10 Principles of the Wraparound Process

Ten Principles of the Wraparound Processstructuring of decision making such that familymembers can select, from among various options,the one(s) that are most consistent with their ownperceptions of how things are, how things shouldbe, and what needs to happen to help the familyachieve its vision of well-being. Wraparoundis a collaborative process (principle 3); howeverwithin that collaboration, family members’ perspectivesmust be the most influential.The principle of voice and choice explicitlyrecognizes that the perspectives of family membersare not likely to have sufficient impact duringwraparound unless intentional activity occurs toensure their voice and choice drives the process.Families of children with emotional and behavioraldisorders are often stigmatized and blamedfor their children’s difficulties. This and otherfactors—including possible differences in socialand educational status between family membersand professionals, and the idea of professionalsas experts whose role is to “fix” the family—canlead teams to discount, rather than prioritize,family members’ perspectives during group discussionsand decision making. These same factorsalso decrease the probability that youth perspectiveswill have impact in groups when adults andprofessionals are present. Furthermore, prior experiencesof stigma and shame can leave familymembers reluctant to express their perspectivesat all. Putting the principle of youth and familyvoice and choice into action thus requires intentionalactivity that supports family members asthey explore their perspectives and as they expresstheir perspectives during the various activitiesof wraparound. Further intentional activitymust take place to ensure that this perspectivehas sufficient impact within the collaborative process,so that it exerts primary influence during decisionmaking. Team procedures, interactions, andproducts—including the wraparound plan—shouldprovide evidence that the team is indeed engagingin intentional activity to prioritize the familyperspectives.While the principle speaks of family voice andchoice, the wraparound process recognizes thatthe families who participate in wraparound, likeAmerican families generally, come in many forms.In many families, it is the biological parents whoare the primary caregivers and who have the deepestand most enduring commitment to a youthor child. In other families, this role is filled byadoptive parents, step-parents, extended familymembers, or even non-family caregivers. In manycases, there will not be a single, unified “family”perspective expressed during the various activitiesof the wraparound process. Disagreements canoccur between adult family members/ caregiversor between parents/caregivers and extendedfamily. What is more, as a young person maturesand becomes more independent, it becomes necessaryto balance the collaboration in ways thatallow the youth to have growing influence withinthe wraparound process. Wraparound is intendedto be inclusive and to manage disagreement byfacilitating collaboration and creativity; however,throughout the process, the goal is always to prioritizethe influence of the people who have thedeepest and most persistent connection to theyoung person and commitment to his or her wellbeing.Special attention to the balancing of influenceand perspectives within wraparound is also necessarywhen legal considerations restrict the extentto which family members are free to make choices.This is the case, for example, when a youth ison probation, or when a child is in protective custody.In these instances, an adult acting for theagency may take on caregiving and/or decisionmaking responsibilities vis-à-vis the child, andmay exercise considerable influence within wraparound.In conducting our review of opinions ofwraparound experts about the principles, this hasbeen one of several points of contention; specifically,how best to balance the priorities of youthand family against those of these individuals. Regardless,there is strong consensus in the field thatthe principle of family voice and choice is a constantreminder that the wraparound process mustplace special emphasis on the perspectives of thepeople who will still be connected to the youngperson after agency involvement has ended.2. Team based. The wraparound teamconsists of individuals agreed upon by thefamily and committed to them throughinformal, formal, and community supportand service relationships.Wraparound is a collaborative process (seeprinciple 3), undertaken by a team. The wrap-