region/plan-specific news : Wyoming CME

CANS assessment results demonstrate Wyoming providers' impact

Wyoming’s High Fidelity Wraparound (HFWA) providers are seeing measurable progress for youth with complex needs, supported by data from the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment. 

In Wyoming, the CANS helps teams identify each youth’s strengths and needs, guiding individualized plans of care and tracking change over time. In HFWA, youth complete the CANS assessment at the start and update it every three months and again at discharge. 

Clear signs of progress 

For youth enrolled for at least 180 days, data from the State Fiscal Year 2025 review show meaningful improvements: 

Overall needs decreased by nearly six points on the global CANS score. Average needs per youth dropped
from 6.7 to 5.1. Average strengths increased from 5.6 to 6.5. These changes reflect the steady progress youth and families make as they work through their Wraparound plans.

Areas of growth 

Youth showed the greatest gains in emotional and behavioral health, particularly in managing anger, anxiety, and trauma responses. Improvements were also seen in family functioning, school behavior, and safety. Caregivers reported better access to resources and support, reinforcing that family wellbeing strengthens youth outcomes. 

The overall picture 

A review of the CANS results helps to identify the positive impact of the HFWA services on the enrolled youth who participated in the program. The CANS results for SFY 2025 illustrate that enrolled youth and their families had improvement in several areas. Strengths were increased, and Needs decreased by the time of discharge. These positive trends in decreased needs and increased strengths show the benefit of the HFWA services for the youth and family to strengthen skills, reduce risks, and move toward long-term stability with the support of their families and natural supports.