Wraparound has become a predominant tool for implementing interagency systems of care. The system of care concept was developed in the mid-1980s as a response to (a) a dearth of mental health and other services for students; (b) the fragmentation of services across mental health, education, child welfare and juvenile justice services; and (c) the history of poor outcomes for students with emotional disturbance and their families. The key idea behind the development of a system of care was a coordinated network of community-based services that is organized to meet student and family needs rather than agency needs.
Systems of Care Parents of children and youth who need mental health supports are often expected to communicate with more than one service system. These services might be related to juvenile justice, children and family services, special education, mental health, and developmental disabilities. When these services are not coordinated well, parents are left on their […]
