About Us
Vision
The National Wraparound Initiative envisions a future in which all children and youth are connected to caring adults and have access to appropriate services and supports so they can live and thrive in their homes and communities.
Mission
The National Wraparound Initiative promotes understanding of the components and benefits of care coordination using the Wraparound practice model and provides the field with resources and guidance that facilitate high quality and consistent Wraparound implementation.
Our Work
NWI was developed in 2004 to address the need to define a Wraparound practice model, discussed potential methods for conducting such work, and described specific products that should result.
In 2014, the NWI launched the National Wraparound Implementation Center (NWIC). NWIC supports states, communities, and organizations to implement Wraparound effectively through training and workforce development, organizational- and system-level technical assistance, and evaluation support.
The NWI is also supported by the Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team at the University of Washington. UW WERT provides research, evaluation, and data support on Wraparound care coordination to help make the vision of the NWI a reality.
Accomplishments & Approach
The National Wraparound Initiative (NWI) engages national experts in a process to define the Wraparound practice model, develop standards, compile specific strategies and tools, and disseminate information about how to implement the Wraparound model in a way that can achieve positive outcomes for youth and families. As a result, the Wraparound movement has become more cohesive and more credible:
View Accomplishments
- Wraparound care coordination is now implemented in nearly every U.S. state. Over half of all U.S. states have a statewide Wraparound initiative.
- The Wraparound evidence base has expanded to the point that Wraparound is considered “evidence based,” on the strength of nearly 20 experimental studies. Research has also illuminated the importance of specific implementation supports for Wraparound, further guiding the field.
- A range of standardized and validated fidelity and implementation measures now exist, helping Wraparound programs and initiatives to be more accountable to funders–as well as youth and families–and facilitating continual improvement in quality and outcomes.
- Whereas the NWI was initially founded out of a need to better define Wraparound practice and implementation support, we are now focused on directly supporting youth, families, and communities to implement high-quality Wraparound. In addition to launching NWIC, the NWI continues to support “real world” implementation by providing resources, hosting webinars, aiding in dissemination of fidelity measures, and sustaining a more vibrant and interactive national community of practice.