Developing Wraparound Learning Communities to Support Successful

Implementation Julie Radlauer-Doerfler The Ronik-Radlauer Group, Inc.

Jill Sorensen Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network

Lauren Zuchman Behavioral Health Initiatives

Opening Exercise

What is Wraparound?

• A committed group of individuals

• Working together as a team

• Collaboratively solving challenges

• Creating a better future for families

What is a Learning Community?

• Our Definition: A group of committed individuals that collaborates, shares information, exchanges resources and supports the successful implementation of Wraparound across communities.

Sound Familiar?

What is the Purpose?

• Increase the scope of participants and enhance the sharing of knowledge and discussion

• Share experiences with the Wraparound tools

• Track and report on whether techniques have worked

• Examine effective strategies and practice skills

• Act as a support network

• Provide information about current trends in Wraparound and what is happening in your community

What’s in it for you?

• Emotional support (change is not easy)

• Social networking is motivating and enjoyable (having fun is a good thing)

• Designed to address YOUR felt needs

• Tools, resources and information

• Lots of ideas

• Opportunity to bounce ideas off of others – less time needed to address challenges

• Real time answers to real time questions

• Shared data collection

Motivation

Motivation to share knowledge is critical to success in communities of practice (CoP). • Studies show that members are motivated to become active participants in a CoP when they

view knowledge as meant for the public good, a moral obligation and/or as a community interest (Ardichvilli, Page & Wentling 2003).

• Members of a community of practice can also be motivated to participate by using methods such as tangible returns (promotion, raises or bonuses)

• Intangible returns (reputation, self-esteem)

• Community interest (exchange of practice related knowledge, interaction).

Weight Watchers is ranked No. 1 in U.S. News's Best Weight-Loss Diets and also in Best Commercial Diet Plans. Researchers tracked 772 overweight people who either followed Weight Watchers or got weight-loss guidance from their primary care doctors. After 12 months, those in the Weight Watchers group had lost 15 pounds, while those in the doctor-care group dropped 7. Weight Watchers dieters were also more likely to stay on the wagon: 61 percent stuck with the program for the study's duration, compared with 54 percent in the standard-care group. Why so effective? Weight Watchers holds dieters accountable with regular weigh-ins and provides motivation and support through group meetings. "Weight Watchers sees thousands of people each week and the capacity to deliver lifestyle advice is greater than with healthcare professionals, who are often over-stretched and find it difficult to allocate additional time for weight management.“ So What Does that Mean To You?

Where have we seen this work? Want to Shed Some Pounds?

So … Why Are Learning Communities Successful?

• Accountability works! (Your meeting)

• Peer Support Works! (Your Natural Supports)

• Life is better with relationships! (Your Team)

Types of Learning Communities In Wraparound

• Coaching Learning Communities (face to face)

• On-line Learning Communities

• Instructional Learning Communities (webinars)

Paralleling the Wraparound Process…

• Regularly scheduled meetings with documentation • Ground rules about how to operate • Common agenda to follow • Collaboration among the team • Focused on a common goal • Tracking outcomes and process

• Chose one principle to focus on at a time • Do a group coaching session, starting with a presentation where you:

• Introduce the principle and talk about what it means • Discuss why it is important to the Wraparound process • Give examples of how it can look in practice

• After this mini-lesson, have the group participate in some kind of activity designed to have them use or spot the principle (behavioral rehearsals, watching taped wraparound activities, or perhaps a text-based activity) • In large or small groups, discuss critical thinking questions and reflect on the principle • End by assigning each staff person to use that principle with families

• This can be done alone, or in peer groups • Follow-up with their experiences during supervision, or during the next group coaching session

Coaching Learning Communities to Support Community Level Implementation

The Follow Up!

• Process the previous skill discussed

• Ask for examples of how people practiced it over the past month

• Score skill sets if they were not already scored

• Debrief skill sets with participants (privately)

• Track scores to achieve outcomes

• Plan for what will be reviewed during the next coaching session

A Real Live Learning Community- Palm Beach County

• A community with some Wraparound capacity is looking to expand services throughout their system

• A local funder is supporting the process to expand local capacity • A regularly scheduled Learning Community is meeting monthly • Initial goal is to assist system supervisors with becoming certified in the process so they can

support their staff in Wraparound implementation • Every meeting is focusing on a new skill to assist participants in learning and mastering these

skills • Participants often leave with homework that needs to be completed by the next meeting • General community, funding and statewide Wraparound initiatives are also discussed

The Learning Community is Dynamic!

• The proposed structure, process and content of the Learning Community is a starting point! It will change…

• The experience, needs and wants of Learning Community members helps to shape how the Learning Community evolves over time!

• Important to ensure that all members needs are taken into consideration on a regular basis (check in with satisfaction of the team)

How To Make It Happen… The Managing Entity (ME) provides the fuel for the Initiative

Invests in creating a System that Cares;

Blended/braided funding opportunities and sharing of resources with System Partners;

Establishes Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with Wraparound providers and System Partners to outline roles and responsibilities;

Builds capacity by investing in high fidelity Wraparound and spearheading the Wraparound effort;

Wraparound Fidelity Manager

Wraparound Fidelity Manager • Becomes a Cheerleader, Coach and Trainer for Wraparound Initiative

Ensures there is ongoing quality training and coaching efforts

• Responsible for building capacity for a Wraparound network

Identifies potential programs and opportunities to plug-in Wraparound community-wide

• Ensures creation of a high quality sustainable Wraparound Community

Establishes and leads Wraparound Steering Committee to guide the effort

Monitors and tracks certifications towards building a sustainable Wraparound community

Wraparound Steering Committee

• Consists of Wraparound leaders and family/youth organizations • Convenes and guides the Wraparound Initiative • Provides the framework for the Wraparound Initiative • Creates the mission, vision, goals and objectives • Reviews potential and real outcomes of initiative and provides

input to steer efforts accordingly

Managing Entity

• Provides financial support to maintain Wraparound principles

• Guides the initiative and financially supports training and initial coaching efforts (later becomes provider sustainable)

• Gathers and aggregates outcomes and reports on effectiveness

• Remains flexible in supporting initiative

• Partners with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

Managing Entity and Wraparound Leaders

• Establish Wraparound Learning Communities

• Bring up and support providers to use High Fidelity Wraparound

• Review and modify policies and procedures which may be effected by implementation and adoption of Wraparound principles

…ME is Developing and Maintaining Partnerships, Listening to Family Voice, Encouraging Persistence, Fiscally responsible yet creative and Outcome-based

and by fostering Collaborative Learning Sharing expertise,

Supporting each other, Increasing Wraparound skills, and

Celebrating individual and group success. We are doing it together to create a

Quality System that Cares!

…ME is Developing and Maintaining Partnerships, Listening to Family Voice, Encouraging Persistence, Fiscally responsible yet creative and Outcome-based

and by fostering Collaborative Learning Sharing expertise,

Supporting each other, Increasing Wraparound skills, and

Celebrating individual and group success.

We are doing it together to create a

Quality System that Cares!

Resources

• http://www.vroonvdb.com/welcome-to-the-high-fidelity-wraparound-learning-community/

• http://www. nwi.pdx.edu/forum/wert-learning-community

• http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/Intro_to_Learning_Communities