California Wraparound Standards

Introduction

The California Wraparound Standards articulate and operationalize the principles, phases, and key elements that are the foundation of the Wraparound process. These Standards were created to assure high-fidelity practices in direct service delivery with children, youth, and families, including Tribes. At its core, fidelity is defined as adherence to the four phases and ten principles of the Wrapround process. These Standards build upon this definition by further defining the program and practice elements that are necessary to achieving fidelity, which in-turn promotes the achievement of consistent positive outcomes for youth and families participating in Wraparound throughout California.

Read below for the full California Wraparound Standards, or download the Standards as a PDF. 

 

Wraparound Principles:

  1. Family Voice and Choice
  2. Strengths-Based
  3. Individualized
  4. Natural Supports
  5. Community-Based
  6. Culturally Respectful and Relevant
  7. Team-Based
  8. Collaboration
  9. Outcomes-Based
  10. Persistence

Wraparound Phases:

  1. Engagement
  2. Plan Development
  3. Implementation
  4. Transition

Wraparound Team

The Wraparound team is comprised of the child or youth, the family, their formal, informal, and natural supports, and the Wraparound staff. While members of a Wraparound team and Child Family Team (CFT) are often the same group of people, , all children and youth with a CFT will not be enrolled in Wraparound. Additionally, Wraparound teams are held to higher standards to meet the complex care needs of our most vulnerable children, youth, and families, and include meeting the mandates of CFTs and the Integrated Core Practice Model (ICPM). Therefore, the term “Wraparound team” is used throughout this document to refer to all team members who participate in the teaming process and implementation of the Wraparound plan of care, including members of the CFT.  Team Meetings refers to all team meetings with the youth and family, including Wraparound team meetings and CFT meetings.

The Wraparound Standards are organized into the following domains: 

I. Fidelity Indicators and Expected Outcomes

II. Operationalization of the Four Phases

III. Facilitative Organizational Supports/System Standards

I. Fidelity Indicators and Expected Outcomes

The Fidelity Indicators and Expected Outcomes section contains Standards to ensure children, youth and families receive high-fidelity Wraparound services according to the Ten Principles of Wraparound and that programs are actively evaluating their effectiveness in achieving the types of outcomes routinely associated with high-fidelity Wraparound implementation. These fidelity indicators and outcomes are simultaneously practice standards to be implemented and data points to be tracked and evaluated (as outlined in Standard 10.2).

1. Program Fidelity Indicators (Draft)

1.1 Timely Engagement and Planning. 

Wraparound staff engages families early and often. First contact with families is made within 10 calendar days of referral; teams complete a Wraparound plan of care within 30 calendar days; teams review the plan within the context of a Team Meeting at least every 30-45 calendar days; teams update the plan of care and distribute to all team members at least every 90 days and more often as needed.

1.2 Led by Youth and Families. 

The Wraparound team prioritizes the child or youth's and family’s perspectives and voices in developing and modifying the mix of strategies and supports to ensure the best fit with their preferences. The child or youth's and family’s values, culture, expertise, capabilities, interests, and skills are elicited, fully understood, and celebrated. They are viewed as critical to a successful process and are the basis for decision making and problem-solving. (Principle 1: Family Voice and Choice)

1.3 Strength-Based. 

Functional strengths of the child or youth, family, all team members, and the family’s community are collectively reviewed and utilized throughout the Wraparound process. Identified strengths are functional in nature and drive decision making and service planning.  Team members remain focused on solutions, rather than dwelling on negative events. (Principle 2: Strength-Based)

1.4 Needs Driven. 

Wraparound services and supports are focused on addressing the high priority underlying needs of the youth, as well as their family members. Needs statements refer to the underlying reasons why problematic situations or behaviors are occurring, not simply stated as deficits, problematic behaviors, or service needs. The Wraparound process continues until needs are sufficiently met. 

1.5 Individualized. 

The Wraparound team is committed to finding creative, highly individualized strategies that are customized to match each child or youth and family’s needs, strengths, values, culture, and preferences. The Wraparound plan is uniquely tailored to fit the family and capitalize on the assets of their community and informal networks. (Principle 3: Individualized)

1.6 Use of Natural and Community Supports. 

Natural supports are integral team members. Wraparound teams strengthen the support provided by natural and informal supports. Wraparound teams prioritize strategies in the Wraparound plan of care that utilize informal and natural supports, and that take place in the family’s community, to reduce reliance on formal supports while fostering sustainability within the child or youth and family’s community. (Principles 4, 5: Natural Support, Community Based)

1.7 Culturally Respectful and Relevant. 

Wraparound teams recognize that a family’s traditions, values, and heritage are sources of great strength. Wraparound teams use strategies that are relevant to and respectful of the child or youth and family’s culture. Wraparound teams work to connect families with individuals and organizations that share their cultural identity and can be essential sources of culturally relevant support after the family transitions from formal Wraparound services. (Principle 6: Culturally Respectful and Relevant)

1.8 High-quality Team Planning and Problem Solving.

Wraparound teams are comprised of formal, informal, and natural supports across all Children’s System of Care partners who work together to develop, implement, and monitor individualized service plans that meet the unique needs of the child or youth and family. All team members take ownership over their assigned tasks and collaborate to meet the child or youth's and family’s needs. Teams experience optimism, commitment, and energization. (Principles 7, 8: Team Based, Collaboration)

1.9 Outcomes-Based Process.

The Wraparound team monitors the success of the Wraparound plan—including progress toward meeting needs, strategy implementation, and task completion. These are measured objectively, reviewed routinely, and used to inform changes to the plan as needed. Needs statements are linked to measurable outcomes and data from standardized instruments including the Child and Adolescents Needs and Strengths (CANS) and are integrated into the planning process. (Principle 9: Outcomes-Based)

1.10 Persistence.

The Wraparound team views setbacks and challenges not as evidence of a child, youth, or parent failure, but as an indicator of a need to revise the plan. The Wraparound team is committed to implementing a plan that reflects the Wraparound Principles, even in the face of limited system capacity. (Principle 10: Persistence)

1.11 Intentional Transitions.

Transitions are planned for in advance and celebrated with full child, youth, and family participation. Transitions only happen when the child, youth, and parents have sufficiently met their needs, not due to an adverse event or an administrative requirement. 

2. Expected Outcomes (Draft)

Policies, procedures, and/or data processes (e.g., CANS, satisfaction surveys, use of the Wraparound Fidelity Index (WFI), Team Observation Measure (TOM 2.0), Document Assessment Review Tool (DART), quality assurance phone calls, post Team Meeting verbal feedback or feedback forms, documentation review, etc.) ensure that the Wraparound program is routinely evaluating its effectiveness in the following areas (in alignment with Standard 10.2 Evaluation Metrics and Outcomes):

2.1 Child or Youth and Family Satisfaction.

Children, youth, and families are satisfied with their Wraparound experience and their progress. 

2.2 Improved School Functioning.

Children and youth experience improved educational and vocational functioning as a result of their involvement in Wraparound. They have more consistent attendance, are participating at or above grade level or according to their educational plan, and/or are developing needed vocational experience. 

2.3 Improved Functioning in the Community.

Children and youth experience improved functioning in the community as a result of their involvement in Wraparound. The youth has experienced less frequent contacts with emergency service providers, including medical and law enforcement providers, and they are participating in community activities. 

2.4 Improved Interpersonal Functioning.

Children, youth, and their families experience improved interpersonal functioning as a result of their involvement in Wraparound. There is less stress and strain at home attributed to  behaviors and they are able to develop or maintain positive family relationships and friendships. 

2.5 Increased Caregiver Confidence.

Families have access to effective, needed services and supports. Caregivers feel increased confidence in their ability to manage future problems and they know how to find and access services and effectively address crises. 

2.6 Stable and Least Restrictive Living Environment.

Children and youth experience permanency and stability in their community-based living situation. Children and youth do not experience a new placement in an institution (such as detention, psychiatric hospital, treatment center, or Short-Term Residential Treatment Program (STRTP) and/or have not moved between residential settings. 

2.7 Positive Exit from Wraparound.

Children, youth, and their families exit Wraparound based on stabilization and adequate progress in meeting needs; children, youth, and families are not discharged from Wraparound due to an adverse event.

II. Operationalization of the Four Phases

The Operationalization of the Four Phases section outlines the four phases of Wraparound and the activities in each phase that the Wraparound team completes with the child or youth and family to guide the team through the Wraparound process. Each phase and activity are guided by the Ten Principles of Wraparound, and it is the combined implementation of the principles, phases, and activities that determines Wraparound fidelity.

3. Engagement (Draft)

3.1 Orientation.

The Wraparound team orients children, youth, and families to the Wraparound process, including explaining the Wraparound principles and phases, addressing legal and ethical considerations, and explaining the role of each member on the team including the family’s role and the role of natural supports. 

3.2 Crisis stabilization.

The Wraparound team addresses pressing needs and concerns so that the family and team can focus on the Wraparound process. If immediate response is necessary, the Wraparound team formulates a plan for immediate intervention and stabilization, including development of a written crisis plan and ensures access to 24/7 crisis response when needed. 

3.3 Strengths, needs, culture and vision discovery.

The Wraparound team facilitates conversations and activities with the child, youth, and family to identify individual and family strengths, needs, culture, and their vision for a better future. The facilitator prepares a written summary document to clearly communicate strengths, needs, culture and vision to all team members, to orient new team members as they are added to the process, and to support the initial plan development process.

3.4 Engage all team members.

The Wraparound team engages the participation of team members across all Children’s System of Care partners (including formal, informal, and natural supports) who care about and can aid the child, youth, and family. The Wraparound team encourages and facilitates their active participation by clarifying their roles and responsibilities on the team. The facilitator engages the team in intentional activities to ensure a positive and collaborative team culture.

3.5 Arrange meeting logistics.

The Wraparound team ensures that meetings take place at a time and in a location that is convenient and accessible to all team members with priority given to family needs and family voice and choice, taking into consideration family schedules, culture, and history of trauma, and ensuring equitable access for all children, youth, and families. The Wraparound team plans for and arranges meeting logistics such as transportation, interpretation, telehealth capability, etc.

4. Plan Development (Draft)

4.1 Develop and document team agreements, additional strengths, and team mission. 

Building upon the activities completed during engagement, the facilitator leads the team in: 

  1. developing formal agreements on how the team will engage during meetings and make decisions, 
  2. identifying and documenting additional strengths of the child or youth, family, other team members, and the community, and 
  3. creating a team mission statement that defines the overall purpose of the Wraparound team in alignment with the family vision. 

4.2 Describe and prioritize needs, develop goals, and assign strategies.

The facilitator guides the team in reviewing needs identified during engagement, adding any additional needs, and prioritizing them. The Wraparound team uses the prioritized needs to develop specific, measurable goals and outcomes. The facilitator engages the team in brainstorming multiple creative strategies to meet the prioritized needs, goals, and outcomes before selecting strategies and assigning responsibility in the form of action items. 

4.3 Develop an individualized child or youth and family plan. 

The Wraparound team develops a comprehensive initial plan of care that is based on the prioritized needs, goals, and strategies of the family and child or youth. This is accomplished via a high‐quality team process across all Children’s System of Care partners that elicits multiple perspectives, builds trust and shared vision amongst team members, and demonstrates the Wraparound principles. The facilitator leads the team to ensure: 

  1. The plan is in alignment with the family vision and team mission and is based on the strengths, needs, and culture of the child or youth and family.
  2. The plan addresses needs across multiple life domains and Children’s System of Care partners as identified and prioritized by the CFT.
  3. Strategies and action items are clearly documented and include who is responsible for each strategy/action item, due dates are established, and each team member understands their role. Strategies are culturally relevant and include a balance of formal services and informal community and family resources, with greater reliance on informal supports over time.
  4. The plan includes an array of services and supports that are well-coordinated across Children’s System of Care partners, tailored to meet the child or youth and family’s individual needs, and delivered in the community in which the child or youth and family live. For families utilizing Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) funding: the plan includes adoption competent services and education on post-adoption services that are available.
  5. Natural supports and sustainable community resources are included in the plan, or the plan includes strategies to identify and develop community and natural supports before the child or youth and family transition out of the Wraparound Program.
  6. Transition from formal services is graduated; plans set benchmarks for transitioning to less restrictive, less intrusive, and less formal services throughout the Wraparound Process, taking into consideration the ability of families to move through the process at their own pace. 

4.4 Develop a safety plan. 

The facilitator leads the team in developing a written safety plan that identifies and prioritizes safety needs, potential risk and crisis situations, as well as highly individualized proactive and reactive strategies for the child or youth, family, and team members to respond effectively. Identified strategies should be chosen by the child or youth and family, should be culturally relevant, and should maximize the use of natural supports wherever possible. 

5. Implementation (Draft)

5.1 Implement the plan of care.

The Wraparound team carries out the initial plan of care, monitoring completion of action items and strategies and their success in meeting needs and achieving outcomes in a manner consistent with the Wraparound principles. Teams celebrate successes as they occur.  

5.2 Review and update the plan of care.

The facilitator engages the team to continually review the plan; assess the progress and the effectiveness of strategies; update the plan as needed to reflect successes; meet new needs; or adjust strategies and assign new action items. The facilitator documents and communicates, via meeting minutes and other forms of communication, completion of tasks and new assignments, team attendance, use of formal and informal supports, use of flex funds, and updates to the plan. The plan of care is updated in the context of a Team meeting and distributed to all CFT team members at least every 90 days, and more frequently, as needed.

5.3 Build supports while maintaining team cohesiveness and trust. The facilitator continually assesses and addresses team cohesion, trust, and commitment to ensure effective collaboration. When appropriate, teams seek and develop potential informal and natural supports, adding them to the team. Teams orient and engage new team members as they are added. 

6. Transition (Draft)

6.1 Develop a transition plan.

When the family has reached pre-determined benchmarks indicating sufficient progress towards completing the team mission and goals, and the child or youth, family, and team agree the family is ready for transition, the Wraparound team will begin developing a formal individualized transition plan. Led by the facilitator, the Wraparound team will outline a purposeful transition process which identifies needs, services, and supports that will persist past formal Wraparound and includes strategies to transition any remaining support being provided by Wraparound staff to those ongoing supports.  For families utilizing AAP funding: families are educated on post adoption services that can assist with transition.

6.2 Develop a post-transition safety plan.

The facilitator leads the team in developing a written safety plan (or adjusting the current safety plan) that identifies potential crisis situations that may occur after transitioning from formal Wraparound. The plan includes individualized, proactive, and reactive strategies for the child or youth, family, and other supports who will remain after Wraparound concludes. The child or youth and family play a pivotal role in identifying these strategies, which should be culturally relevant, and maximize the use of natural and community supports.

6.3 Create a commencement and celebrate success.

The team ensures that the conclusion of formal Wraparound is celebrated in a manner that reflects a positive transition, is culturally relevant, and is meaningful to the child or youth and family. 

III. Facilitative Organizational Supports/
Systems Standards

The Facilitative Organizational Supports/Systems Standards section pertains to the organizational and systems leadership functions supporting the Wraparound implementation. This includes the Wraparound organization’s internal priorities and their relationship to the community and System of Care. The emphasis is on the creation of effective operational environments for the development and delivery of quality supports and services. Included in this section are Standards relating to Wraparound Program and Community Leadership, Fiscal, Workforce Development and Human Resource Management, and Utility-Focused Data and Outcomes Processes.

7. Wraparound Program and Community Leadership (Draft)

7.1 Youth and Family as Key Decision-Makers.

Children, youth, and families are provided opportunities to inform and actively engage in the decision-making processes at all levels of the Wraparound Program.

7.2 Community Leadership Team.

The county establishes a Community Leadership Team (which may include all or part of the Interagency Leadership Team with addition of other team members as needed) who works collaboratively and engages in shared decision-making to ensure the Wraparound Standards are met at the organizational and systems level. In addition, the Community Leadership Team works to:

  1. Ensure relevant child serving agencies (e.g., mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, schools, community providers, and courts) participate actively and “buy in” to the Wraparound initiative.
  2. Actively identify and remove interagency and system barriers that interfere with interagency collaboration and effective service delivery to families that is characterized by creativity and individualization, the use of family-driven strategies, and the engagement natural supports.
  3. Identify and support cross-agency training and community collaboration to promote family-centered and culturally relevant practices and support fidelity to the Wraparound model.
  4. Ensure there is a process in place to review family plans on the community and systems level based on the values, principles, and activities of the Wraparound process.
  5. Ensure there is a process in place to regularly review the use of, access to, and procedures around flex funds to ensure individualized family needs are being met. 
  6. Ensure there is a process in place to regularly review Wraparound data at the organizational, community, and systems levels, and to use data to inform Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) efforts that reflect Wraparound values, Wraparound implementation Standards, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

7.3 Eligibility and Equal Access.

Wraparound eligibility and referral criteria and processes ensure adequate, appropriate, andequitable accessto Wraparoundservices anddo notexclude familiesbecause of the severity or nature of their needs. Wraparound is adequately publicized, available, and accessible so that youth and families who would benefit are able to participate. There is adequate program planning to ensure that once enrolled, families have access to an adequate array of services and 24/7 support to meet complex needs

8. Fiscal (Draft)

8.1 Funding Supports High-Fidelity Wraparound.

The Wraparound Program has fiscal practices that are aligned with the values and principles of Wraparound and ensure the Wraparound Standards are met. Budgets (at all levels regardless of county or provider-based service provision) are created with funding for both Wraparound operations which include required staffing, workforce development processes, and effective data collection and data management systems and the costs of services which include accessing needed supports and services to meet the immediate individualized needs of children, youth, and families.

8.2 Equitable Funding Across System Partners.

The Wraparound Program has a process is in place for identifying federal, state, local, or private resources available across system partners that ensures funding and resources across the Children’s System of Care are leveraged to the maximum extent to meet the needs of children and families served by Wraparound. This process includes a mechanism to ensure collaboration and equitable contribution across systems partners in funding Wraparound services.

8.3 Cost Savings are Reinvested.

Savings achieved by Wraparound (i.e., total annual revenues in excess of total expenditures) are reinvested to expand or enhance services and resources for children and families. There is a process to track the use of these reinvested funds that includes program description(s), budget(s), and reporting of outcomes achieved. 

8.4 Availability, Access, and Approval of Flex Funds.

The Wraparound Program has a process to ensure families have timely access to flexible funds to meet their urgent and individualized needs when these needs are not readily met by other resources. There is a defined approval process that ensures requests for flexible funds are evaluated based on approval/recommendation of the CFT and whether the use of funds: 

  1. adds value to the team mission and supports the individualized care plan, 
  2. builds on family strengths, 
  3. meets identified child, youth, and family needs, 
  4. are culturally relevant, 
  5. builds on natural support and/or community capacity, and 
  6. represents a good deal for the investment. 

There is an appeals-process for denied requests which incorporates communication with teams, youths, and families regarding why the funds were denied.

8.5 Collaborative Oversight of Flex Funds.

There is collaboration and shared oversight amongst funders and providers regarding the use and availability of flexible funds. A process is in place to ensure flexible funds are pooled (not applicable for AAP funding) and held to meet the needs of all families served. Tracking and accounting for flexible funds whether approved or denied includes the amount, purpose, and CFT recommendation of the request.

8.6 Funding Sources and Program Requirements do not Limit Flex Funds.

The Wraparound Program ensures the requirements of any single funding source (e.g., Medi-Cal, Title IV-E, CalWORKs, etc.) shall not limit the availability of flexible funding or the resources developed to meet the needs of the children, youth, families, and communities served by Wraparound. 

9. Workforce Development and Human Resource Management (Draft)

9.1 Culturally Responsive Workforce.

Wraparound Programs attempt to staff accordingly to meet the racial, diversity, and equity needs of youth and families. Staffing reflects the cultural diversity and language needs of the children, youth, families, and communities served.

9.2 Flexible and Creative Work Environment.

There is a high degree of collective responsibility for program quality and improvement, cohesion among staff members, open communication, and a clear sense of mission and alignment with Wraparound. Programs and its leaders create structures that promote staff creativity and flexibility, such as creative arrangements with other organizations, flexible contracting, or the capacity to reassign staff roles to meet the needs of families.

9.3 Hiring, Performance Evaluation, and Job Descriptions.

Programs have rigorous hiring practices and use meaningful performance assessments. Job descriptions for all positions reflect best practices regarding Wraparound skills and expertise and have clear expectations for performance. Counties and Wraparound providers are required to have the following roles or functions (but not necessarily separate positions) available to support children, youth, and their families.

  1. Youth Partner
  2. Parent Partner
  3. Facilitator
  4. Family Specialist
  5. Wraparound Fidelity Coach
  6. Clinical Supervisor (licensed)
  7. Wraparound Supervisor/Manager (license not required)

9.4 Workforce Stability.

Programs implement strategies to maintain a stable workforce and reduce turnover, including matching wages according to the community the program is in, maintaining manageable workloads for staff, implementing promotion/advancement structures, and providing wage increases or leadership opportunities that do not require a position change to achieve. 

9.5 High-Fidelity Training Plan.

Programs have a written high-fidelity training plan that incorporates initial, ongoing, and booster trainings for all required Wraparound roles (see Standard 9.3 Hiring, Performance Evaluation, and Job Descriptions for list). The training plan utilizes both general Wraparound training and role-specific training for all roles, including specific training for all Clinical Supervisors and Wraparound Supervisors/Managers.

9.6 Community-based Training Program.

Wraparound programs administer the training plan in collaboration with community members and families, including using children, youth, and families with Wraparound experience as part of the training team. Ensure efforts are inclusive of and promoted to system and community partners to ensure comprehensive support within the system of care and that team members from other systems have a context for Wraparound participation. 

9.7 Coaching and Supervision.

Programs provide team members with initial apprenticeship and ongoing coaching that emphasizes Wraparound values, principles, phases and activities, as well as the effective use of flex funds to meet family needs. Leaders will ensure that staff have access to coaching and supervision 24/7, reflective of the flexible scheduling and crisis response needs of families and the community. 

10. Utility-Focused Data and Outcomes Processes (Draft)

10.1 Systematic Evaluation Process.

There is an evaluation process for the system, for the program, and for the individual child or youth and family, to monitor the overall quality of the Wraparound initiative routinely and reliably. Children, youth, parents, stakeholders, and staff are involved in systematic evaluation processes that inform and improve practice locally, assure accountability for achievement of desired outcomes, and contribute to state-wide data collection and information. 

10.2 Evaluation Metrics & Outcomes.

Programs implement a local evaluation inclusive of the Statewide CQI and Evaluation Plan that supports the ongoing collection, analysis, and reporting of current and accurate data on:

  • Demographic information regarding the children, youth, and family population(s) served
  • Wraparound Fidelity (as detailed in Section 1 Fidelity Indicators) to minimally include: Adherence to the 10 Principles and 4 Phases of Wraparound; Timely Engagement and Planning; Team Composition, Including Ratio of Formal, Informal, and Natural Supports Participating in the CFT
  • Outcomes (as detailed in Section 2 Expected Outcomes) to minimally include: Youth and Family Satisfaction; Improved School Functioning; Improved Functioning in the Community; Improved Interpersonal Functioning; Increased Caregiver Confidence; Stable and Least Restrictive Living Environment; Positive Exit from Wraparound 
  • Positive System of Care Outcomes: Improved system collaboration and integration; Improved maximization of resources and cost effectiveness; Improved program-specific outcomes; Decrease in racial disparity or improved social equity.

10.3 Informed Program Practice.

Program evaluation results are routinely communicated to stakeholders (including staff, administrators, families, community partners, etc.). Data is integrated into coaching, supervision, training delivery, and program management and is used to improve performance over time.

Glossary

California Wraparound
An intensive, individualized, strengths-based, needs driven care planning and services management process. The Wraparound process aims to achieve positive outcomes by providing a structured, creative, and individualized set of strategies that result in plans and services that are effective and relevant to the child, youth, and family. 

Child and Family Team
A group of people who are involved in supporting the child and family to achieve their goals and successfully transition out of the formal child and family systems of care. Individuals working as part of the CFT each have their own roles and responsibilities, but they work together as members of an integrated team to plan, implement, refine, and transition services. The CFT is an integral part of Wraparound. 

Child or Youth and Family Plan
A plan tailored to each child, youth, and family based on their specific needs and goals. The plan should be strengths-based, needs-driven, and culturally relevant to the family. The plan should identify specific, incremental steps that move the child, youth, and family toward their specific goals and away from involvement with child welfare or probation agencies. The roles and responsibilities of each team member should be identified in the plan. The plan should address needs across life domains and include strategies to meet the needs. 

Community Leadership Team
An interagency team convened at the county level that provides leadership of the Wraparound Program in the form of a formal collaborative structure that includes empowered leaders from child serving systems and community agencies. Relevant child serving agencies (e.g., mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, schools, and courts) participate actively and “buy in” to the Wraparound Program. The representatives must be able to collectively take responsibility for task oversight, have relevant expertise with representatives that are able to participate in decision making, and the authority to make decisions that are followed in terms of program design. Potential team members include: 

  • Families
  • System Partners
  • Community Provider Organizations
  • Community Representatives
  • Business Leaders
  • Cultural Leaders

Cost Savings
Unspent assistance payment funds that would have been spent to place a child in a more restrictive setting had Wraparound not been available,

Family Engagement
A strengths-based approach to partnering with families in making decisions, setting goals, and achieving desired outcomes. The goals are intended to ensure children, youth, and families are active and influential participants in identifying their needs and finding solutions to their unique and very personal issues and concerns. 

Family Voice and Choice
Child, youth, and family perspectives are intentionally elicited and prioritized during all phases of the Wraparound process. Planning is grounded in family members’ perspectives, and the team strives to provide options and choices such that the plan reflects family values and preferences. 

Family-Centered Practice
A way of working with families, both formally and informally across service systems to enhance their capacity to care for and protect their children. The practice focuses on children's safety and needs within the context of their communities and builds on families' strengths to achieve optimal outcomes. Families are defined broadly to include birth, blended, kinship, foster, and adoptive families. 

Flexible Funds
Money available to each child and family team to meet needs identified in the child and family plan. Funds can be used for nontraditional purposes. Flexible funds are supported by written policies that address how funds are accessed, tracked, and managed, and include a process for accessing funds quickly for emergencies. 

High-Quality Teaming Process
The collaborative process that the team uses to coordinate and communicate their work where all teammembers take ownership and experience optimism, commitment, and energization towards achieving the team mission and meeting the child or youth and family’s needs. 

Life Domains
Aspects or areas of a person’s life that may be addressed in the child and family plan. Life domains include safety, family, a place to live, school, work, emotional well-being, culture, spiritual beliefs, social/fun, legal, medical health, mental health, developmental health, finances, relationships, and independent living skills. 

Natural Supports
Individuals and resources who are not connected with formal systems and are accessible to a child, youth, and family through normal means, i.e., friends, neighbors, relatives, community groups, and others. The child and family team actively seeks out and encourages the use of natural supports in the Wraparound process and draws from family members’ own networks of interpersonal and community relationships. 

Team Meeting
All team meetings with the youth and family, including Wraparound team meetings and CFT meetings.

Transition
The process of moving from formal services and supports to informal supports. 

Wraparound Program
The implementation effort or initiative within each county. This term does not distinguish between county-based provision of services and county-contracted community-based organization (CBO) or providers provision of services. Rather it refers to both models of implementation as a whole with shared accountability amongst county and county-contracted providers when CBOs are utilized. 

Wraparound Team
A group of people including the child or youth, the family, the Wraparound staff, and the formal, informal, and natural supports that support the child or youth and family and participate in the implementation of the Wraparound plan of care. 

Wraparound Team Meeting
A meeting between Wraparound staff, the child/youth and family, and their natural and formal supports (including some or all members of the CFT) where planning occurs, decisions are made, and celebrations are held. These meetings occur as often as needed, typically weekly or every two weeks, with more or longer meetings during the Engagement and Plan Development phases and less or shorter meetings during the Transition phase.