Healing From Trauma Through Intensive Services Foster Care

Healing from trauma through Intensive Services Foster Care can be a long and difficult journey, but with the right support, children like Megan can find stability and hope for the future.

At just 15 years old, Megan has already faced more challenges than many endure in a lifetime.

Removed from her biological parents at age four, she spent the next decade moving between foster homes, only to be reunified with her mother and then separated again. This instability, combined with the trauma she endured, left Megan with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a deep mistrust of the adults in her life. According to Harvard Medical School, former foster children are nearly twice as likely to suffer from PTSD as U.S. war veterans.

For Megan, this lack of stability resulted in severe anxiety, manifesting in angry outbursts, periods of depression, and self-isolation. As the emotional toll mounted, she began self-harming to cope with the overwhelming distress. It was at this critical point that Megan was referred to Casa Pacifica’s Foster Family Agency, where she entered the Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC) program, designed for healing from trauma through specialized support.

Casa Pacifica’s ISFC program offers tailored mental health and behavioral support to children like Megan, who have experienced complex trauma, psychiatric hospitalizations, and multiple failed placements in the foster care system. The program’s primary goal is to provide stability, ensuring children can find a safe, loving family environment that nurtures healing.

Through ISFC, Megan receives specialized services designed to address her PTSD. Regular therapy sessions focus on trauma-informed care, helping her process emotions and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Casa Pacifica’s crisis support team also provides immediate assistance when Megan feels overwhelmed, preventing the destructive cycles of self-harm and isolation she once struggled with.

“I’m so grateful to Casa Pacifica for matching me with my new foster family,” says Megan. “They allow me to keep the same support team, no matter what happens. I feel like I have more control over where I’m placed next, and that stability helps me stay at the same school and keep in touch with my friends. My Casa Pacifica team always listens to me, never judges me, and lets me be myself.”

Megan’s foster mother, Grace, also praises the extensive support system provided by Casa Pacifica.

“We receive therapeutic support, transportation, crisis intervention, Child and Family Team Meetings, and access to additional resources like James Storehouse and the Independent Living Program,” she explains. “The team is always there when we need them. It gives me peace of mind knowing we’re not alone.”

Carina Karabinakis, Program Coordinator for Casa Pacifica’s Foster Family Agency, emphasizes that fostering is a collaborative effort. “You’re never doing this alone,” she assures. “We take an individual approach with every child. No two stories are the same, and we’re always thinking outside the box to help these children succeed.”

Thanks to this robust support network, Megan has made incredible progress. She’s learning how to manage her PTSD in healthy, sustainable ways, and with Grace’s care, she’s finding the stability she never had.

Now, Megan’s focus is on the future. “I want to become a nail technician and maybe work at my church,” she says. “I’m also learning how to save money, so I can have a savings account when I’m an adult. One day, I’d like to have my own apartment and a cat.”

Above all, Megan is determined to break the cycle of trauma. “If I decide to become a mom one day, I want to give my children the stability I never had.”

With Casa Pacifica’s ongoing guidance, Megan is creating a future defined by hope, healing, and independence.

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