History of Vroon VanDenBerg
Vroon VanDenBerg (VVDB) has been in partnership since 1999 and registered in the state of Colorado since 2000. Prior to partnership, the partners, Dr. John VanDenBerg and Dr. Jim Rast, had more than 30 years of cumulative experience with the wraparound process.
Dr. VanDenBerg managed the first state-wide demonstration of the wraparound process (Alaska). In this project, described in One Kid at a time: Evaluative Case Studies and Description of the Alaska Youth Initiative Demonstration Project, John led an effort to successfully return all Alaska youth in out of state behavioral health placements back to their home communities. This project from 1986 to 1991 provided hope for many unclaimed children across the United States and was a primary impetuous to rapid expansion of similar efforts. John wrote the first professional article on the process, and did the first systematic training on wraparound.
Dr. Rast managed the first demonstration of the wraparound process using large numbers of Family Support Partners. In his 13 county effort in Southeast Kansas (1994), Dr. Rast managed a system with more than 75 wraparound staff who provided quality wraparound for more than 2,600 families over a five-year period. He used wraparound to reduce use of psychiatric bed days from 4,000 a year to 400 a year, while documenting improved clinical functions of the children served. Dr. Rast worked with state officials to expand this project statewide and had significant responsibility in developing the state plan, funding strategies, and agency contracts in Kansas.
Where does the name "Vroon VanDenBerg" come from?
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In the Chronicles of Majipoor, Robert Silverberg describes a world that has been settled by off-world species. One of these species is the Vroon. The Vroon is a small multi-tentacle being with no personal power but the ability to touch others and bring out the best in them. Like the Vroon, Vroon VanDenBerg does not have power to make a community or communities a better place for children and families, but the goal of everything we do is to support others in communities to be their best. VanDenBerg is Dr. John VanDenBerg's name. |

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