Defined by the National Therapeutic Residential Care Alliance (NTRCA) in 2016, therapeutic residential care is an intensive intervention for children and young people.
In Australia this is a part of the out-of-home care system. It is a purposefully constructed living environment that creates a therapeutic milieu as is the basis of positive, safe, healing relationships and experiences. The environment is designed to address complex needs arising from the impacts of abuse, neglect, adversity and separation from family, community and culture.
Therapeutic care is informed by current understandings of trauma, attachment, socialisation and child development theories; which are translated into practice and embedded in the therapeutic care program.