The Wraparound Fidelity Assessment System (WFAS) is a multi-method approach to assessing the quality of individualized care planning and management for children and youth with complex needs and their families. The instruments that comprise the WFAS can be used individually, or to provide a more comprehensive assessment, in combination with one another.
The WFAS measures are proprietary tools and require licensure for use. As a licensed collaborator, you will gain access to the tool(s) and training materials, technical assistance around sampling guidelines and procedures, and access to WrapTrack, the online data entry and reporting system for WFAS tools.
If your program or site is interested in licensing one or more of the fidelity tools, please visit the Become a Collaborator page.
The Measures that comprise the WFAS include:
The Wraparound Fidelity Index, Short Version (WFI-EZ)
DESCRIPTION
The Wraparound Fidelity Index, Short Version (WFI-EZ) is a brief, self-administered survey that measures adherence to the Wraparound principles. The WFI-EZ was developed in 2011 to offset the burden of conducting lengthy interviews for the full WFI-4 protocol, and to include items that assess satisfaction. Respondents (caregivers, youth, facilitators, and team members) answer questions in three categories: Experiences in Wraparound (25 items), Satisfaction (4 items), and Outcomes (9 items).
USES
The WFI-EZ can be self-administered on paper or online, and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Data result in quantitative summaries of Total Fidelity, Key Element Fidelity Scores (Effective Teamwork, Needs-Based, Natural & Community Supports, Strength and Family Driven, and Outcomes-Based), Satisfaction, and Outcomes.
The Team Observation Measures (TOM 2.0)
DESCRIPTION
The Team Observation Measure (TOM) is designed to assess adherence to standards of high-quality Wraparound observed during team meeting sessions. It consists of 36 indicators, organized into seven subscales - five dedicated to the key implementation elements of Wraparound (as trained by the National Wraparound Implementation Center and assessed by the WFI-EZ), one that evaluates meeting attendance, and one that assesses facilitation skills.
- Full Meeting Attendance
- Effective Teamwork
- Driven by Strengths and Families
- Based on Priority Needs
- Use of Natural and Community Supports
- Outcomes-Based Process
- Skilled Facilitation
USES
The TOM 2.0 is employed by external evaluators or local-level supervisors during Wraparound team meetings. Working alone or in pairs, trained raters indicate the whether or not each indicator was in evidence during the Wraparound team meeting session. These ratings are translated into a score for each subscale, as well as a total fidelity score for the session overall.
The Document Assessment and Review Tool (DART)
Description
The Document Assessment and Review Tool (DART) is a revised version of the Document Review Measure (DRM). It is employed by supervisors, coaches and external evaluators to assess adherence to standards of high-quality Wraparound as noted in youth/family documentation (such as intake and assessment documentation, team meeting notes, plans of care, crisis plans, and other records). The 43-item tool yields information in 9 main fidelity sections, plus an 8-item clinical and functional outcomes section:
- Timely Engagement
- Meeting Attendance
- Driven by Strengths & Families
- Natural & Community Supports
- Needs-Based
- Outcomes-Based
- Safety Planning
- Crisis Response
- Transition Planning
- Outcomes
Uses
The DART is implemented locally by trained reviewers who are not directly involved with services, and takes approximately 45-60 minutes to complete each record review. Data result in quantitative summaries of Key Element scores (and are aligned with the WFI-EZ and TOM 2.0), and subscale-level scores.
For further details about this comprehensive tool, please review the PowerPoint below about the DART.
The Community Supports for Wraparound Inventory (CSWI)
Description
The CSWI is a 40-item research and quality improvement developed by Janet Walker, PhD, and based on the Framework of Necessary Conditions described by Walker, Koroloff and Schutte (2003). The tool is intended to measure how well a local system supports the implementation of the Wraparound process, and is somewhat unique from the other WFAS instruments in that it assesses the system context for Wraparound as opposed to the fidelity to the practice model for an individual child and family.
Uses
The CSWI is completed online by key informants in the community and results in a quantified assessment of community supports for Wraparound across multiple domains, so that researchers can determine the impact of these conditions on fidelity and outcomes. Results are structured so local groups can assess system supports for Wraparound, respond to areas of strength and weakness, and monitor improvements over time. WERT manages the administration and data collection, and Janet Walker produces a comprehensive report which is presented to local administrators and other relevant stakeholders.
The Wraparound Structured Assessment and Review (WrapSTAR)
Description
The Wraparound Structured Assessment and Review (WrapSTAR) process combines WFAS tools into comprehensive fidelity and outcomes scores based on key practice elements of the NWI Wraparound model. It produces additional information on implementation supports (e.g., leadership, organizational climate) and community and system conditions which provides invaluable context and information for developing meaningful quality improvement initiatives.
Uses
WrapSTAR collects and synthesizes a wide variety of information to create a comprehensive snapshot of how Wraparound is working within a community or agency. Over the course of a few months, a Wraparound initiative provides information about their operations and supports the gathering of feedback from staff, youth, and families, and other stakeholders via standardized fidelity measures. The organization is then provided with information about how faithfully they are adhering to the Wraparound model and about the robustness of their implementation. In addition to a detailed qualitative review, organizations receive ratings in the areas of fidelity, outcomes, implementation, and system support.
All organizations that complete the WrapSTAR process will be recognized for their efforts by the National Wraparound Implementation Center (NWIC), which may help a provider organization demonstrate the strength of its services and commitment to continual quality improvement to stakeholders, such as families, funders, and community leaders.
Please contact Eric J Bruns, ebruns@uw.edu, for more information.
The Wraparound Fidelity Index, v.4 (WFI-4)
Description
As of 2020, the WFI-4 is no longer available for new license requests. Please see the WFI-EZ for the self-administered survey tool on adherence to Wraparound principles. The Wraparound Fidelity Index, version 4 (WFI-4) is a set of four interviews that measures the nature of the Wraparound process that an individual family receives. The interviews are completed with four types of respondents: caregivers, youth (11 years of age or older), Wraparound facilitators, and team members, with each unique perspective important to fully understand how Wraparound is being implemented.
The WFI-4 interviews are organized by the four phases of the Wraparound process (Engagement and Team Preparation, Initial Planning, Implementation, and Transition), and are keyed to the 10 principles of Wraparound. In this way, the WFI-4 interviews are intended to assess both conformance to the Wraparound practice model as well as adherence to the principles in service delivery.
Uses
Trained interviewers complete the WFI-4 through confidential telephone calls or via face-to-face interviews with each respondent. Interviews take approximately 15-40 minutes, and data result in quantitative summaries organized by Total Fidelity, Fidelity by Phase, and Fidelity by Wraparound Principle.
To download a copy of the latest WFI-4 psychometrics, click here.
Use of Fidelity Assessment Measures
Fidelity measurement is a core implementation support to evidence-based practices. Fidelity is a construct that defines implementation adherence to the defined Wraparound model. The WFAS provides a method for conducting fidelity measurement for the Wraparound process, as specified by the National Wraparound Initiative.
As a fidelity measurement system, WFAS instruments were designed to support both program improvement as well as research. With respect to program improvement, sites or programs delivering services via the Wraparound process can generate profiles, organized by the prescribed activities of the Wraparound process or the 10 principles of Wraparound, to illuminate areas of relative strength and weakness. This information can be used to guide program planning, training, and quality assurance.
With respect to research, data from WFAS instruments can help evaluate whether the Wraparound process has been adequately implemented, and thus aid interpretation of outcomes. In addition, researchers on youth and family services may wish to use WFAS instruments to measure the relationship between adherence to the Wraparound model and outcomes, as a way to explore which aspects of service delivery are most important to child and family well-being.