The purpose of the Professional Partner Program (PPP) is to assist families who have a child with severe emotional disturbance (SED) in accessing services for the family without having to either give up their child as a ward of the state or incur undue debt to cover such services.
PPP uses the wraparound philosophy to provide services and supports to your family. The wraparound philosophy is needs driven and based on the strengths of the family. PPP believes that parents know their children best and are expected to be equal partners in all levels of decision making for their child. The team, chosen by the family, meets monthly to develop an individualized service plan based on the strengths and needs of the family. PPP promotes the least restrictive, least intrusive, developmentally appropriate, culturally competent interventions in accordance with the strengths and needs identified by the family and within the most normalized environment.
Components of Wraparound
- An individualized plan that is developed by the Child and Family Team, the people who know the child best.
- The plan is needs-driven rather than service-driven. Services are not based on a categorical model but are created or blended to meet the needs of the family.
- The plan is strengths based. Human services have traditionally relied on a deficit or medical model, focusing on problems or pathology.
- The parent is an integral part of the team and has ownership of the plan.
- The plan is family centered rather than child centered.
- The plan is focused on normalization. Normalized needs are those basic human needs that all person of like age, sex and culture have.
- The team makes a commitment to unconditional care. Services are changed to meet the needs of the child and family.
- The program follows a no eject, no reject philosophy. Youth or families will not be terminated services due to events, behaviors, or attitudes.
- Services are created to meet the needs of the child and family. Though many plans rely on blending and reshaping categorical services, teams have the capacity to create individualized services.
- Services are cultural competent.
- Services are community based. Restrictive care is accessed only for brief periods of stabilization.
- The plan is financially supported by flexible use of existing categorical dollars or through a flexible fund.
- Planning and services are comprehensive, addressing needs in three or more life domain areas. These life domains are: family, living situation, educational/vocational, social/recreational, emotional, medical, legal, cultural/spiritual. A crisis plan is also developed.