The History of Wraparound in Canada

In the early 1990s many practitioners in child and family services across Canada realized that residential treatment for children and youth dealing with complex needs did not often result in positive outcomes.

This led many practitioners to search for more effective ways to support children and youth with complex needs so that they could successfully remain in their home and community. And that search led to the discovery of the Wraparound process, first developed in the United States.

Many agencies and community groups in British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan started to develop system and community partnerships to implement the Wraparound process through the 1990s. By the year 2000 these initial ventures into Wraparound started to mature. Research studies in both Ontario and British Columbia demonstrated positive outcomes. A strong provincial association developed in Ontario which started to connect with groups implementing the Wraparound process around the country.

The Wraparound Association of Ontario hosted two national conferences, first in 1999 and then in 2005. These led to a further spread of Wraparound across Canada and eventually, in 2008, to the incorporation of Wrap Canada (see About), under whose auspices a “made-in-Canada” Wraparound model was developed, with the support of our American Wraparound colleagues. Wrap Canada’s Canadian Wraparound Training Institute was launched in 2013. Since then 20 certified Wrap Canada-certified Facilitator trainers have trained hundreds of practitioners across Canada, in both English and French.

With the support of the Ontario Centre of Excellence in Children’s Mental Health and the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University (led by Dr. Michael Ungar), a strong program evaluation framework has been developed, focused on youth and adult resilience and the Social Determinants of Health.

Now, 40 years since that first interest in Wraparound, there are initiatives in most provinces and territories, across the age spectrum and across cultures. The federal Crime Prevention Program, under Public Safety Canada, has funded numerous youth-gang prevention projects utilizing Wrap Canada’s Wraparound model. In Manitoba, the cabinet-level Healthy Child Manitoba program successfully seeded Wraparound in various sectors, including education and children’s mental health, in addition to a strong focus on indigenous-led Wraparound initiatives.

Under the auspices of Wrap Canada, in addition to programs dedicated to children, youth and families, there are now Wraparound programs focused on seniors, faith-based communities and the blending of Wraparound with traditional practices in indigenous contexts, led by indigenous leaders both on and off reserve.

Finally, the introduction of Wraparound has also had a significant impact on existing government funded services. In the early 1990s treatment plans were made based on a medical or problem-based model of understanding. Today, almost all human service professionals talk about individualized, strength-based practice with the person/family at the centre, with an aspiration to deliver services grounded in a Social Determinants of Health approach.

Looking back, these have been an exciting 40 years. Momentum is strong today. One wonders what the next 40 years will bring!