Interagency Staffing Team Wraparound Services

Research suggests that the best strategy to combat serious, violent, and chronic delinquency as well as later adult criminality is early prevention and intervention. Recent research indicates that true prevention services are most effective when elementary and middle school at-risk children are targeted. One major issue faced by those serving at-risk youth and their families is fragmentation among agencies charged with providing these services. Another problem is gaps in services that are not met by traditional services.
The Interagency Staffing Team wraparound service plan addresses the need for holistic
prevention and intervention services that serve youth and their families with multiple needs,including those that are not met by extant programming. The multidisciplinary team assesses referred youth (ages 8 through 13) and their families using a strengths-based model. With the youth and family, the team devises an individualized Family Service Plan. An assigned case service coordinator, under the supervision of a masters level clinician, coordinates the team's services to the family, and an intensive case monitor (ICM) is assigned to mentor the youth when appropriate. The youth and family receive services that are provided for by the existing social
service structure (in a coordinated, non-duplicative effort) as well as non-traditional services such as respite care for parents, school field trips for youth, etc. Regularly scheduled staffings ensure that appropriate services are delivered and needs(which may change with time) are met. The high ratio of service providers ensures that youth and their families are not lost in the system; the communication between agency representatives reduces or eliminates duplication of services. This innovative program goes beyond the boundaries of traditional prevention/intervention programming to serve youth according to best practices established by decades of research.
NCA/NCF

The Youth, Family and Community Partnership (YFCP), an interagency wraparound program serving at-risk youth and their families, will be expanded to address the fragmentation and gaps in services among these agencies. YFCP will integrate information and service delivery, pool information and resources, devise a single strategy for case management and monitoring, and establish school and neighborhood links. Additional strategies will also include cross cultural sensitivity training. Program adherence to the wraparound philosophy will be measured using the Wraparound Fidelity Index (WFI), specifically developed to evaluate wraparound programs. The elements of Wraparound that are assessed by the WFI include: community-based services and supports, parent and youth voice and choice, cultural competence, individualized services, strength-based services, natural supports, continuation of care, collaboration, flexible funding, and outcome-based services.NCA/NCF