Overview
The Division of Care and Treatment Services is seeking applications for funding to support the implementation of Family Centered Treatment (FCT). FCT is an evidence-based model designed for families with children who are at-risk of out-of-home placement. It helps families identify core emotional issues, identify functions of behaviors in a family system context, change emotional and behavioral maladaptive patterns, and strengthen attachment bonds. This model further supports families across systems using a wraparound philosophy and model to support families holistically and within their natural environments.
The purpose of the funding is to:
- Support Tribal nations, counties, and/or community-based agencies to receive training and complete the entire certification program in FCT.
- Develop policies within the grantee’s existing behavioral health system that will allow for appropriate referrals, timely screening, and admittance of families to be served under the FCT model.
- Provide an evidence-based in-home therapy model to families to decrease symptoms of crisis and acute needs, increase family functioning, increase treatment engagement, and decrease the need for out-of-home placements and hospitalizations.
- Report specific metrics to help determine effectiveness of the program.
- Develop a sustainability plan to ensure FCT is used ongoing, post grant funding.
The following are required for this funding opportunity. The awarded agency must:
- Partner and contract with the Family Centered Treatment Foundation to complete training and continue certification requirements and oversight. As part of the contractual obligation with the Family Centered Treatment Foundation, the awarded agency must:
- Create an implementation team to work routinely with the Family Centered Treatment Foundation on organization progress throughout implementation.
- Ensure that prior to the provision of direct services, staff have completed the first 15 modules of FCT training (estimated five to seven hours) and participate in preparatory skills labs. The remainder of online training must be completed as part of the FCT certification.
- Participate in on-site visits, audits, or both by the Family Centered Treatment Foundation for quality assurance purposes.
- Provide specific documentation as requested by the Family Centered Treatment Foundation such as:
- Enter data into the Family Centered Treatment Foundation data tracking/practice management systems.
- Complete a Readiness Assessment to begin training and implementation.
- Maintain programmatic records including FCT intake, completion, fidelity tracking, and assessments in the FCT practice management platform.
- Ensure staff participate in FCT administrative and clinical processes outside of direct services to adhere to FCT fidelity requirements. This includes weekly team meetings, supervision, skills lab, supervisor consultations, and implementation team meetings.
Resources
The following resources are available to provide guidance in preparing applications:
- Family Centered Treatment website: The FCT Model
- Optional virtual informational session: Division of Care and Treatment Services and Family Center Treatment Foundation staff will answer questions about this funding opportunity and provide more information on the FCT model May 13, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Teams. Join this Team meeting.
- FCT model contact: Kat Schenk with the Family Centered Treatment Foundation is available to answer questions about the FCT model. Send questions to Kat.Schenk@familycenteredtreatment.org.
Eligible applicants
- Federally recognized Tribal nation that shares boundaries with Wisconsin OR
- Nonprofit organization providing services to people in Wisconsin OR
- A public agency in Wisconsin or a group of pubic agencies in Wisconsin
Applicants cannot be a current grantee of this program, Evidence-Based Practice in Family Treatment.
Eligibility requirements are mandatory as of the date the applicant applies.
Application deadline
June 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Estimated number of awards
1
Estimated award amount(s)
Awarded agency will receive a total of $125,000 to spend over the course of two years. The awarded agency has flexibility in the amount they budget for within contract year one and contract year two.
Total funding available
$125,000
Anticipated length of funding opportunity
2 years
Anticipated contract dates
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
July 1, 2027-June 30, 2028Renewal of the contract each year will be based upon the awardee’s satisfactory performance, satisfactory completion of annual deliverables and grant expectations, audit findings, and the availability of funds.
Match requirement
None
Funding source
Transformational Transfer Initiative
Written questions due
May 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Submit written questions about this funding opportunity to DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov with the subject line Evidence-Based Practice in Family Treatment.
Answers posted
May 28, 2026 (estimated)
Award/denial notification timeline
July 21, 2026 (estimated)
Award statement
Award(s) will be made to the responsive and responsible applicant(s) that:
- Attains the highest scored application.
- Best meets the needs of the population of focus.
- Best meets the needs of the people within the state, as determined by DHS.
Application requirements
Applications must include responses to the statements in the narrative response section.
- There is a 10-page narrative response maximum. Any information after the page limit will not be read, reviewed, nor scored for this funding opportunity.
- The documents outlined in the "documents" section. These documents do not count toward the narrative response page limit.
Application scoring rubric
Applications are read, reviewed, and scored by an evaluation team using the 100-point scale listed below. For sections with a higher point value, more detail in the response may be needed.
- Program design: 20 points
- Capacity: 15 points
- Experience and knowledge: 20 points
- Grant priorities: 40 points
- Priority one: 10 points
- Priority two: 10 points
- Priority three: 10 points
- Priority four: 10 points
- Required documents: 5 points
Narrative response
The narrative response describes how you will address the purpose of this funding opportunity. The narrative response must:
- Be 10 pages or less.
- Use a page size of 8.5” x 11.”
- Use a black font.
- Use a font size of at least 11-point.
Arial and Times New Roman are the recommended fonts for the narrative response.
The narrative response is a required component of your application. It must be organized into the following sections.
Maximum points available for this section: 20
Address how the needs of the population(s) of focus will be met.
- Describe how the program will ensure children and families with acute behavioral health needs that are at-risk of out-of-home placement will be served and how it will meet their needs.
- Describe how children and families will access FCT services. A crucial piece to FCT is that agencies should initiate contact with a family within 48 hours of referral. Describe how you will specifically adhere to this guideline.
- Describe the geographic area you intend to provide services.
- If you are an existing FCT provider, describe your new population focus for this funding.
- Describe the gaps in services you aim to address with this funding.
Maximum points available for this section: 15
The capacity to do the work and meet the program requirements is different from the experience doing the work.
Describe capacity to implement the program design.
- New or existing staff positions, and any professional licenses they hold, that will work under this grant and the anticipated number of hours per week for each position.
- Recruitment process and the anticipated timeline if hiring new positions.
- Continuation of the program if there is turnover in staff.
- Resources or partnerships and their role in ensuring success of this program.
If subcontractor(s) will be used to perform activities to achieve program goals, describe:
- The extent of the relationship.
- How the subcontractor(s) capacity relates to the overall ability to implement this program.
- Roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the subcontractor(s).
- Experience managing and monitoring subcontractor(s).
Maximum points available for this section: 20
FCT requires services to take place in the home and community to families/caregiver(s) multiple times per week depending on the family’s needs. Services should be available 24/7, 365 days a year. Sessions should average 90-120 minutes in length. FCT practitioners assigned to families will be available to families for crisis response 24/7 per week. Duration of FCT for most families is approximately six months.
Describe experience with, and/or knowledge similar to, this program.
- Providing services to children and families in their homes and within the community.
- Describe your experience implementing an evidence-based treatment model for children and families.
- Include information on how the agency provided oversight and monitoring to ensure fidelity and how any applicable certifications were maintained.
- Describe your organizational experience in record keeping of when and how services were provided, evaluating services, and providing outreach to the target population.
- Building relationships with and/or working with the population(s) of focus or similar population(s).
- Collecting and using data or other information to determine if efforts had an impact.
- Hiring and supervising staff with specialized knowledge or licensure.
If you will be using subcontractor(s) to perform activities to achieve program goals, describe their experience with, and/or knowledge similar to, this program:
- Describe their experience providing services to children and families in their homes and within the community.
- Include information on how the agency provided oversight and monitoring to ensure fidelity and how any applicable certifications were maintained.
- Describe their organizational experience in record keeping of when and how services were provided, evaluating services, and providing outreach to the target population.
- Building relationships with and/or working with the population(s) of focus or similar population(s).
- Collecting and using data or other information to determine if efforts had an impact.
- Hiring and supervising staff with specialized knowledge or licensure.
Describe the relevant training and professional development staff and/or subcontracted staff will receive over the anticipated total funding period.
Maximum points available for this section: 40
For each priority, describe the:
- Objectives: Measurable and time-bound efforts to achieve the priority.
- Activities: Specific steps you will take to meet the objectives.
- Timelines: When you anticipate starting and finishing each activity.
- Measurable impact: Describe how you will measure or demonstrate a desirable outcome is being achieved for the priority (for example, data source(s) or measurements that will be used, surveys of clients, etc.).
Priority one
Maximum points available for priority one: 10
Successfully complete the training and certification program in FCT.
- Identify appropriate clinicians and management staff to participate, complete, and receive certification in FCT.
- Dedicate staff time to training and certification requirements.
- Develop an implementation team to lead the effort throughout implementation, training, and completion of FCT.
Priority two
Maximum points available for priority two: 10
Develop policies within the agency’s existing behavioral health system that will allow for appropriate referrals, timely screening, and admittance of families to be served under the FCT model.
- Work across multiple child-serving systems to ensure seamless access to children and families with acute needs and that are at-risk of out-of-home placement.
- Establish eligibility requirements and appropriate referrals to FCT programming.
- Ensure timely responses to referrals, knowing best practice under the FCT model is that initial contact with a family is within 48 hours of a referral.
- Manage referrals and staffing caseload expectations.
Priority three
Maximum points available for priority one: 10
Decrease symptoms of crisis and acute needs, increase family functioning, increase treatment engagement, and decrease the need for out-of-home placements and hospitalizations by providing an evidence-based in-home therapy model to families.
- Engage and educate families on FCT.
- Provide intensive in-home services to families for approximately six to nine hours a week.
- Manage family crises and develop appropriate crisis response to their acute needs.
- Develop and maintain data tracking systems that measure both baseline and post-treatment outcomes in the following areas:
- Symptoms of crisis and acute needs.
- Family functioning.
- Treatment engagement and completion rates.
- Out-of-home placement and hospitalizations.
- Law enforcement contact for enrolled families.
- Crisis contact for enrolled families.
Priority four
Maximum points available for priority one: 10
Maintain FCT certification requirements and programming post grant funding by implementing a sustainability plan.
- Use Medicaid or other funding sources to allow for the sustainability of FCT services.
- Support workforce development and retention of trained staff in FCT.
- Identify funding mechanisms to continue FCT ongoing certification costs.
Maximum points available for this section: 10
Applications must also include the following documents:
DCTS Summary Line item Budget: F-01601 (Excel).
In general, agencies can expect that FCT training and certification costs through the FCT Foundation for year one to be approximately $42,000 and in year two to be approximately $36,000. The total amount of funding awarded will be $125,000 over the course of two years. Agency budgets for year one and year two may differ based upon cost needs with staffing and training. Reflect the anticipated costs and budget for year one with your submitted application.
Allowable costs may include but are not limited to staff time when in trainings or other activities otherwise not reimbursable through other funding sources, operating expenses, indirect costs.
Organizational chart(s) that shows where the FCT program would be positioned and associated staff.
Position description for each position directly involved with this program.
The additional documents do not count toward the narrative response page limit.
Reporting requirements
Recipients of this funding are required to follow all reporting requirements defined by DHS, including:
- Performance reporting completed with due dates that will be set in writing by DHS.
- Expense reporting submitted on a timeline and in a format approved by DHS.
Application submission
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. June 11, 2026.
Applications must include the narrative response and the additional documents outlined in the application requirements section.
By submitting an application, the applicant acknowledges the Grant Funding Opportunities: Definitions and Legal Requirements are part of this funding opportunity.
Submit applications to DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov with the subject line Evidence-Based Practice in Family Treatment.