Sweetser has been selected for the Wraparound Maine Initiative.

Sweetser has been awarded three contracts by DHHS for the Wraparound Maine Initiative.Through this Initiative, Sweetser is coordinating and facilitating High Fidelity community-based wraparound services to identified families throughout the regions of York County, Sagadahoc County, including the town of Brunswick, and the combined region of Knox and Waldo Counties. As a contracted agency, Sweetser is also responsible for providing orientation and training to other social service agencies in order to educate our community partners on the full integration process required for multi-systemic involvement as well as to support those agencies that will be identified by the State as future sites for implementing Wraparound Maine. Youth Alternatives and Wings currently have the other three active contracts in the State. The Muskie School of Public Service is the statewide coordinator and is conducting an evidence-based evaluation throughout the Initiative to determine efficacy and fidelity.

The target population for this Initiative includes multi-agency-involved children and youth, ages 5-18, with serious emotional or behavioral disturbances who are either in residential care or at high risk of such placement. The focus is on the family’s full inclusion in the process by asserting their “voice and choice” in the short- and long-term decisions to support children and youth in the least restrictive care setting. In addition to exploring “traditional wraparound” family strengths and needs, the key indicator of High Fidelity is a family-identified vision that guides the team process. The family team is developed with the goal of at least fifty percent of the team composition being family and natural supports in order to build in true sustainability. Barriers to the vision are addressed by the team, recognizing the family’s unique culture and how those barriers can successfully be overcome within that family culture.

The team meetings are coordinated by a facilitator who has completed an intensive High Fidelity wraparound training from John VanDenBerg, PhD, a state-contracted national expert on the process. In addition to the training, each facilitator receives ongoing live coaching from Vroon VanDenBerg LLP, to ensure fidelity to the model. Currently Sweetser has 11 trained facilitators.

Wraparound Sites

Each of the three Sweetser sites has a Mobilization Specialist who is responsible for coordinating the local Community Collaborative Board which provides oversight for the regional initiative. The three Community Collaborative Boards are comprised of local stakeholders representing state agencies, the interfaith community, parent groups, schools, social service providers, businesses and parents. Each board has developed its own Gatekeeper Policy that determines the referral criteria and process. For information regarding how to make a referral, you can contact the local Mobilization Specialist for your region.

• York County – Chris Ladakakos 294-4796
• Sagadahoc County/Brunswick – Gail Percy Fitch 373-3086
• Knox/Waldo Counties – Dennis Grannis-Phoenix 593-1224

Wraparound Maine Web Site