UCBH/TSS
What is wraparound?
Wraparound is a term used to describe the process of developing individual service plans to meet the needs of troubled children and adolescents. It often recommends treatment to address those needs in the child's school, home or community. The focus of this program is to provide treatment in the least restrictive enviroment, keeping the child within his or her own community. The treatment "wraps" around the child, providing an individualized intervention in a family enviroment.
Who provides the treatment? The Wraparound Team
1. Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS)
The TSS is the person who is typically referred to as the "wraparound". The TSS provides intensive one-on-one interventions to a child/adolescent at home or in the community when the behavior without the intervention would require a more restrictive treatment setting. The TSS implements an individual behavior modification plan with the child and family, provides crisis mangement which does not include crisis intervention, emotional support and time structuring activities.
2. Mobile Therapist (MT)
The MT provides therapy to a child and family in settings other than an agency or office. Mobile Therapy can include individual therapy with the child, family therapy with any of all family members, or therapy with the child and other persons, such as pastor or mentor. The MT writes a Supplemental Therapeutic Intervention Plan for all clients and directs the treatment provided by a TSS.
3. Behavioral Specialist Consultant (BSC)
If there is no need for individual or family therapy, but there are behavioral problems, a BSC is sometimes recommended. The BSC designs and directs the implementation of a behavioral modification plan which is individualized to each child or adolescent and to family needs. The BSC also directs the treatment provided by a TSS. Both the MT and BSC are Master's level therapists. This means that they have a higher level of education and training than the TSS workers.
4. Program Manager (PM)
The Program Manager is responsible for coordinating services for Wraparound clients and for managing the Wraparound program at each site. The PM communicates with the school, parents, and other Treatment Team Members, develops and maintains TSS schedules, schedules interagency meetings and coordinates all Wraparound referrals. Any questions or concerns about the schedule of a TSS while on the job should be addressed to the Program Manager.
5. Psychologist
Wraparound Services can only be provided if they are Medically Necessary. If your child does not see a psychiatrist or psycologist, we will refer to a psychologist who will determine what level of Wraparound Services are necessary.
6. Program Secretary
The Program Secretary may be contacted if you need to cancel an appointment with your TSS, Mobile Therapist, or Behavioral Specialist. Call 1-888-864-0443 or 814-623-2220. In addition, she may also contact you in the event that any of these persons need to cancel their appointment with you.
7. Director of Wraparound
You may or may not come into contact with the Director of Wraparound Services. The Director is responsible for the recritment and hiring of Wraparound persoonel, their performance evaluation and training. The Director develops polocies and procedures and works to improive the quality of services.
Procedures
As you may know, in order to begin recieving Wraparound Services, your child must have an active Medical Assistance Card. Inaddition, you had to attend an interagency/treatment planning meeting and a psychological evaluation. If your child/adolescent is recommended TSS services a packet is completed and sent to the Office of Medical Assistance. Medical Assistance has 21 days to respond, as to whetheror not services are authorized and the amount of units authorized. When an authorization is received the Program Manager wil schedule a meeting to introduce the TSS and review the Supplemental Therapeutic Plan.
Children/adolescents are authorized to receive services in 4 month intervals. As your child approaches the 4 month deadline, the Program Manager will schedule an interagency meeting with the parents and all individuals involved in treatment to determine if services need to continue. If the treatment team feels that a particular service is no longer needed, that service will be tapered and discontinued. However, if all team members agree that services need to continue, the child/adolescent will be scheduled for another psychiatrist performing the evaluation deems the service medically necessay and Medical Assistance authorizes the services. This procedure occurs every 4 months until the client is discharged.
Wraparound Services are meant to be a relatively short-term, intensive intervention. This means that services are time-limited. In most cases, TSS services are tapered as quickly as possible. We encourage parents to work closely with Wraparound Services so that your child receives the maximum benefit possible during that time.
Child and Adolescent Service System Program
The Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) was established in Pennsylvania in the mid 1980's with the intent to educate the public and advocate for childrenwho are seriously emotionally disturbed or "at risk" of emotional distress.
The emphasis of CASSP has been on building partnerships between agencies, school, and families in order to offer coordinated service planning for children and their family. From this effort has been distilled a set of core values often known as the CASSP Principles. Wraparound Services use the following CASSP Principles when providing treatment to children/adolescent in Pennsylvania.
1. Child Centered
Services are tailored to meet the individual needs of the child. Building on the strength of each child, services should be comprehensive, devolpmentally appropiate, and delivered within the contract of the child's family community.
2. Family Focused
The family must be included as a full partner in all aspects of treatment planning for the child. Recognition that the family is the primary support for the child/adolescent is an integral part of the service development.
3. Community Based
Children and Adolescents should remain in their community whenever possible. When a child receives Wraparound Services, instead of going to a program, the program comes to them and adapts to their enviroment and communtiy.
4. Multisystem
Services are to be planned in collaboration with all the child serving systems involved in the child's life. Representatives from all these systems and the family collaborate to define the goals for the child, develop a service plan, provide support to the child and family, and evaluate progress.
5. Culturally Competent
Service providers should recognize and respect the fundamentals beliefs, values, attitudes, customs and language that are unique to each family and incoporate those elements into the delivery of services.
6. Least Restrictive/Least Intrusive
Treatment should be delivered in settings that are most appropiate and natural for the child and family.