May 7, 2007

Developing an Integrated Family and Community System of Care for Rhode Island

In this concept paper, the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) describes its goals and preliminary plans for introducing integrated Family and Community System of Care (FCSC) into DCYF's community services for children and families at risk. The six current programs are: Child and Adolescent Service System Programs (CASSP); Children's Emergency Services (CES); Project Early Start (PES); Project Hope; Positive Educational Partnerships (PEP); and Title IV- B.

FCSC is a "wraparound" model of service planning and delivery. In the wraparound model, services and supports are "wrapped" around each child and family according to their unique needs. These services are flexibly adjusted as their needs change. Wraparound is driven by established system of care principles that call for coordinated, flexible, individualized, family centered, community based and culturally competent services.

FCSC will include flexible wraparound funds and a family centered method for purchasing family support services and interventions. At its core the FCSC wraparound model is strength based, always seeking to identify the strengths of a family, no matter how challenged that family might be. For those families whose children are safe, there can be autonomy to select, supervise and change service providers to improve services. For other families with children whose safety is at risk, ongoing strength-building may be required. A collaborative assessment by the FCCP and the family will determine the family's role in purchasing services or selecting providers with the primary goal of identifying necessary services and supports to ensure the child's safety in the home. In every case, care planning must be child and family centered and must include a specific set of supports and services that are wrapped around the family in ways that are respectful of the challenges.