WRAPAROUND through Lake County
Local Area Network (LAN) 35
Original Presentation Prepared By: Patti Leppala-Bardell
Contributions from the Collaborative Effort of DCFS & ISBE Wraparound Training Cycles 1-6 and the
Northern Region LANS “Creating Success for Children & Families through Wraparound Training”
Modified October 2011 for use by LAN 35
Training Goals
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Gain a clear understanding of the Wraparound
Process
Learn what a LAN is and how it is connected to the
Wraparound Process
Develop an understanding of the role of the
Wraparound Facilitator and others on the Child and
Family Team
Understand process for identification of strengths &
needs
Gain an understanding of Lake County LAN 35
wraparound presentation process
Provide contact information & forms for presentation
to the Lake County LAN 35
Wraparound is a
process
Wraparound
is not something
you “get”….
It’s something you do
Historical Overview –
Wraparound
The Beginning of “Wraparound”
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John Brown and colleagues in Canada developed
programs that were needs-based, unconditional
and provided individualized services.
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1975 In the U.S., the process began to be used
at Kaleidoscope in Chicago, led by Karl Dennis,
and was referred to as “individualized services”.
(Focal Point, 2003)
Historical Overview
of Wraparound (cont.)
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1980’s Wraparound term was coined in early 80’s
by Dr. Lenore Behar of North Carolina
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1985 Alaska officials sought consultation from
Kaleidoscope (Illinois) and formed the Alaska
Youth Initiative.
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Alaska’s efforts were replicated quickly by
Washington, Vermont and 30 other states.
(Focal Point, 2003)
Historical Overview –
Wraparound in Illinois
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1987 The Community and Residential Services
Authority (CRSA) initiated interagency discussions
regarding reform of the way state agencies
provided services to families.
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1991 ISBE began to redirect educational dollars
spent on residential placements to communitybased project sites.
Historical Overview –
Wraparound in Illinois
(cont.)
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1991 ISBE also started to utilize the wraparound
process.
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1993 Four state agencies (DHS MH/DD, DCFS,
DASA, and ISBE) issued a joint letter announcing
that they were ready to proceed with the
development of statewide Child & Adolescent
Local Area Networks (C&A LANs).
Historical Overview –
Wraparound in Illinois

(cont.)
1993-1994 Local Area Networks (LANs) were
established with geographical boundaries creating
62 LANs across Illinois.
1994 The Department of Children and Family
Services committed to utilizing LANs as its local
infrastructure to plan, develop and manage
services to respond to the real needs of youth
and families in their communities.
 Present The 62 Illinois LANS continue to operate
through contributions from DCFS & ISBE
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What is a LAN?
LAN is the acronym for Local Area Network.
 LANs are voluntary, community based
networks in geographically designated areas
of Illinois.
 The networks seek to bring together
stakeholders who have an interest in the
welfare of youth and families to plan together
to improve service delivery.
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Why Have LANs?
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Better use of school/community based
resources
Changes focus from negative approach to
building upon positive behaviors
Increases community coordination &
collaboration
Provides flexible, individualized approach to
helping students and their families
Contains costs and demonstrates cost
effectiveness
LAN funding sources
DCFS
Family Centered Services
ISBE
Flexible Funds
IDEA Discretionary Funds
(Flex Funds)
62 Illinois LANs
Cook County LANs
How is a LAN connected to
Wraparound?
 Each
LAN has a Wraparound Committee
that approves Flexible Funding for
individual Wraparound Plans and budgets.
 LAN generally offers additional ideas or
suggestions to the Child & Family Team for
blending programs and funds, and
accessing resources.
 LAN funds are time-limited & capped.
And what is
Wraparound?
“The approach is really very simple. It is what you
would do for youth and families if you really liked
them and if you were given the tools that would
allow you not to give up on them. It is what you
would do if you could break free from the
constraints that our professional training and
agency structures place upon our desire to do
what makes sense.”
Quote from Karl Dennis of Kaleidoscope, Inc.
Wraparound Values
Builds on strengths to meet needs
 One family, one plan
 Increased parent choice
 Increased family independence
 Care for youth in context of families
 Care for families in context of community
 Never give up approach
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Who can be referred to LAN
35 (Lake County LAN)?
Any youth in Lake County Illinois, ages 3-21,
at risk of, or experiencing, truancy,
suspensions, and/or expulsion from school
 Any youth at risk of educational failure due to
behavioral and/or academic issues. ISBE goal
is “to improve educational outcomes.”
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*Any child can benefit from the wraparound process.
Step 1: Child & Family
Team
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A good professional team member should……
“check your title at the door but bring your
expertise to the table.”
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Members: Youth, Adult Caregiver,
Facilitator, Formal Supports & Informal
Supports
The Team
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Natural/Informal
 “Family” members
 Neighbors and friends
 Church Members
 Other people that the “family” is regularly in contact
with
Professional/Formal
 School Personnel
 Counselors
 Child Welfare Caseworkers
 Others
Sample Team
School
Therapist
Faith Based
Support
Facilitator
Child and Family
Friends and
Neighbors
Mentor
Caregiver/
Biological
Parent
Social Service
Personnel
The Facilitator
Facilitate: to make easier or less difficult; help
forward (an action, a process, etc.): to assist
the progress of (a person).
 Facilitator may be the school social worker,
therapist, community casemanager, mentor,
ICG worker, post-adoption worker or any
other person identified as the person who will
lead the process.
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Facilitator Responsibilities
Organize the Team
 Facilitate Child & Family Team Meetings
 Document the Plan
 Explore community based resources
 Identify costs for requested services
 Manage the Team and Plan over Time
 Complete follow-up until plan’s closing
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Step 2: Develop Mission
Statement
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Mission Statement is the family’s view of a
better life. “What are our plans & goals?”
Normalization
 Futuring
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Goal statements are based on life, not
treatment.
Step 3: Identify Strengths
All people have strengths, unique to them.
 Strengths are the things that pull people
through the hard times.
 Change is supported by building on strengths.
 Functional Strengths
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What can the family do?
 What are their problem solving skills?
 How have those skills worked for them?
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Listening for Strengths
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Traits & Talents--Who is the youth/family & what
are their characteristics?
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Skills and Abilities--What can the youth/family do?
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Attributes and History--Who was involved, and what
did they contribute?
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Preferences--What else would feel real and valid for
this youth/family?
Step 4: Identify Needs by
Life Domain
Don’t assume you know what’s best.
 Needs are not services; Services are often
the way we meet the need.
 Examine needs through each life domain.
 Change begins when people feel respected &
supported.
 Avoid hidden agendas.
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Life Domain Areas
Family/Attachment
 Physical Needs/Living Situation
 Safety
 Educational/Vocational
 Cultural/Spiritual
 Health
 Emotional/Psychological
 Socialization
 Legal
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Points to consider by domain:
physical/living
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Physical needs/living situation: basic needs
such as food, shelter with adequate utilities,
space and furniture. Being free of physical
hazards for self and others.
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Examples: Need a place to feel safe, need a place to keep
possessions, need a place where heat and water are
reliably provided, and need for nutritional nourishment.
Need for separate bedrooms for youths & adults, need for
adequate security/locks and need to reside in a
structurally sound place.
Points to consider:
cultural/spiritual
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Cultural/Spiritual: beliefs, customs, arts &
institutions of a particular society and/or
organized religion and takes into
consideration ethnicity, race, gender, age,
and sexual orientation.
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Examples: Need to maintain connections, or reconnect,
with people of own’s race, religion, language or other
aspect of culture, need for emotional support and
understanding from others of the same sexual orientation
Points to consider: family
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Family: Who is in the family? What are the
roles and responsibilities to one another in
relation to the family structure? Broad
definition of family--includes other individuals
outside of blood relations.
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Examples: Need for access among family members, need
for clear definition of adult role and child role, need to
function in a manner that benefits the entire family.
Points to consider:
educational/vocational
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Educational/Vocational: process of learning
and how and where people learn and/or
acquire skills for employment
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Need specific ways of learning or understanding
material, need assistance with homework, need to
learn job skills, and need to graduate from school
Points to consider:
health/medical
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Health/Medical: Any physical or medical
conditions that may exist within the family
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Need for certain medications or procedures, need
for certain ongoing medical treatments, and a
need for regular health maintenance. Need to
take medications as prescribed at school.
Points to consider: safety
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Safety: Issues relating to the need for safety
for the youth and family and in the
community at large; identification of need for
crisis planning
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Need to feel and be safe, need to be in an
environment that provides some degree of safety;
need to have plan to achieve safety
Points to consider:
social/recreational
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Social and Recreational: Addresses the
interrelationship of people in society as well
as the need to engage in leisurely pursuits in
order to refresh and relax oneself.
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Need for communication, need to relate to others in a way
that is valued and respected, and need to create a positive
daily routine and environment.
Continued..
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Need to engage in physical activity, need to occupy
time in a constructive manner, and the need to
pursue activities that are pleasurable and soothing.
Need for, and ability to, interact with others in
productive and positive ways. Need to have fun as
an individual and family. Need access to
appropriate resources. Need to have friends at
school in structured and unstructured settings.
Points to consider: legal
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Legal: Relates to matters of the law or legal
system and its functions
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Need for definition of legal custody, need for
court protection, need for legal representation,
and need to complete terms of specific court
obligations
Step 5: Prioritize Needs
Using family voice and perspective, the team
selects the most important needs to work on
during the coming time frame.
 Identify possible resources/services to meet
needs.
 Identify Costs for requested services
 Present case to the wraparound council for
brainstorming, if needed.
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Step 6: Develop Action
Strategies & Assign Tasks
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The team should:
Brainstorm strategies that will help the family
move forward.
 Recommend service linkages. Research costs.
 Ensure action strategies are tied to the strengths
of the family & support the mission statement.
 Assign tasks, time frames and specific follow-up
activities.
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Step 7: Document the Plan
Document the plan on the applicable form for
the LAN. (Note: each LAN may have unique forms)
 Develop a mechanism for evaluating if it is
working and plan to change it as necessary.
 Determine strategies for transition from
formal supports toward informal, responsive
supports over time. (Remember, wraparound
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supports are time-limited.)
Step 8: Present Wrap Plan to
Screening Committee
Schedule an appointment with the LAN coconvener.
 Bring original plan SIGNED by
parent/guardian AND child, if child is over age
of 12
 Be prepared to answer questions about the
family and the plan
 LAN Screening Committee will vote on the
plan
 Facilitator will notify providers of approvals
and/or next steps.
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Lake County LAN 35 mtgs
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The Lake County LAN 35 meets every first Thursday of the
month.
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The LAN Steering Committee meets from 9-10 a.m. for business
agenda and resource sharing.
The LAN Screening Committee hears cases following the business
meeting, beginning at 10 a.m.
Meetings for January, March, April, June, July, September &
October are held at Allendale’s Bradley Counseling Center,
located at 450 W. Grand Avenue, Lake Villa, IL,
Meetings for February, May, August and November are held
in the large conference area first floor, Vista Medical Center
at 2615 Washington Street, Waukegan, IL 60085
Brainstorming
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Cases can be presented to the wraparound council
to assist with identification of possible services,
supports, and linkages in advance of formal
presentation of the plan.
If identifying information is to be shared, written
release from the parent and youth for such
exchange of information should be provided.
Please note that summer camp requests should be
submitted by April each year.
The Presentation
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To present a case to the Wraparound Council, the team
facilitator should contact Merlean Lovelady at 847-362-2111
to obtain a time for the agenda. (Note:If the parent and/or
youth will be attending the presentation, please indicate so
when calling.)
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The facilitator has 10 minutes reserved to present the case
needs, including a brief summary of the family history,
strengths, and needs.
The plan and the “Application for Flex Funds” page should be
thoroughly completed with specifics of agency, cost and
service type requested.
The Budget
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Services/Goods can be approved only for 90 days per
request. Caps exist.
Copies of overdue bills should accompany any requests for
payment.
Inquiries should be made to agencies in advance of council
presentation to explore possible scholarship or reduced fee
options.
Checks should be made out to providers whose names are
listed on the approved Application for Flex Funds form.
Providers must provide receipts.
Follow-up
The facilitator is responsible for providing
follow-up on each case presented. (Refer to
follow-up form.)
 Follow-ups should occur no later than 90 days
after approval is granted.
 Follow-ups should be presented in person.
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Lake County LAN
Wraparound Forms
Authorization for Release of Information
 Wraparound Plan
 Child & Family Team Member Signature
Sheet
 Application for Flexible Funds
 Follow-Up Form
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Lake Co. LAN 35 Contacts
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For questions about a LAN 35 case, please
contact:
Co-Convener Linda Amundsen 847-986-2325
 Co-Convener Sali Martin 847-838-0680
 Julie Pettinato Lake Co Health Dept 847-377-8965
 Judy Griffeth Allendale 847-245-6330
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Or please visit our LAN 35 blog at:
http://lakecountylan35.wordpress.com
Statewide Contacts
DCFS LAN Liaison
LANs 34, 35, 47
Phil Biage
Phone: 630-801-3480 Email: Phillip.Biage@illinois.gov
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Community & Residential Services Authority (CRSA)
Jude Deangelo
Phone: 877-541-2772 Email: Jude.deangelo@illinois.gov
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Questions?