Wraparound News Archives - Page 5 of 6 - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

The NWI Welcomes New Researchers to the Team

October 18, 2018 | Emily Taylor

The NWI’s evaluation arm, the Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team (WERT) at the University of Washington, has added two new researchers to the team: Jonathan Olson, Research Scientist and Philip Benjamin, Research Coordinator.

Philip Benjamin and Jon Olson

“The NWI, National Wraparound Implementation Center, and UW WERT all got very lucky in finding both Jonathan and Philip,” said Eric Bruns, Co-Director of the NWI, Director of WERT and Professor in the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

“Jonathan has spent many years focused on the exact phenomena on evaluating the impact of systems-level and workforce efforts to improve the quality of community-based programming, which is what we do, and where we needed high-level research support. Meanwhile, Philip has a Master’s degree in psychology with a focus on evidence-based clinical practices with children and adolescents. This renders him well-qualified to help us ask questions about the level of implementation of both Wraparound and the clinical services to which all Wraparound-enrolled youth need access. They will play pivotal roles in the next phase of our work in supporting the field in implementing high fidelity Wraparound.”

In his role as a Research Scientist with WERT, Jonathan will help support evaluation efforts with the goal of learning about how to best support the implementation of the Wraparound process within local communities across the country. He comes to the team with a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His past research has focused on predictors of internalizing and externalizing outcomes among young people, positive youth development, and the effectiveness of systems designed to support the implementation and sustainability of prevention programs for children, youth, and families. Before joining the WERT team, Jonathan taught research methods and statistics classes at Bastyr University, and conducted applied research on technical assistance and support systems at Penn State University. He is excited to use these experiences to help guide evaluations of Wraparound technical assistance systems and implementation efforts. In his personal time, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, and is usually engaged in some form of outdoor adventures, including running, mountain biking, hiking, and boating.

As a Research Coordinator with WERT, Philip will help support the team’s leaders in their evaluation efforts with the goal of learning about how to best support the implementation of Wraparound services within local communities across the country. Philip recently graduated from the University of Washington department of psychology with a Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment. Prior to this, he worked in community mental health (Childhaven and Youth Eastside Services). Philip enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and puppy.

Sept. 11 Webinar: How to Be a Successful Wraparound Provider Organization: Necessary Organizational Supports for Wraparound

September 4, 2018 | Emily Taylor

On Sept. 11 from 10-11 a.m. PDT/ 1 to 2 p.m. EDT, the National Wraparound Initiative and the National Wraparound Implementation Center are hosting a webinar on the Wraparound Provider Organization certification. Kim Estep will present the details of the certification, which includes a timeline of critical elements spanning organizational readiness, supervision, and care coordinator activities related to successful installation of Wraparound in a provider organization.

Register for the webinar»

NWI’s Eric Bruns Quoted on Wraparound Model in Schools

August 29, 2018 | Emily Taylor

A recent article in the Hechinger Report focused on the success of preschool programs that provide support for the entire family. Eric Bruns, co-director of NWI, leader of the Wraparound Evaluation & Research (WERT) team, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, is quoted in the article: “It’s almost just a universal truism that the earlier you start working with a family that shows any sign of need for extra support, the earlier you intervene, the better the outcomes you’re going to achieve.”

Read more about Wraparound model in schools»

Brian McBride Promoted to Director of Wraparound Milwaukee

July 25, 2018 | Emily Taylor

Earlier this month, the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division announced that Brian McBride has been promoted to director of Wraparound Milwaukee. In his 16 years with Wraparound Milwaukee, McBride has worked as care coordinator, supervisor, program manager and most recently, interim director. Established in 1995 and part of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division (BHD), Wraparound Milwaukee is a nationally recognized program providing comprehensive care for children with serious emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.

Read the article»

TOM 2.0 Now Integrated with WrapTrack

June 26, 2018 | Emily Taylor

The Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team (WERT) is excited to announce that the Team Observation Measure, Version 2.0 (TOM 2.0) has been built into their online data entry and reporting system, WrapTrack. Users can now enter their TOM 2.0 data into the system and run automatic reports to calculate total and subscale scores across care coordinators and organizations.

The TOM 2.0 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.

1. Full Meeting Attendance

2. Effective Teamwork

3. Driven by Strengths and Families

4. Based on Priority Needs

5. Use of Natural and Community Supports

6. Outcomes-Based Process

7. Skilled Facilitation

For more information about the TOM 2.0 and WrapTrack visit WERT’s website»

Latest Wraparound Research Available on NWI Site

March 23, 2018 | Emily Taylor

The NWI site’s Latest Wraparound Research page has been updated with the most recently published research articles including the following:

  • Yohannan, J., Carlson, J. S., Shepherd, M., & Batsche-McKenzie, K. (2017). Exploring attrition, fidelity, and effectiveness of wraparound services among low-income youth of different racial backgrounds. Families, Systems & Health: The Journal of Collaborative Family Healthcare, 35(4), 430-438.
  • Snyder, A., Marton, J., McLaren, S., Feng, B., Zhou, M. (2017). Do high fidelity Wraparound services for youth with serious emotional disturbances save money in the long-term? The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, (20), 167-175.
  • Walker, J. S., Seibel, C. L., & Jackson, S. (2017). Increasing Youths’ Participation in Team-Based Treatment Planning: The Achieve My Plan Enhancement for Wraparound. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26(8), 1–11.

April 26 Webinar: Measuring Wraparound Fidelity in Systems of Care

March 21, 2018 | Emily Taylor

Part of the Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) National Evaluation Web Event Training Series, this webinar will feature presenters from NWI providing an overview of the processes and technologies associated with ensuring quality and accountability in Wraparound care coordination. Topics covered will include the Wraparound Fidelity Assessment System (WFAS), WrapSTAR and the new Wraparound Implementation Practice Standards (WIPS), as well as strategies for incorporating fidelity assessments into already existing data collection procedures and timelines.

PRESENTERS

  • Eric Bruns, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
  • Spencer Hensley, BA, Technical Assistance Specialist, University of Washington
  • April Sather. MPH, Research Project Director,
    University of Washington

MODERATOR

  • Abram Rosenblatt, PhD, Project Director, CMHI National Evaluation, Westat

Register for the webinar»

New Report: Turnover Among Wraparound Care Coordinators

February 12, 2018 | Emily Taylor

The National Wraparound Initiative and National Wraparound Implementation Center have produced a new report, Turnover among Wraparound Care Coordinators: Perspectives on causes, impacts and remedies. This report provides findings from a national survey and follow-up interviews with selected survey participants, and provides information on how turnover rates can be lowered. A recorded webinar, covering key findings from the report and including questions and discussion, is also available.

Access the report»

Access the webinar»

TA Monthly Minute on Coordinating Wraparound with Evidence Based Practice

January 16, 2018 | Emily Taylor

In November 2017, the TA Network published a Monthly Minute on understanding the importance of coordinating Wraparound with evidence based practice. Wraparound has been the focus of more than 100 research studies, including 20 controlled outcome studies. In case you missed it, this animated video provides an overview of the topic and is accompanied by links to educational materials for caregivers and young adults.

NWI Nov. 7 Webinar on Turnover in Wraparound Available Online

January 12, 2018 | Emily Taylor

In case you missed our popular Nov. 7 webinar “Turnover Among Wraparound Care Coordinators: Rates, Causes, Impacts and Remedies,” the recording and presentation are available on the NWI site, along with all previous NWI webinars. Presenters discussed the NWI/NWIC study of turnover among care coordinators in Wraparound and implications regarding the rate, impacts, causes and remedies of turnover.

Access the webinar recording»