for Organizational Improvement
A service of the Children's Bureau, US Department of Health and Human Services
- Resources from the Field: Interagency Collaboration (06/08/2005)
Below is a listing of reports, books and journal articles on the topic of collaboration that are relevant to child welfare agencies. The list includes both publications on collaboration, and on collaborations between child welfare and specific systems – TANF, domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health, juvenile justice, and education. Many can be found at websites as indicated, while others are available from the publisher. We will check and update this list periodically, and welcome your suggestions of other resources we should add (contact Angie Herrick at 1-800-435-7543 or 780-5822 or
Collaboration
Hepburn, K., & McCarthy, J. Making interagency initiatives work for children and families in the child welfare system. (A series of the Health Care Reform Tracking Project), Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University, 2003. Click here for the online version.
The authors of this publication discuss promising practices of interagency approaches involving the child welfare system. They focus on three initiatives and highlight the similarities and differences among them in addition to descriptions of the work being done. The three sites selected for discussion in this article are: Partnership for Children in New Jersey, The Dawn Project in Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana and Massachusetts Mental Health Services Program for Youth (MHSPY) in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts.
Profiles of the three sites contain detailed information about the populations they serve, structure of the child welfare system, combining goals and philosophies, accommodating child welfare laws, service integration and coordination, the level of family involvement, information sharing policies, training, technical assistance and evaluation structures, and the impact in the child welfare system.
Hodges, S., Hernandez, M., & Nesman, T. “A developmental framework for collaboration in child-serving agencies”. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 12(3), 291-305, 2003.
The authors of this article discuss the stages of development for child-serving agencies to reach “true collaboration”. This information was based on a study of promising practices of grantees participating in the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program at nine sites. Participants reported their most successful collaborations occurred when:
- collaborative structures were built at all levels—from top administrators to direct service professionals and
- as families were more fully incorporated in services delivery
Hoel, James, Cross System Collaboration: Tools that Work, Washington, D.C., Child Welfare League of America, 1998. ISBN # 0-87868-715-7; Available from CWLA’s publications department at (202) 638-2952 or http://www.cwla.org/pubs/pubdetails.asp?PUBID=7157 for $8.95.
This book grew out of a multi-stage project of the Child Welfare League of America to encourage both family-focused practice in child welfare agencies and collaborative partnerships in communities to support family centered practice. This book describes the “toolbox” of effective practices identified through a series of community forums in Iowa, and illustrates these with examples from collaborative projects. While Hoel highlights the critical interpersonal elements of collaboration –such as mutual respect – he also highlights the importance on the state context, the power of structural elements to enhance collaboration, and the critical leadership elements that help to move collaborations forward.
Lind, Christianne. Developing and Sustaining a Continuum of Child Welfare Services, Washington, D.C.: Welfare Information Network, The Finance Project, Volume 8, no. 6, December 2004. Available online at: http://www.financeprojectinfo.org/publications/developingandsupportingIN.pdf
This Issue Note identifies strategies for coordinating child welfare funding streams and services with the finding and services of other key state agencies to develop and support a more coherent and effective continuum of care for at-risk children and families. It describes the benefits of a continuum of care and the federal funding sources that can support a continuum. It then discusses strategies for interagency coordination:
- Staff cross-training
- Shared information and tracking systems
- Common intake and assessment forms
- Coordinated case management
- Staff collocation
- Joint planning structures
- Integrated administration
- Coordinated funding
It then describes and gives examples of coordination with welfare, substance abuse, mental health and education agencies.
Mattessich, P. “Can this collaboration be saved? Twenty factors
that can make or break any group effort”. Shelterforce Online,
(129), 2003. Available online at: http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/129/savecollab.html
In this brief article, Mattessich describes what factors can lead to successful or failed collaborations based on his examination of hundreds of scientific studies regarding collaborations to determine what made them work or fail. A sample of the twenty tips is as follows:
- Define long-term, realistic goals for all collaborators
- Spend time developing buy-in from collaborators or other potential partners
- Determine a manageable group size
- Devote time to developing trust and understanding
- Involve people at all organizational levels
- Come up with a communication plan for the group—including face-to-face meetings, rather than only communicating via email, memos and newsletters
- Focus on results and ensure that the project and its mission are self-sustaining even with membership turnoverMattessich, Paul W., Murray-Close, M., and Monsey, B. Collaboration: What makes it work: A review of research literature on factors influencing successful collaborations. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 2001. ISBN # 0-940069-32-6; Available from: http://www.wilder.org/pubs/collab_wmiw/ for $29.95.
This book reviews and summarizes the existing research literature on factors that influence the success of human service, government and non-profit collaborations. It identifies twenty success factors grouped into six categories: environment, membership characteristics, process/structure, communication, purpose, and resources. It also provides examples and practical tools, including the Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory collaborations can use to assess their standing on the factors that promote success.
Morgan, Linda Jewel, Spears, L.S. & Kaplan, C. Making Children and National Priority: A Framework for Community Action: Washington, D.C.: CWLA Press, 2003 and Morgan, Linda Jewel and Teri K. Martin, Community Implementation Guide: A Framework for Community Action: Washington, D.C.: CWLA Press, 2004. Available from CWLA’s publications department at (202) 638-2952 or: http://www.cwla.org/pubs/pubdetails.asp?PUBID=10234 for $19.95.
Making Children a National Priority presents the five universal needs of children possess, discusses why having those needs met is crucial, and describes promising strategies to meet those needs. It states that the extent to which all of America’s children are healthy, safe and thriving will depend, in large part, on actions taken in local communities. The companion piece, the Community Implementation Guide, highlights a variety of promising, practical approaches to developing and sustaining comprehensive community-based initiatives. The book describes six community action phases and includes an array of implementation tools, such as checklists, surveys and diagrams, for each phase. The six phases are:
- initiating (creating a team, developing a rationale for a comprehensive approach),
- invigorating (building a foundation of trust and commitment)
- inquiring (assessment and analyzing the findings)
- imagining (visioning)
- innovating (choosing priority issues, developing action plans, evaluation plans, financing strategies)
- implementing (refocus the leadership team, manage the process)
Tools include:
- a community partners worksheet
- an expertise and resource inventory for the collaborative
- a public engagement planning matrix
- steps in community mapping
- a sample community survey
Pires, S. A. Building systems of care: A primer. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University, 2002. Available from: http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/ta_center/object_view.html?objectID=2500 for $16.00
This publication offers a framework for those involved in building systems of care. The Introduction discusses the history of the system of care movement, the system of care concept and philosophy, trends in system reform, and principles that guide system building. Section I describes all of the functions that require structure in a system of care, followed by examples. Section II examines the core elements of the process of system building and suggests related resource materials for each element.
Sussman, Tara. Interagency Collaboration and Welfare Reform. Washington, D.C.: Welfare Information Network, The Finance Project, Volume 4, No. 1, January 2000. Available online at: http://www.financeprojectinfo.org/Publications/crosscuttingtara.htm
This Issue Note raises some of the major issues welfare agencies need to consider when expanding collaborative efforts, describes a range of collaborative projects and identifies useful resources. It lists several actions that can lead to successful collaborative efforts and interagency projects. They include:
- developing a clear explanation for why certain issues are best addressed by multiple groups;
- ensuring support from the highest levels of the organization;
- defining organizational goals while making sure to put the client’s needs above all;
- streamlining service delivery to clients and providing a single point of contact; and
- encouraging regular communication among partners.
Stark, Deborah Roderick. Collaboration basics: Strategies from six communities engaged in collaborative efforts among families, child welfare and children's mental health. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University, 1999. Available from: http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/ta_center/object_view.html?objectID=2592 for $7.00 (and an additional $8.00 for the companion guide)
This book and its companion guide describes the successes and challenges of six Partnership for Action pilot sites that worked on collaborations between families, child welfare, and children’s mental health. The report describes principles and elements of effective collaboration, illustrating each point with examples from the pilot sites.
A checklist for organizations looking to start collaborations is included in the back of the book. The companion guide consists of profiles of each of the six partnerships to discuss issues such as how they are funded, who the participants are, how the idea came about to start a collaboration, and what lessons they have learned from the experience.
Welfare to Peer Technical Assistance Network. Workshop Summary. 2000. Effective interagency service integration. Available online at: http://peerta.acf.hhs.gov/taevents/pdf/service.pdf
This workshop summary from a DHHS Region IV Administration for Children and Families discusses various examples of peer networks and collaborations established throughout the country and the need for more integrated services.
Winer, M. & Ray, K. Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining, and Enjoying the Journey. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1994. ISBN # 0-940069-03-2; Available from: http://www.wilder.org/pubs/collab_hndbk/index.html for $37.95.
This handbook is a basic guide to forming and understanding collaborations. It contains instructions on how to start collaborations all the way through how to evaluate your results. The book, further, contains worksheets and other resources comprising the last nearly 40 pages.
Specific Collaborations
Child Welfare and TANF
Andrews, Cynthia, Roseanna Bess, Amy Jantz, &Victoria Russell. Collaboration Between State Welfare and Child Welfare Agencies, Washington, D.C.: Urban Institute, August 2002. Available online at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/310563_A-54.pdf
This issue brief describes the collaborations between state child welfare and TANF agencies as a result of federal changes in those areas. Some state agencies have worked toward changes in frontline practices and information sharing to more efficiently meet the needs of their overlapping clientele.
Hutson, Rutledge Q. A Vision for Eliminating Poverty and Family Violence: Transforming Child Welfare and TANF in El Paso County, Colorado. Washington, D.C.: Center for Law and Social Policy, January 2003. Available online at: http://www.clasp.org/publications/El_Paso_report.pdf.1
By discussing how a cross-agency vision and collaboration was formed in El Paso County in Colorado, the authors of this paper discuss the processes, lessons learned and challenges of bringing the work of the county’s child welfare and TANF agencies together.
Kakuska, Courtney J. & Hercik, Jeanette M. Establishing Linkages Between TANF and Child Welfare, Final Report, Caliber Associates, May 2002. Available online at: http://www.calib.com/peerta/pdf/TANFchildwelfare.pdf
This document summarizes a roundtable session held in 2002 to discuss the efforts of five states: CA, CO, NC, NJ, and WI as they have each worked to better integrate their state TANF and child welfare systems to improve services for families. Programming ideas, lessons learned, promising practices, and challenges were discussed at the roundtable and are included in the summary.
Child Welfare and Domestic Violence
National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators: Guideline for Public Child Welfare Agencies Serving Children and Families Experiencing Domestic Violence, Washington, D.C. Available online at: www.aphsa.org/Publications/Doc/dvguidelines.pdf
These Guidelines provide broad guidance and describe model policies, practices, programs and protocols that address the multiple needs of families and children affected by domestic violence and child maltreatment.
Child Welfare and Substance Abuse
Children and Family Futures. A Review of the Four Child Welfare IV-E Waivers Related to Substance Abuse Services in Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire and Illinois. Houston, TX; Cornerstone Consulting Group, September, 2002. Available online at: http://www.aphsa.org/Policy/Doc/sawaiverreport.pdf
This report summarizes the impact of IV-E waivers on the states of Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, and New Hampshire as of early 2002. Further, the report discusses state initiatives, lessons learned and recommendations for future waiver programs.
Kaplan, Jan, Coordinating Welfare and Substance Abuse Services. Washington, D.C.: The Finance Project, July 2002. Available online at: http://www.financeprojectinfo.org/Publications/coordinatingwelfareIN.htm
This Issue Note from the Welfare Information Network discusses the need to coordinate and integrate substance abuse and child welfare services given the significant number of overlapping clientele working with the two systems. The paper describes policy issues, research findings, resources, and innovative practices related to collaboration.
Rubenstein, Gwen. Safe and Sound: Models for Collaboration Between the Child Welfare and Addiction Treatment Systems. New York, NY: Legal Action Center, 2003. Available online at: http://www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/files/SafeSoundReport.pdf
This report provides background on the problem of addiction in the child welfare system, and discusses ASFA and is implications for families at risk of or involved in the child welfare system because of parental addiction. It presents two case studies of how two localities – from Cook County, IL and Cuyahoga County, Ohio – are addressing addiction in their child welfare systems, and presents a model for addressing addiction among families involved in the child welfare system based on the case study findings.
Child Welfare and Mental Health/Health
Kamradt, Bruce. Wraparound Milwaukee: “Aiding Youth with Mental Health Needs” Juvenile Justice Journal. Vol. VII, no. 1, April 2000. Available online at: http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/jjjnl_2000_4/wrap.html
This paper describes a model treatment program in Milwaukee for juvenile offenders with mental health disorders. In addition to discussing its managed care and wrap-around philosophies, the paper further describes outcomes, challenges and solutions to system collaboration.
“Meeting the Healthcare Needs of Children in the Foster Care System” [website] Visit: http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/meeting_health_needs/index.html
This website describes a three year study conducted by the Georgetown University Child Development Center that identified and described promising approaches for meeting the health care needs of children in the foster care system. Based on site visits and interviews, a framework of critical components was developed, and other products were developed to assist states in their efforts to improve health care services for children in foster care, including descriptions of strategies used, a compendium of approaches, fact sheets and issue briefs. All the products of the study are available at this website.
Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
Ross, T., Armstrong, M., & Conger, D. “Bridging child welfare and juvenile justice: Preventing unnecessary detention of foster children”. Child Welfare, 81(3), 2002.
Project Confirm in New York City was created to address the gap between the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Because front-line workers are not always aware that their clients are involved in other systems, there is often a lack of communication and unclear roles regarding working with the various systems. Due to the confusion surrounding roles of service professionals when a juvenile faces delinquency charges, Project Confirm created a notification system for Department of Juvenile Justice workers. The system consists of having DJJ workers call Project Confirm when police admit a minor to a facility. Project Confirm screeners search a database to determine the foster care status of the offender and contact an agency liaison and detention officer to meet with the child if he or she is in foster care. The notification system was established to help prevent unnecessary detentions of children in foster care. With the notification and court conferencing systems the project established, stronger connections were formed with DJJ and Project Confirm staff. In time, the project hopes that they will enable front-line workers to eliminate gapsbetween agencies without a liaison program like theirs.
Child Welfare and Education
Christian, Steve, Educating Children in Foster Care. Denver, CO: National Conference of State Legislators, December 2003. Available online at: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/cpieducate.pdf
This policy paper discusses the issue of meeting the educational needs of children in the child welfare system. In addition to an overview of the research focusing on the issue, the report also discusses the performance indicators addressed in the CFSRs and some model programs.
