With the 15th Annual TCOM Conference around the corner, we wanted to give you a sneak peek look at some of this year’s presentations!
Conference presenters Celeste Seibel and Danielle Phillips took some time to answer some questions about their upcoming presentation, Utilizing CANS Within the Wraparound Process.
Q: What should individuals look forward to gaining from your presentation?
A: In our presentation we will be talking about how to integrate the CANS tool into the fidelity-based process of Wraparound. When it comes to fidelity, we must stick to the defined process, however, within Wraparound there are many places that the communication-based approach of the CANS, with its focus on strengths and needs, folds nicely into the collaborative Wraparound process. Our presentation will highlight how the CANS tool supports and complements Wraparound without taking over the process or interfering with the components necessary to do Wraparound to fidelity.
Q: What drew you to present on your specific topic?
A: We work with Oregon and Idaho on their Wraparound and CANS implementation and have found that providing clarity on this topic has been helpful to the folks we work with. By understanding how CANS can be utilized within the Wraparound planning process rather than taking over the process, better outcomes can be achieved for youth and families and Care Coordinators can feel less of a burden.
Q: What about the theme “Culture and Community: Sharing Stories from the Collaborative” resonates with you?
A: We love the idea of learning from everyone using the TCOM tools out in the world! Since we all have some similar experiences, and some different experiences, there’s a real richness in coming together and learning from each other.
Q: From your perspective, what role does storytelling play in the work you/we do?
A: In Wraparound, honoring the youth’s and family’s voice and their own story is key to the process. Wraparound should feel different than other experiences that youth and families have had in their previous involvement with youth-serving systems. Allowing the youth and family to share their vision for the future, actively participate in identifying strengths, meeting needs, and reaching agreed upon outcomes show that we value their lived story.
While training folks on the CANS, we have found it especially helpful to use mini-vignettes to explain the key components. Sometimes these concepts have been tricky for people to grasp at first. By adding in stories of actual youth and families to illustrate the concepts, we have found that folks can understand the components better, and apply them to real-life examples.
You can see Celeste, Danielle, and our many other presenters at the 15th Annual TCOM Conference. Click HERE to register today!
