Practice and Process in Wraparound Teamwork

Using a Theory of Change to Drive Human Resource Development for Wraparound

“…In turn, the activities of the wraparound process are consistent with best practices for effective teamwork (Walker and Schutte 2004). Thus, when the principles and practice activities come together into effective, values-driven teamwork, the result is a high-quality, high-fidelity wraparound process carried out by a well-functioning team that is "cohesive"-i.e., its members (both professionals and family) have developed a shared view of, and commitment to, the team's purpose and its plan, which, in the case of wraparound, must fully reflect the principles.…”

“…What is more, as is true for members of cohesive teams in general (Walker and Schutte 2004), the members of a well-functioning, cohesive wraparound team are committed to meeting the needs the team has identified, optimistic about meeting those needs, and motivated to carry out their roles in implementing the strategies the team selects to achieve outcomes and move closer to needs met. Because the team is adhering to processes and procedures that are consistent with effective teamwork, the team is capable of prioritizing the most important goals and able to devise creative strategies that are likely to produce progress toward achieving the goals and the family's vision.…”

“…The team also holds itself accountable, continually monitoring plan implementation and progress on needs/goals, and revising or altering strategies as required. The research base on effective teamwork is quite strong, and more detail on how this research applies in the wraparound context is provided elsewhere (Walker and Schutte 2004 • Increased social support and community integration…”

“…1. This article presents only a basic description of the theory and the research rationale that underlies it; however, each of the main causal connections of the theory as outlined below is backed by substantial research evidence that is described in more detail elsewhere (Walker 2008;Walker and Schutte 2004).…”

“…Researchers working with the National Wraparound Initiative have been concerned with developing an explicit program theory, and several iterations of a theory of change for wraparound have been published (Walker 2008;Walker and Schutte 2004). A program theory or theory of change presents a series of hypotheses about the causal connections between the program's activities, intermediate outcomes and its ultimate goals, explicitly laying out the assumptions regarding the mechanisms that actually create the desired impacts (Bickman 2000;Donaldson 2007;Frechtling 2007;Rogers 2000;Savaya and Waysman 2005).…”