Understanding the Wraparound Process

Wraparound focuses on using child and family strengths and supports to develop a service map that helps families reach their goals.

Wraparound is a creative process, not a program or service. The family and their child, along with other people who are important to the child or family, are a team. The Service Coordinator works with this team to develop the service map based on the strengths the child and family already have, as well as the available resources.

Strength based plans are built around things the child and family likes, is good at and has interest in, as well as what has worked in the past. The Service Coordinator looks for strengths in order to learn about the child and family, discover resources and supports the child and family may already have.

Strength based plans include:

• Discover what resources and support your family already has (i.e. family, neighbors, friends, or even church or sports)
• Learn about your family and child
• Get a balanced picture of your family (maybe people have only heard the negatives and problems)

Wraparound includes:

• Child-centered/family focused
• Focus on child and family
• Family voice and choice
• Involvement of extended family members and other significant people
• Family developed teams working together
• Development of individualized care plans
• Community-based, traditional and non-traditional supports and services
• Cultural competence especially as it is related to family's beliefs, values and customs
• Unconditional/non-judgmental support for child and family
• Continuous evaluation of goals

Children are referred from various referral sources such as: parent advocates, child welfare, juvenile court, education, and mental health.

In Indiana, many children do not qualify for “emotional handicap” status because they may have behavior/conduct disorders which do not qualify them for services under Indiana Article 7. Behavioral issues exhibited in the classroom can force many school systems that lack resources for effective behavioral interventions, to expel students. This project will focus on these students in the recruitment process, and through support and expanded services, such as tutoring, mentoring, and in-classroom support, aim to keep youth in their home schools.