The Enduring Power of Wraparound Care in New Jersey’s CMOs
Anthony Cameli, CEO Families and Community Together (FACT)
When a family has a child struggling with behavioral health challenges, academic setbacks, or a developmental disability, they often feel fragmented, overwhelmed, and unsure where to turn. At those moments, Wraparound Care, delivered via New Jersey’s Care Management Organizations (CMOs), becomes more than a service: it becomes a lifeline.
Wraparound Care is not a single therapy or program. It’s a philosophy, a process, and a commitment to keep the child and family at the heart of decision-making. The Wraparound Model of Care is based on ten principles:
- Family Voice and Choice
- Team Based
- Natural Supports
- Collaboration
- Community Based
- Culturally Competent
- Individualized
- Strengths Based
- Persistence
- Outcome Based
For more than 20 years, the Wraparound Model of Care has proven resilient and effective for several key reasons.
Wraparound Care weaves together services so that youth do not “fall through the cracks” because many families navigating mental health, developmental disabilities, substance use, or legal involvement require more than one solution.
The Wraparound Model is also designed to adapt, so it supports families not just when they are in crisis, but during long arcs of life changes. The model scales with growth, setbacks, and transitions.
As a result of the Wraparound Model’s structure, families often report that wraparound care makes them feel heard, respected, and active as opposed to being passive recipients. That relational orientation matters deeply in sustaining engagement.
Wraparound has proven to be an integral piece of the continuum of care and because CMOs operate within NJ’s Children’s System of Care, it ensures better coordination across agencies as well as the ability to track outcomes across counties, which leads to continuous improvement.