High Fidelity Wraparound is one of the most intensive forms of community-based mental health support available for teens in California. It’s designed for those with serious mental health needs, and it coordinates the different parts of their support into one individualized plan.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely trying to understand whether it’s something that could help your teen, while also managing other difficult decisions about your teen’s care at the same time.
This guide explains:
High Fidelity Wraparound in California is an intensive, team-based way of supporting teens who are dealing with the most serious mental health challenges. The aim of a High Fidelity Wraparound is to keep your teen living at home and going to school, which is why the process wraps support around them in your own home and community.[1]
To understand the purpose of Wraparound, it helps to know the problem it was built to solve. In the past, when a teen had a serious mental health condition, families found themselves working with several different services at once, with each of them handling a separate plan.[1] Many families felt as though the process had separate, disconnected parts and that this lack of coordination made support harder than it needed to be.[1]
Also, some teens were placed in residential settings far from home for long periods of time, when a more connected or community-based option might have served them just as well. When teens arrive home after residential care, settling back into everyday life can be tough.[1]
The development of Wraparound mental health services in California reflects a broader effort to provide coordinated care within a young person’s community. High Fidelity Wraparound in California brings services together under one plan, delivered in the community.
Wraparound follows a clear model, which is what the “high fidelity” part of the name refers to. If you’ve been told that your teen could benefit from the Wraparound, it’s important to understand each part of the model, which can make the whole process less of a mystery.
Wraparound follows an arc made up of four connected phases that move your teen from first contact through to standing on their own feet again.[1] Each phase has its own purpose:
High Fidelity Wraparound youth services bring professionals, peer partners, family members, and other trusted people together around one plan. Throughout the whole process, a facilitator is assigned to keep everything coordinated.[1]
Alongside them are people called peer partners, who are individuals who have been through something similar themselves and support your teen throughout the process. The other parts of the team are built around the Child and Family Team.
Family Wraparound services follow a family-driven principle, which means your own goals and ideas form the plan, rather than them being handed to you and expected to work.
The approach is also built to be adaptable, which includes flexible funds that help pay for things like a sports club fee or lessons that give your teen a positive outlet.2 For example, if your teen really enjoys martial arts, the lessons could be paid for, as this helps to turn their strengths into part of the recovery.
High Fidelity Wraparound is for youths under 21 whose emotional or behavioral needs are complex enough that regular appointments aren’t enough on their own.[2] It’s also available for teens who are returning home from a residential treatment setting.[2]
A Wraparound is available for mental health needs, and your teen does not need an open child welfare case to receive it.[2] Because California Wraparound services are administered locally, specific access and referral procedures may differ between counties.
The California Wraparound mental health model is intended for young people with significant behavioral health needs. California Wraparound services are already established, but the system is undergoing significant changes. That said, it’s a system in the middle of change, and the nuances of its operation are worth understanding.
The youth Wraparound program began mainly for families involved with the child welfare system, but California is now formalizing it as Medi-Cal Wraparound, a service for eligible children and youth whose intensive behavioral health needs make it medically necessary and clinically appropriate.[2] Their goal is to make teen mental health support in California easier for families to access, regardless of the situation they’re in.
Because this idea is still being rolled out, some of the finer details, like exactly how eligibility and funding will work, are still being finalized.[2] The best way to find out what’s available where you live in California is to ask your county directly.[3]
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
A common question asked by parents is how Wraparound compares to residential treatment. Most understand that residential treatment is a higher level of care, so when Wraparound is presented as another higher form of care, it can sometimes be wrongfully placed in the same category.
The most important thing to remember is that they are both higher levels of care, but different tools for different needs, and sometimes they work together.
| Wraparound | Residential Treatment | |
| Where Support Happens | At home and in the community | In a dedicated treatment setting |
| Level of Support | Intensive support built around your teen at home | Around-the-clock care and structure |
| When It May Be the Right Fit | Needs are complex but your teen can stay at home, or is transitioning home from residential care | Your teen needs structure and safety around the clock |
When a teen spends time in a residential program, California uses Wraparound afterward to help them settle back home with the right support in place. Returning home after a residential placement can be tough for a teen, so it’s important the right measures are in place to make the transition seamless.[1]
Wraparound can also run alongside more intensive care as part of one shared plan.[2] This shows that a stay in a residential treatment program and Wraparound at home can be two stages of your teen’s recovery journey.
Getting your teen involved in a High Fidelity Wraparound plan usually starts with seeking mental health support through your county. The usual first step is to call your county behavioral health plan’s access line and ask for a mental health assessment.[4]
From there, your teen is assessed to establish what level of support will fit their current situation. This is where a CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths) assessment comes in, which helps the team understand your teen’s needs and strengths. If the team determines that Wraparound is the right fit, it’s built around the results from the CANS assessment.[2]
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of having to make the first call, there are people who can do it for you. For example, a doctor or even your teen’s school can make the referral instead, as long as they have your permission to do so.
If your teen is found eligible, the choice of whether to go ahead or not is still yours, with the right to appeal if a request for support is turned down.[5]
Take a tour of our teen residential mental health facilities located in California. Our locations offer peace & comfort within a residential environment where teenagers, aged 12-17, can relax and focus on themselves.
Our well-appointed facilities are located in Bonsall, Fallbrook, Rancho Palos Verdes
and Rolling Hills Estates.
Additionally, we offer both in-person and virtual outpatient services in California for full support after leaving residential.
No matter what stage you’re currently at with your teen, whether that’s weighing up your options or already supporting your teen in California Wraparound service, additional support is available.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment is a teen mental health treatment provider with locations in California and across the country. We offer care for teens who need around-the-clock structure and safety through a residential treatment program. If your teen is better served by staying at home, we also offer outpatient options that bring expert support to them in their day-to-day life.
All of our programs are led by our team of professional mental health clinicians and use evidence-based therapeutic approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
If your teen is already in Wraparound and needs a period of more intensive care, we can be a part of that plan. If you’re still working out what your teen needs, we’re here to talk it through and help you find the right level of support.
Learn about our admissions process online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team who can answer any questions you might have. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation. Our compassionate team is available 24/7.
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