This phase of the HFW process provides a foundation for team development, trust, respect, and open communication.

Initial visits with the youth and family cover groundwork for getting to know the family, through tasks such as identifying strengths, needs, and natural supports.

Youth and family can also identify community and formal supports they would like present on the team.

Additionally, the team addresses any immediate crisis or safety concerns and urgent needs.

In this phase, the team develops a plan that encompasses youth and family voice and aligns with HFW principles.

The first Child & Family Team (CFT) meeting is conducted and includes the development of a few important documents:

1. Initial Wraparound Plan
2. Crisis/Safety Plan. The team begins to identify triggers for the youth and family, which helps with predicting and preventing a crisis. The team also identifies behavior signs that a crisis is beginning and determines the functions of those behaviors, so appropriate replacement behaviors can be identified.
3. Strengths, Needs, and Cultural Discovery (SNCD). The team attempts to develop a comprehensive understanding of the youth and family. The team conducts extensive documentation related to the strengths and needs of the family, across several life domains (family and home, safety, legal, cultural identity, health and development, behavioral and emotional, self-care, education/vocation, social, natural supports, financial, spiritual).

The youth and family develop a family vision and identify priority needs and short-term goals, to provide direction for the wraparound process.

Implementation is the longest phase as it is the process of putting the developed plans into action.

Plans are implemented, monitored, and reviewed.

Progress and fidelity are regularly assessed.

If an area of the plan is not successful, the team works together to adjust strategies to get back on track.

The ultimate goal of this phase is to gradually transfer control of the process to the youth and family. As such, the team begins to use tools to assess transition.

The goal of this phase is for families to have the resources, skills, confidence, and support to handle their ongoing needs and future crises successfully.

At this time, the team and youth and family celebrate success and accomplishments.

The team prepares for the family’s graduation from HFW.