Developing and maintaining collaboration in systems of care for children and youths with emotional and behavioral disabilities and their families.

Abstract

Many communities have implemented systems of care in an effort to better coordinate and integrate mental health and other social services for children and youths, while simultaneously managing existing funding sources more effectively. Systems of care represent a fundamentally different way of delivering mental health services and accordingly require new approaches for both developing and sustaining collaboration. This article examines obstacles to collaboration and addresses key factors required to build and sustain collaboration.

Working with families with parental mental health and/or drug and alcohol issues where there are child protection concerns: inter‐agency collaboration

“…The tendency of child protection workers and KTS-WFT clinicians to each view themselves as 'experts' who are best positioned to respond to harm is a barrier to collaboration identified in the current study. This observation is consistent with findings from others studies (Anderson et al 2002;Arney et al 2010). In response to this barrier, Anderson et al (2002) called for service providers to stop viewing themselves as 'experts' but instead shift their focus from providing 'expert' intervention to developing partnerships and working collaboratively.…”

“…This observation is consistent with findings from others studies (Anderson et al . ; Arney et al . ).…”

The Social Construction of Reality in the Realm of Children's Mental Health Services

“…A systems-of-care approach requires effective cross-systems coordination and effective communication between systems as stakeholders work together with families. Engaging stakeholders in cross-system training may enhance the likelihood of successful and sustained system-of-care performance (Anderson, McIntyre, Rotto, & Robertson, 2002). As such, much more needs to be accomplished in this area.…”

Preliminary Evaluation of the Full-Purpose Partnership Schoolwide Model

“…Modeled after the role of the service coordinator in the Dawn Project (Anderson, McIntyre, Rotto, & Robertson, 2002), an SFCC facilitates the emergence of the systems of care principles and schoolwide behavior support. The SFCC also supports the school's efforts to implement differentiated curriculum and instruction to support all learners.…”