Wraparound Blog
New Animated Video for Families Helps Wraparound Data Collection in West Virginia
May 21, 2023 | Eric Bruns
Youth with complex needs and their families depend on systems, organizations, and practitioners to provide timely, engaging, high-quality services. As such, measuring timeliness, engagement, fidelity – and most importantly, outcomes – is critical to making sure systems, programs, and practitioners are actually delivering effective care.
However, we also know that collecting data on these things is difficult. Getting input from youth and caregivers is particularly challenging given all the demands on their time.
In West Virginia, the statewide Wraparound initiative is committed to collecting – and using – data on outcomes, fidelity, and provider and system readiness. As part of this effort, West Virginia has an impressive effort underway to collect youth, caregiver, and practitioner data using the Wraparound Fidelity Index, Short Form (WFI-EZ).
Hubbed at the statewide Center of Excellence for Recovery at Marshall University, West Virginia uses the WrapStat system from University of Washington Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team to systematically maintain a roster of all Wraparound-enrolled youth across nearly 30 providers and multiple funding streams. Marshall then uses WrapStat’s automated systems – plus a clear plan and hard work – to get WFI-EZ data with a good response rate that assures the data is reliable, valid, and useful to meet their information needs.
The evaluation team just unveiled a new component of their statewide Wraparound evaluation plan. Lydia Shaw, M.S., TCOM and Wraparound Fidelity Coordinator at the Center of Excellence used the online program Vyond to create a 2-minute video, which explains the WFI-EZ survey process for caregivers and staff in clear, accessible language, complete with animations.
As described by Ms. Shaw, “we at Marshall University wanted to make sure to explain the WFI-EZ in a way that was easily understood by all who complete surveys in WV. We have used Vyond in the past as a means to create bite sized animated informational videos and decided this would be a great route to go for our WV Families.”
According to Lydia and her colleagues, after they created the video, it wasshared with Care Coordinators and added to the Family Instructions Forms that are shared with families randomly sampled to receive surveys. When necessary, Care Coordinators also show the video to selected families to help them complete the Caregiver WFI-EZ forms.
Lydia and the team in West Virginia encourage others to use their video as inspiration. We hope other states will share their own innovative methods to encourage data collection and use with us at the NWI and UW WERT as well!