Wraparound care coordination is associated with positive outcomes related to residential status, school functioning, mental health symptoms, mental health functioning, and costs.

Background

Children and youth with complex behavioral health needs often lack access to needed behavioral health services. Moreover, children and youth served by public behavioral health systems are frequently involved with other family- and child-serving systems (e.g., welfare, juvenile justice). Wraparound is a comprehensive, team-based, individualized approach to care planning and coordination for children and youth with complex behavioral health needs. This study reviewed and conducted a meta-analysis on the evidence base for Wraparound’s impact on outcomes for children and youth.

Findings

This review assessed 17 studies on Wraparound with experimental or quasi-experimental design for outcomes related to residential outcomes (9 studies), mental health functioning (9 studies), mental health symptoms (6 studies), juvenile justice involvement (5 studies), school functioning (4 studies), and costs (3 studies). Across outcomes, Wraparound was found to have a modest but positive impact. For specific categories, Wraparound was associated with positive residential outcomes (i.e., more stable/less restrictive placements), improved school functioning, reduced mental health symptoms, improved mental health functioning, and reduced costs. The most significant positive effects were for residential outcomes. There was no significant impact on juvenile justice outcomes. Increased impact was found for studies of programs with higher Wraparound model fidelity and those serving a higher percentage of youth of color.

Program/Policy Takeaways

A robust evidence base demonstrates that Wraparound care coordination benefits children and youth with complex behavioral needs across a range of outcomes. Policymakers may consider how to further support and sustain high-fidelity Wraparound programs.