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CARES Wraparound Services

Life is challenging and sometimes families need support in making positive changes. They may feel stuck while chaos surrounds them, or maybe even like success is too far away. Regardless of the situation, it might feel difficult for families to make changes in their lives.

When families are feeling overwhelmed or not quite sure where to go next, families may need support articulating their goals, and deciding what they need to reach their goals.

LSS CARES Wraparound Services can help families to do just that. CARES Wraparound is an early-intervention service that follows a high fidelity wraparound approach to service delivery by providing care coordination based on the family’s strengths and needs.

Family-driven, Team-based

Families are not alone. The CARES Wraparound team works with family members to identify needs and make a plan to accomplish their goals. Together with the family, the LSS CARES Wraparound team helps to:

  • document the family’s goals
  • highlight the family’s strengths
  • identify natural supports
  • partner with other providers, programs and resources
  • ensure the family’s voice is heard and is at the center of their care plan

Primary Principles

There are ten primary principles that guide LSS CARES Wraparound interactions with all families and other service providers.

  1. The family’s voice is heard, and their choices and decisions are respected.
  2. The family’s identified team is included.
  3. Natural supports are identified and utilized.
  4. Collaboration occurs between all family and team members.
  5. Community-based care is included in the planning.
  6. The family’s culture is recognized and drives care planning.
  7. The program is individualized and personalized.
  8. Services are unconditional and nonjudgmental.
  9. The family and team persist until goals are met.
  10. The team tracks outcomes to measure program success.

Services Provided

The LSS CARES Wraparound team supports families with crisis planning, support planning, care planning, skill development, referrals and support identification. LSS CARES Wraparound partners with other formal supports that may include school staff, therapists, social workers and others who create one collaborative and comprehensive plan to help families work toward their goals.

Proven Success

Yes! CARES Wraparound works and is designed for today’s families. CARES is an evidence-based promising practice model program listed on the California Evidenced-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare website, showing the program’s relevance and scientific support from research professionals. CARES Wraparound is a program of the National Center for Innovation and Excellence (NCFIE). NCFIE oversees the implementation of the CARES Wraparound model and program fidelity to ensure the best outcomes for families.

Enrollment

Referrals are made through school social workers or counselors. An LSS CARES Wraparound team member will contact families after a referral is made to set up an introductory meeting for families to learn more about CARES Wraparound services. Families have the choice to enroll and there is no obligation to participate.

Email LSS CARES Wraparound Services or call 605-403-8038 for more information or to find out if CARES Wraparound Services are available in your community.

 

LSS CARES Wraparound is made possible through a grant from Lutheran Services in America and is a part of Lutheran Service in America’s Family Stabilization Initiative.  Launched in January 2021, The Family Stabilization Initiative is a three-year project where Lutheran Services in America awarded $2.9 million in grants in four target states: Alaska, Montana, South Dakota and Washington. The work under this initiative expands services in underserved communities in the target states and activates community networks to address the disproportionate number of children of color separated from their families.