“Wrap-around services.” Do you agree this is the problem?

[Anonymous]

We were promised wraparound services for our kid with mental health issues, not criminal justice issues, but you know what? There weren't any providers to be had. Or you'd find someone and they'd be there for a month and then quit. We officially "had" wraparound services for years, and only saw a dozen or so hours of services actually show up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were promised wraparound services for our kid with mental health issues, not criminal justice issues, but you know what? There weren't any providers to be had. Or you'd find someone and they'd be there for a month and then quit. We officially "had" wraparound services for years, and only saw a dozen or so hours of services actually show up.

That stinks but it shows that relying on the state is a big risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were promised wraparound services for our kid with mental health issues, not criminal justice issues, but you know what? There weren't any providers to be had. Or you'd find someone and they'd be there for a month and then quit. We officially "had" wraparound services for years, and only saw a dozen or so hours of services actually show up.

That stinks but it shows that relying on the state is a big risk.

I am not the PP, but I wish the Council would pay more attention to mental health issues. They pretty much glamorize homelessness, without acknowledging the underlying mental health and substance abuse issues. Talk about avoiding the root causes, but let's hand out comfort kits in all the bus stops and feel good about ourselves!. They should provide better services to District residents, and involuntarily commit those in crisis who refuse them. They should never have sold off DC General--it could have been converted to a large capacity, state of the art facility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it would help, but it starts too late. I think it needs to begin during the prenatal period because stress hormones during pregnancy can affect the baby’s brain development and future mental health. There should be free, high quality programs to enrich babies and toddlers and universal pre-K3. Teach anger management and conflict resolution to young kids. Provide high quality after school programs until 6 pm so kids are less likely to be unsupervised. Offer jobs and apprenticeships to every 14 to 18 year old and put a matching amount in a savings account that can be used for college, trade school, or entrepreneurship.

12 hours of daycare from babyhood on. So the less time spent with one's biological mother the better? But as someone said earlier, more time with the biological father is needed too?

No, but if a parent is able to find work while knowing their child is in a safe environment they are far more likely to be able to support their household. I believe PP's point is rather than having latchkey kids or kids in unsafe or less than ideal childcare environments, let's use that need for childcare as an opportunity to also have a positive impact on the children while their parent(s) work.

I would rather spend societal money on high quality day care so parents can work , than on a welfare check so they sit at home and watch their kids.. the former gives families enduring security, and the kids are likely being exposed to better socialization - emphasis high quality, licensed day care. I say this as a former single parent who scraped by to pay daycare and work

Will the high quality daycare also operate a pill mill? Daycare facilities don't have stellar track records and DC's ability to regulate anything is tenuous.

DC has been trying to professionalize daycare, demanding BAs of caregivers, which may have been grabbing the wrong end of the stick IMO. There are other ways to build quality than putting more licensing demands on these caregivers, often struggling parents themselves. But they could provide stipends to upgrade/safguard facilities, hire more staff, require PD trainings just like in schools and very much regulate the sites to meet a certain standard. Yes, it would cost--but I would rather the money go to that than to welfare checks. If a parent works or gets schooling (which was the idea behind TANF), thats a long term track you've put the family on. A welfare check is a ticket to no where. DC actually should be able to figure this out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wraparound services is just the latest, vague, handwavy thing that those who excuse crime use to justify people's horrible decisions and failures. As stated, wraparound services at best can help those who WANT to help themselves. But it will not force those who need to shift their behaviors and mentality to do so.

Different cultural values and parallel economies are hard to overcome on an individual basis, no?

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheCapitalLink/comments/1ansx6k/them_washington_view_youngins_getting/?share_id=dO6e9xmou12KNEuWbRhpA&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were promised wraparound services for our kid with mental health issues, not criminal justice issues, but you know what? There weren't any providers to be had. Or you'd find someone and they'd be there for a month and then quit. We officially "had" wraparound services for years, and only saw a dozen or so hours of services actually show up.

That stinks but it shows that relying on the state is a big risk.

I am not the PP, but I wish the Council would pay more attention to mental health issues. They pretty much glamorize homelessness, without acknowledging the underlying mental health and substance abuse issues. Talk about avoiding the root causes, but let's hand out comfort kits in all the bus stops and feel good about ourselves!. They should provide better services to District residents, and involuntarily commit those in crisis who refuse them. They should never have sold off DC General--it could have been converted to a large capacity, state of the art facility.

Agree, and this is a good critique of the mentality of all the “social justice warriors” running the council (and DC) at present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were promised wraparound services for our kid with mental health issues, not criminal justice issues, but you know what? There weren't any providers to be had. Or you'd find someone and they'd be there for a month and then quit. We officially "had" wraparound services for years, and only saw a dozen or so hours of services actually show up.

That stinks but it shows that relying on the state is a big risk.

I am not the PP, but I wish the Council would pay more attention to mental health issues. They pretty much glamorize homelessness, without acknowledging the underlying mental health and substance abuse issues. Talk about avoiding the root causes, but let's hand out comfort kits in all the bus stops and feel good about ourselves!. They should provide better services to District residents, and involuntarily commit those in crisis who refuse them. They should never have sold off DC General--it could have been converted to a large capacity, state of the art facility.

Agree, and this is a good critique of the mentality of all the “social justice warriors” running the council (and DC) at present.

Selling off DC General wasn't a public health/mental health play, it was a development play. Bowser wanted the site made available to private developers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it would help, but it starts too late. I think it needs to begin during the prenatal period because stress hormones during pregnancy can affect the baby’s brain development and future mental health. There should be free, high quality programs to enrich babies and toddlers and universal pre-K3. Teach anger management and conflict resolution to young kids. Provide high quality after school programs until 6 pm so kids are less likely to be unsupervised. Offer jobs and apprenticeships to every 14 to 18 year old and put a matching amount in a savings account that can be used for college, trade school, or entrepreneurship.

I agree with this - do more to help with prenatal care, child care, free metro cards if you make under a certain amount so its easy to get to work and make it so that families who are trying to make it work can support themselves, move easily to better neighborhoods near jobs and create a life for their family. Focusing entirely on teens is missing the boat . Also add more trade programs so teens who are not studious still get a benefit from going to school like in nY where they have BOCES where kids enrolled in it spend the second half of the high school day doing free job training in their area of interest so when they graduate HS they have a trade. Here kids have to spend tons of $$ on predatory programs that teach how to be a health tech etc... where in NY it can be part of HS

[Anonymous]

For first degree murderers, a hangman offers a particular 'wrap around' service which may be the most appropriate response for the worst crimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Following up on the recent panel discussion you can find (and discussed) here:

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1183416.page

Gist was: youth in DC would not commit crime if they were given “wrap-around” services by the government / taxpayers.

Do you agree that is the problem / issue / solution to crime in DC?

Why or why not ?

The biggest problem is poverty. Wrap around services is a bandaid on cancer

[Anonymous]

most people who use that term
have never worked in government. Those are nice words.

[Anonymous]

Here’s my solution:

Public schools must change their curriculum and approach to instill discipline and respect in children whose parents are failing miserably.

How?

Take a page out of the Jesuit Cristo Rey private school playbook.

Year round school.

Early morning start with breakfast and pro social education: etiquette, positive conversation, etc.

Rigorous academics

Uniforms

Religion

Volunteer work

Internships in high school to get them job-ready

Long school days with after school activities

Mandatory parental involvement

I’d be happy to provide wrap-around services for families that buy into this approach. It works. Google Cristo Rey schools. Data supports it.

A bunch of 12 and 13 year old DC girls recently beat a disabled man to death. These kids need discipline and accountability. Their parents can’t/won’t do it. Schools must.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s my solution:

Public schools must change their curriculum and approach to instill discipline and respect in children whose parents are failing miserably.

How?

Take a page out of the Jesuit Cristo Rey private school playbook.

Year round school.

Early morning start with breakfast and pro social education: etiquette, positive conversation, etc.

Rigorous academics

Uniforms

Religion

Volunteer work

Internships in high school to get them job-ready

Long school days with after school activities

Mandatory parental involvement

I’d be happy to provide wrap-around services for families that buy into this approach. It works. Google Cristo Rey schools. Data supports it.

A bunch of 12 and 13 year old DC girls recently beat a disabled man to death. These kids need discipline and accountability. Their parents can’t/won’t do it. Schools must.

DC can't even enforce a curfew yet you expect them to do all that? DC has a truancy problem because they literally do nothing about it, no punishment or even a phone call to the parents. The reason DC has rising problems while other cities are recovering is that DC does nothing because any enforcement might disproportionately impact POC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s my solution:

Public schools must change their curriculum and approach to instill discipline and respect in children whose parents are failing miserably.

How?

Take a page out of the Jesuit Cristo Rey private school playbook.

Year round school.

Early morning start with breakfast and pro social education: etiquette, positive conversation, etc.

Rigorous academics

Uniforms

Religion

Volunteer work

Internships in high school to get them job-ready

Long school days with after school activities

Mandatory parental involvement

I’d be happy to provide wrap-around services for families that buy into this approach. It works. Google Cristo Rey schools. Data supports it.

A bunch of 12 and 13 year old DC girls recently beat a disabled man to death. These kids need discipline and accountability. Their parents can’t/won’t do it. Schools must.

DC can't even enforce a curfew yet you expect them to do all that? DC has a truancy problem because they literally do nothing about it, no punishment or even a phone call to the parents. The reason DC has rising problems while other cities are recovering is that DC does nothing because any enforcement might disproportionately impact POC.

DC selectively enforces truancy. There were some parents who got in truancy trouble when their kid had to miss school for a music recital out of town, despite advance notice to their DCPS. But then DCPS looks the other way, probably in passive frustration, with kids who habitually roam and create trouble.

[Anonymous]

F&ck no.

Wrap around services cannot help with:
1) Abusive parents (not mentally ill / mentally ill)
2) Genetic predisposed to mental health / addiction
3) Low IQ not as a result of poverty

Even when kids are removed, at a young age, from these conditions they still end up on the same path. Talk to people that have adopted kids in these situations. The lure of drugs / money / disfunction are too strong.