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Is It Wraparound Yet? Setting Quality Standards for Implementation of the Wraparound Process

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Abstract

The wraparound process has increasingly been used as a mechanism to plan and coordinate services for children with behavioral health needs and their families. This has led to growing interest in assessing wraparound implementation against standards for quality. However, there has been little consideration of how best to establish such benchmarks or guidelines. Using both a norm-referenced and criterion-referenced approach, this study established preliminary criteria for assessing the adequacy of wraparound implementation using the Wraparound Fidelity Index, version 3, a multi-informant interview that assesses conformance to wraparound principles. The evaluation system was then applied to ten wraparound programs and 11 different study samples assessed via the Wraparound Fidelity Index version 3 in research studies. The system was constructed to discriminate different wraparound conditions assessed in research studies while still being attainable by the ten established wraparound programs. Implications for evaluating wraparound programs and for setting fidelity benchmarks in behavioral health services research are discussed.

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Acknowledgment

This research received support from several sources, including the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; the Child, Adolescent, and Family Unit of the Vermont Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services; and ORC Macro, Inc. We would like to thank April Sather, MPH, for her assistance in manuscript preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy, University of Washington School of Medicine, 2815 Eastlake Ave E, Suite 200, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA

    Eric J. Bruns PhD

  2. Center on Disability and Community Inclusion, University of Vermont, 311 Mann Hall, 208 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT, 05405-1757, USA

    Jesse C. Suter PhD

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, John Dewey Hall, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA

    Kristen Leverentz-Brady PhD

Authors
  1. Eric J. Bruns PhD
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  2. Jesse C. Suter PhD
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  3. Kristen Leverentz-Brady PhD
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Correspondence to Eric J. Bruns PhD.

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Bruns, E.J., Suter, J.C. & Leverentz-Brady, K. Is It Wraparound Yet? Setting Quality Standards for Implementation of the Wraparound Process. J Behav Health Serv Res 35, 240–252 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-008-9109-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-008-9109-3

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