MISSION
The Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team seeks to improve the lives of children and their families through research on the implementation and outcomes of the Wraparound process. Through development, refinement and dissemination of the Wraparound Fidelity Assessment System, our team aims to assist implementation of the Wraparound process, evaluate effectiveness, identify the need for technical assistance and training, and promote communication within the service delivery and research and evaluation fields.
HISTORY
Wraparound is a research-based care coordination process for youth with complex needs. It is an intensive, individualized care planning and management process and holistic way of engaging with individuals with complex needs (most typically children, youth, and their families) so that they can live in their homes and communities and realize their hopes and dreams. For an extensive description and background on Wraparound, please click here.
The Wraparound process for children with emotional and behavioral problems and their families has been implemented in hundreds of communities nationally. However, achieving consensus on what Wraparound actually is has been elusive. The basic philosophical base of the Wraparound process has been relatively well-accepted. As such, the Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team has based the development of the Wraparound Fidelity Assessment System (WFAS) on these principles, activities, and elements.
Describing the specific procedures of Wraparound has been more challenging. There are a variety of descriptions of the Wraparound process in the national literature, and the description of Wraparound in state and program regulations can vary greatly from place to place and program to program.
Despite the challenge of understanding Wraparound, there has been significant progress in recent years specifying the model and coming up with a consistent description of its procedures. Perhaps the best place to find a comprehensive source of information on the Wraparound process is the website of the National Wraparound Initiative. Here you will also find results of this ambitious research and consensus-building project, including a description of the phases and activities of Wraparound, principles of Wraparound, and necessary supports for Wraparound. You will also find an entire issue of Focal Point, a publication of the Portland State Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, dedicated to describing and achieving high-fidelity Wraparound.
Members of the National Wraparound Initiative have also created several summary documents about Wraparound and the evidence base for Wraparound for public-domain online toolkits and other resources. Please click here to be directed to Wraparound resources.