The sad reality is that for many students the environments they live in and have been exposed to require the involvement of a service provider. For those situations where this is the reality, we want to provide information and resources on how they can best support their clients by providing support to the classroom educator. Communicating concerns and understanding expectations is huge. Breaking down the barriers between systems to ensure that those (educator, parent, community member, service provider) serving the needs of the student are all working together toward a common goal – success of the student.
Dr. Ivy Bonk recalls a Congressional Briefing where Dr. Colleen Cicchetti shared how the caseload for children waiting to receive mental health services had doubled in one year’s time, from 400-800. “The fragmentation between our services and systems is the bane of my existence,” commented Dr. Ivy, “when Dr. Cicchetti commented that ‘we do not have enough mental health workers to work our way out of this problem‘, it further solidified my resolve to find solutions.”
One of the solutions is this platform. By taking what we know as the wraparound model and move it further back down the pipeline, and wraparound the educator who spends the most time with students, we can have a greater impact on addressing the fragmentation created by multi-systems involvement and reduce the caseload.
While we urge that all stakeholders come together around the “table”, we recognize the individual needs within groups and systems that have to be attended in order for the coming together to be beneficial. Anyone working within the child welfare field is encouraged to avail yourself to the comprehensive and exceptional work of Resilience Leaders.