The Impact of Child and Family Team Composition on Wraparound Fidelity: Examining Links Between Team Attendance Consistency and Functioning

Abstract

Although a growing body of literature has examined wraparound implementation and fidelity, child and family team (CFT) members’ levels of participation and the consistency of their attendance have not been systematically examined. This study explored the relationship between CFT member attendance consistency and the fidelity of wraparound team level implementation processes in a System of Care (SOC). Specifically, utilizing Participant Rating Form (PRF) data collected from caregivers, facilitators, youth, supportive persons, and service providers, as well as meeting attendance records, the relationship between team attendance consistency and fidelity of wraparound implementation was explored. Records for 88 teams, with a total of 2,643 members’ ratings of CFT meetings between 2004 and 2009, were examined. Analyses indicate that the structural team factors of attendance consistency and mean team members present relate to CFT members’ ratings of team functioning and the degree to which meeting processes are consistent with the tenets of wraparound. Team attendance variables related to the views of meeting functioning by facilitators, service providers, and caregivers, the individuals most often responsible for implementation of the plan of care, but not ratings by youth or supportive persons. These findings have implications for policy and the successful implementation of wraparound, underscoring the relevance of attending to and tracking the composition of the CFT and more actively encouraging consistent meeting attendance. Results also highlight the need to measure structural variables that may have salience in fidelity and implementation assessments and, more globally, the effectiveness of SOCs.