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Strengths-Based Practices in High Fidelity Wraparound

The Wraparound process and the Wraparound plan identify, build on, and enhance the capabilities, knowledge, skills, and assets of the child and family, their community, and other team members.

What A Strengths-based Approach Is

In High-fidelity Wraparound a family’s individualized care plan focuses on strengths and resilience instead of deficits and shortcomings. This approach highlights what is working in a family, allowing for each family member to see themselves at their best and to see clearly their value. It then teaches the family and each member how to capitalize on their strengths rather than focusing on their negative characteristics. This promotes transformative shifts in identity, communication styles, interactions, and outcomes.

Guiding Principles Of The Strengths-based Approach

There are 9 guiding principles that serve as the foundation of the strength-based approach:

  1. An absolute belief that every person has potential and it is their unique strengths and capabilities that will determine their evolving story as well as define who they are – not their limitations.
  2. What we focus on becomes one’s reality – focus on strength, not labels – seeing challenges as capacity fostering (not something to avoid) creates hope and optimism. 
  3. The language we use creates our reality – both for the care providers and the children, youth and their families. 
  4. Belief that change is inevitable – all individuals have the urge to succeed, to explore the world around them and to make themselves useful to others and their communities. 
  5. Positive change occurs in the context of authentic relationships – people need to know someone cares and will be there unconditionally for them. It is a transactional and facilitating process of supporting change and capacity building– not fixing. 
  6. Each person’s perspective of reality is primary (their story)– therefore, there is a need to value and start the change process with what is important to the each person. 
  7. People have more confidence and comfort to journey to the future when they are invited to start with what they already know.
  8. Positive skill-building is a process and a goal – a journey that is dynamic as opposed to static.

SOURCES:
Erika Stoerkel, M, Sc. “What is a strength-based approach?” (Incl. Activities and Examples), Positive Psychology [website]: 2020
Melanie Atkins. “50 First Strength Based Questions”, Changed Lives New Journeys [website] : 2013
Hammond, W. (2010). Principles of strength-based practice. Resiliency Initiatives. Retrieved from https://greaterfallsconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Principles-of-Strength-2.pdf.