Empowering Families: Navigating Mental Health with CBH’s Transformative High-Fidelity Wraparound Program

Balancing work and childcare responsibilities often poses a challenge for many parents and primary caregivers across the U.S., with potential long-term effects on the mental health of children and young adults.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the emotional well-being of parents impacts the mental health of children and young adults. A recent study reports that 1 in 14 children has a caregiver experiencing poor mental health. Additionally, a 2022 report found that 66%of working parents suffer from parental burnout. The report highlights that inaccessible parenting support, particularly for parents of children with behavioral health challenges, is a major risk factor for burnout, which is linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and alcohol use.

Parents accessing behavioral health care may face emotional, physical, and financial challenges that can create barriers or gaps in obtaining treatment services. To help bridge these lapses in care, CBH developed the High-Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) Program to address the high-level behavioral health needs of eligible youth and their families. The HFW team also assists families with identifying community resources.

WHAT IS HFW?

CBH established its HFW team in 2017 to focus on children and young adults with a behavioral health diagnosis, intensive behavioral health services, and extensive system involvement. CBH identified treatment and support barriers for youth who, due to high behavioral health concerns, have experienced psychiatric hospitalizations or clinical interventions in a bed-based setting or residential care home.

The HFW team-based planning process was designed to help youth and their families focus on their specific strengths and needs. The HFW staff builds a team around the family to ensure adequate support. This team includes all involved system partners and providers as well as any family members, friends, or community members who help the family in any way.

The HFW team works with families to ensure that children can safely remain in the community, with their families, whenever possible. The team helps families identify preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of future crises and helps youth and families connect to their communities through school, work, and other activities.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR HFW?

Children aged 5 to 21 with multi-system involvement and diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or any depressive or bipolar disorder, who have experienced two or more behavioral health crises resulting in formal intervention, such as a visit to the crisis response center (CRC) or admission to an acute inpatient hospital or residential treatment facility.

HOW DOES HFW WORK?

Once accepted into HFW, families attend an orientation, learn about the program, meet their HFW workforce team, and schedule their first monthly meeting. Each youth and their family work with a HFW Facilitator, a Youth Support Partner (YSP), and a Family Support Partner (FSP) to establish and achieve a measurable goal. Planning meetings are held every 30 days or more often as needed. Throughout each phase, the HFW team actively engages with the youth and family to help them achieve their 30-day goal and identify any barriers.

The HFW Facilitator leads monthly meetings, documents Action Plans, and maintains contact with system partners and providers to ensure their active participation. The YSP works closely with the youth to comprehensively understand their viewpoints and preferences, ensuring their voices are heard and valued within the team. The FSP works directly with the youths’ caregivers, ensuring they are actively engaged and making progress toward their monthly action steps.

HOW DO YOUTH / FAMILIES GET REFERRED?

Families meeting the HFW eligibility criterion can be referred to the program through CBH’s Complex Care Program by anyone, including self-referrals.

For more information about HFW or to find out if you are eligible for CBH services, contact Member Services at 888-545-2600. For additional questions, please contact Amy Swett, Clinical Coordinator for Children’s Complex Care.

CBH is dedicated to delivering a strong support system through our the HFW program for members with the greatest need. The HFW team helps empower youth and their families with complex needs by providing them with the attention and support they require to reach their self-identified goals.