What is Family Driven Teaming?
Family Driven Teaming (FDT) is a Wraparound-informed planning model that puts youth and families at the center of their plans. It uses a structured, team-based process led by highly trained staff to make sure that youth with complex needs and their families receive support across multiple systems (e.g. mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, drug and alcohol, health, education, etc.), as well as from their natural supports and community. The support they receive is:
Planning in FDT is led by an individual or a team that develops Family Driven Crisis Plans (FDCP) and Family Driven Action Plans (FDAP). These plans use input from the youth and family, natural or community supports, and professionals from the child-serving system to address youth and family needs across key areas of life that impact community functioning, including:
The Family Driven Teaming model is Wraparound-informed because it is driven by the ten principles of Wraparound, its four phases and the activities related to each phase, and is guided by a theory of change that enables youth and families to work toward their family’s vision.
Guiding Principles
Youth and families are equal partners in planning their care.
A team made up of the youth, their family, natural or community supports, and professionals from the child-serving systems works together to address the needs identified by the youth and family.
Informal supports like extended family members, friends, neighbors, coaches, and clergy are identified and included as part of the team.
All team members work together to create clear plans for youth and families with multiple service providers and systems involved.
Plans include services and supports delivered in the family’s home or community whenever possible.
Teams pay attention to the preferences of the youth and their family related to their culture, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and other family values.
Teams need to understand the unique strengths, needs, and culture of each youth and family being served.
A strengths-based approach builds on the abilities, resources, and resilience of youth and families, even during times of crisis.
Persistence is the ongoing commitment to progress, even when there are barriers or challenges.
The team asks for feedback so they can continue to improve. Goals should be measurable and reviewed often.
Phases of Family Driven Teaming
Youth and families are introduced to the Family Driven Teaming model and shown how it can help. Staff begin to learn their story, learn about strengths and needs, stabilize immediate crises, and identify potential team members.
A team is identified and forms around the family to prioritize and plan around the family’s needs. The Family Driven Action Plan and Family Driven Crisis Plan are developed with maximum input from all team members.
The team meets monthly to review and revise the Family Driven Action Plan. Successes are celebrated and challenges addressed with each team member accountable to their part of the plan.
Youth and family develop increased self-efficacy and are leading their planning more. Goals are reviewed and a transition out of Family Driven Teaming is planned, solidifying gains and ensuring ongoing support from natural and community supports.
Theory of Change
The Origin of Family Driven Teaming
Family Driven Teaming is grounded in the Wraparound model. Wraparound provides the evidence base, theory of change, and guiding principles. Research led by the National Wraparound Initiative established what works and why. Practice manuals developed by Vroon VanDenBerg translated that research into how teams work together day to day. Now, the Family Driven Teaming model builds on that foundation by focusing specifically on the teaming behaviors that make those principles real in practice.
Wraparound research tells us that outcomes improve when families lead and teams work together effectively, but fidelity research also shows that those teaming behaviors are hard to sustain without clear structure and shared expectations. Family Driven Teaming exists to close that gap.