Wraparound and Service Coordination

Erie County Family and Children First Council (FCFC) connects the dots to eliminate redundancy and bring resources together for planning, monitoring, and improving outcomes for families and children. The mission of Erie County FCFC is to increase the access, capacity and effectiveness of services for the most vulnerable of our county's youth and their families whose needs extend beyond any one youth-serving program. Any family with a child or youth (age birth through 21 years) in need of a coordinated inter-disciplinary plan to address their unique needs is eligible for service coordination through FCFC.  Referrals typically come through provider agencies, but any family has the right to self-refer for service coordination.

One form of service coordination available to families in Erie County is Wraparound. The Wraparound process is a way to improve the lives of children with complex needs and their families.  It is not a program or a type of service, but a team based planning process used to develop plans of care that are individualized based on the strengths and culture of the children and their family. The plan is needs-driven rather than service-driven, although a plan may incorporate existing categorical services, if appropriate to meet the needs of the consumer. 

The details of Erie County's service coordination process, including Wraparound, can be found in the Service Coordination Mechanism document in the "Helpful Documents" section of the side bar. In the same section, you will find the Handbook for Families, which details how families can get the most from service coordination and what their rights are when it comes to this process.