate referral. IOSS provides skills training, education, and case management support to youth and families, in addition to the therapy they are receiving.
When this program became established in Lane County, fidelity requirements for the ICTS program were changed and this program was rebranded as IOSS. (Fidelity measures are tools to assess the implementation of intervention or program models, and as such, can help address the major challenge for mental health services of translating scientific knowledge into patient benefit.) IOSS was then able to partner with Wrap to meet the complex needs of the youth.
