The Children’s Mental Health Wraparound and Safe at Home programs offered in West Virginia provide a comprehensive, holistic, youth and family-driven way of responding when children or youth experience serious mental health or behavioral challenges. The process builds community-based services and supports to “wrap around” a child or youth and their family in their home, school, and community to help meet their needs.
What to Expect
A support team is formed and works directly with the family and child as they identify their own needs and strengths. With the help of the team, the family and child take the lead in deciding team goals and vision, and in developing creative and individualized services and supports that will help them achieve the goals and vision. The team members work together to put the plan into action, monitor how well it’s working, and adapt as needed during the process.
The team develops a service plan that describes specific strategies for meeting the needs identified by the family. The service plan is individualized, with strategies that reflect the child and family’s culture and preferences.
The team gathers your family, community-based services and natural support people already in your life together to come up with a plan to try to meet your child’s needs and help your family realize the life you have been dreaming of!
Who Qualifies for Wraparound?
- Children’s Mental Health Wraparound is a voluntary program
- Children and youths aged 0-21
- Have mental health or co-occurring diagnoses that substantially interfere with or limit their functioning in family, school, or community activities
- Are at risk of placement, or are currently placed in a psychiatric treatment facility or acute care psychiatric hospital, and cannot return home without extra support, linkage, and services provided by Wraparound
- Are emancipated or in the legal custody of their parent or caregiver
Who Qualifies for Safe at Home?
- Safe at Home is a voluntary program
- Children and youths aged 12-17
- Have mental health or co-occurring diagnoses that substantially interfere with or limit their functioning in family, school, or community activities
- Are at risk of placement, or are currently placed in an in-state or out of state psychiatric treatment facility or acute care psychiatric hospital, and cannot return home without extra support, linkage, and services provided by Safe at Home
How the Safe at Home and Children’s Mental Health Wraparound Process Works:
1. Team Planning & Engagement
During this stage, a support team is formed and the planning process begins. A facilitator or coordinator will be assigned to the family and their job will be to help coordinate the process and work to identify what improvements need to be implemented. Later in the process, the coordinator will help to ensure the child’s voice is heard and that everyone in the family is comfortable with the plan and the decisions being made.
2. Initial Plan Development
During this process, the support team will work together as a group to create a specialized plan for the child and family. The plan designed should be based on your family’s needs and strengths, and be focused on the pre-determined goals for the child and family.
3. Implementation or Putting the Plan into Action
Now that the individualized plan is set, each member of the team will work on the strategies identified in the plan. During this phase the team will meet every couple of weeks. The meetings will focus on how the plan is progressing and begin with each team member listing the accomplishments that have been made and progress reports. It is important during this phase to let the team know what strategies are or are not working for the family. If the plan is not working, this is the time for the support team to come up with new strategies.
4. Transition
When the strategies being used are successful and the child is reaching the outcomes identified, the mission and the goals for the family have been realized. When this happens, the child will be ready for transition which means the family is ready to leave the formal wraparound process. Before leaving, the team should take the time to celebrate all accomplishments and make plans for any follow-up care needed. Be sure the child and family are comfortable and know how to access services and supports in the community, and how to access further services from the support team should they be needed.
How Do I Access Children’s Mental Health Wraparound?
If you have not been referred to Children’s Mental Health Wraparound and feel you or your family would benefit from it, contact your therapist or other mental health provider and ask if your family may be eligible. You may contact our Bridgeport office for more information.
Children’s Mental Health Wraparound services are offered in the following counties: Barbour, Braxton, Brooke, Doddridge, Gilmer, Hancock, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker, Upshur, Wetzel
How Can I Access Safe at Home Services?
Safe at Home referrals must come through the Department of Health and Human Resources, either through Youth Services or Child Protective Services. If interested in working with Safe at Home, contact our Dunbar office for additional information on referral process.
Safe at Home services are offered in the following counties: Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Putnam, Wayne