What are Formal Supports?
We classify formal supports as paid supports where services are provided by an agency. Agencies that provide formal supports includes:
- Department of Social Services
- Department of Mental Health
- Juvenile Justice
- Health Services (medical treatment)
- Mentors
- Education and Schools
These are formal supports because you must go through an agency to access services within these formal agencies. When accessing these agencies there is paperwork that must be filled out, a criteria of qualification is followed, and sometimes not all families qualify for the service they want.
These types of services involves many people in the families life and when a family apply to these different agencies separately the services they receive are not coordinated but are administered by a strict guideline set by federa, state and county governments.
Initially when family are enrolled in the wraparound process some formal supports are provided with an emphasis on gradually moving from formal supports to natural supports over time.
Now, in an integrated model of service implementation, the child and family would have one plan of care that they will develop. The family would be in the driver’s seat and actively participate in determining what that plan of care will be for their family.
They will also participate in the development and approval of that plan of care while working with a trained, skilled facilitors who will help them create this plan of care. The facilitor is call a care coordinator. It is important to note that the wraparound process is a process for the integration of services to help families stay togther; identify their strengths and address their needs.