People Inc.

BUFFALO, N.Y., April 17, 2006: People Inc. is pleased to announce that the agency recently received a contract from Erie County to provide services under the county’s new “Wrap Around” service delivery model. Piloted last year through the county’s Department of Social Services, the Wrap Around model consists of a more effective and cost efficient way of providing human services. People Inc. will work together with Family Voices Network (FVN), which is a committed collaboration across several Erie County Departments to ensure individual family focused and strength based Plans of Care for all eligible families.

“The goal is to bring together services for families that can benefit from them with less bureaucracy,” said President and Chief Executive Officer James M. Boles, Ed.D. “We are excited to be a part of this new and innovative service delivery model in Erie County.”

This type of individualized and strength-based care has been proven to produce better child, family, and system outcomes as opposed to categorical approaches to service delivery.

The Wrap Around process creates child/family teams and treatment plans tailored for the unique needs and strengths of each child and family. The process occurs at two levels: working with the individual child and families and working as a structure for service systems. The core values are:

• Families can identify their assets and needs
• Families are responsible for their children.
• Child and Family Teams allow everyone to work together.
• Children and families are more successful in achieving independence in their own homes and communities.
• Each child is unique. Each team and plan should be responsive to the family’s cultural needs.

Wrap Around empowers families to work with systems such as juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health and school in ways that are productive for the well being of their child and family. Benefits include a focus on family and community supports, cost-effective services, unconditional care, and an approach that is outcome oriented.

“The FVN affords our community an opportunity to redefine the system of care in support of at risk youth and their families by providing more integrated, cost effective and outcome focused community based services and supports with human service agencies like People Inc.,” said Michael Weiner, Erie County Commissioner Department of Children and Families.

For more information about People Inc.’s services, call the Service Coordination Department at 880-3700.

People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to at least 10,000 people with special needs, their families, and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity.

Kevin Horrigan
Public Affairs Director
Direct Line: (716) 817-7475
Cellular: (716) 866-5893